The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-20
FACTS AND FIGURES


the difference No. the cost OF produc.
tiou at home and abroad A table
is given showing that the beet sugar
industry has grown from six factor
les, 1855 acres and l2,OOl,S3S pounds
of sugar i'm 1912 to siXtyfour fac.
tories. 429.Oli acres and tOl9G92. 500
pounds of sugar in l9lOllD
Undoubtedly the gain would have
been much greater had there not been
repeated notifications of the sugar
tariff which aroused feelings of un-
certainty and insecurity.
Hawaii, Etc.
In 1898 Hawaii was formally an
nexed to the United States, thus max
ing permanent its free-trade relations
which had formerly depended upon
treaty. This has resulted in an in
crease in the Hawaiian sugar crop
from 2O4,S3 long tons in 1897 to 5O6,-
O96 long tons in 1910.
In 1900 Porto Rico was granted a
concession in the tariff and two years
later was given absolutely free trade
with the United States. This has re.
suited in an increase in the Porto
Rican sugar crop from $4,000 long
tons in 1902 to 295,OOO long tons in
1910.
In 1903 Cuba was granted a twenty
per cent concession in the tariff
This has resulted in an increase in
the Cuban sugar crop from 1,O40,22S
long tons in 1903 to 1,SO4,S49 long
tons in 19O9-1O.
Two different Congresses discussed
the Philippine question finally grant
ing to those islands a concession of
twenty-five per cent in the tariff,
with a provision that all money col
lected on Philippine importations
should be paid into the insular treas
ury.
In 1909 the Payne-Aldrich bill was
passed, reducing the duty on refined
sugar five cents per 100 pounds and
granting the free importation of 300,-
600 tons of Philippine sugar with a
concession of twenty-five per cent. on
the balance of the Philippine crop
shipped to the United States
In view of the repeated modifica-
lions in the sugar schedule the net
effect of which has been to reduce
the amount of full duty paid sugar
from TAI per cent of our entire an
nual consumption to 81 per cent. of
our entire annual consumption, it
would seem in all fairness the sugar
schedule has already stood it's fair
reduction from the statutory rate
fixed in the Dingley bill
/ The wonder is that our domestic
beet-sugar industry has made any
progress during the past ten or
twelve years. The progress made,
however, has demonstrated without
doubt that this country has all the
natural advantages necessary for the
production of its supply of sugar, 1t
is only necessary to keep safeguarded
those advantages by such fiscal regu-
lations as shall equalize the cost of
production at home and abroad If
this policy were once definitely de-
termined upon, and subsequently
maintained, we have every reason to
believe that the development of our
domestic sugar industry would go
forward by leaps and bounds.
Under our free-rade relations with
Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philip
pine Islands the sugar industry in
those islands has been increasing
very rapidly Fully one-half our SUI
/ gar now comes from Porto Rico, Ha-
wall, Philippine Islands, and CONT
mental United States
The existing tariff with it's various
notifications has therefore served to
develop:
l. The domestic sugar industry of
the United States.
I nc sugar luhuolly vi VI W
Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippine Is
lands, all of which islands belong to
the United States.
3. The sugar industry in Cuba
which republic is so intimately related
to the United States.
1t thus appears that practically ON
entire sugar consumption comes from
the United States, its insular posses
sions, and the island of Cuba, which
occupies a particularly intimate rela
tion to the United States. At the same
time our tariff on sugar is so adjusted
that from it we obtain fully one-siXtl
of our total custom receipts.
What Free Trade Would Do.
Whenever it happens, as in the cast
of last fall, that the preceding, sugar
crop of Cuba is short and we are tenn
porarily governed by European condi
tions and subject to European short
ages, enabling the refners to advanc,
the price of their refined sugars mad,