Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-07
FIRST FRUITS OF
SUGAR CAMPAIGN
San Francisco Merchant Sends
Cordial Response to
.s..* ... Letter

The following letter, a copy of
which was furnished by Alexander &c
Baldwin, Ltd, was read at the meet
ing of the sugar protection committee
this. morning: ~ -..- #....o. a
San Francisco, March 2S, 1913
Messrs. Alexander & Baldwin, Ltd,
Stangenwald building, Honolulu,
T. H.: 49,. 49,. 49,. .-"-
Dear Sirs:
~: Tariff on Sugar.
beg to own receipt of your favor
of March 20, No. STE, together with
two copies of Judge Ballou's argu-
ment against free sugar. | shall GER
tainly do what / can to reach all of
the California congressman and i'm
rress upon them the fallacy of remov-
ing the duty from sugar or even max
ing a serious reduction. l shall also
write. to some of my relatives in Wis
consin and request that, if they are
in position to do so; they take SINH
lar action with regard to the congress:
men of that state.
| have read Judge Ballou's argu-
ment with considerable interest and it
is certainly very convincing that the
consumer cannot expect, and will not
reap, the full benefit of whatever re-
duction is made on the duty on sugar.
This is very good as far as it goes.
hut feel (altheugh this is. of course,
only an Individual orinion) that the
sugar planters are entirely justified III
advancing arguments directly in their
own behalf. have always main
tanned that if there is revision of
the tariff there should, in the first
place be reductions il tho case of
manufactured articles. 1t is the man
ufacturer who has been waxing. rich
at the expense of the consumer by
reason of a high protective tariff. This
has always been met by the argument
that reduction in duty on Tnanutac-
tured articles means reduction in
wages, in other words. cheap labor,
but with the enormous profits that
have been made by our manufacturers
il is evident that they can afford to
sell their goods at considerable re-
duction below what they are getting
now, pay the same wages that they
are doing at the present time, and
still make handsome profit; and /
always feel that if any oEo is to be
protected it is the person who takes
the wealth out of the ground, where,
after all, all Of our wealth comes from
lin other words, the sugar grower,
fruit grower, wool grower, in fact,
every producer of raw material. AS ]
said before, not only Is he the one
who produces the wealth OF the cCun-
try, but by it's nature his business has
Very many hazards and is attended
with greater risks than that of the
manufacturer who is not called upon
to take into account droughts, frOSts,
insect pests, over-productiOn in other
parts Of the world, etc. The manu-
facturor, when ever he sees that con-
tiiticas are against him, shuts down
his factory. and while he then makes
no, profit, at the same IE1e' he has no
loss. while the farmer. and under this
head | include planters of sugar, fruit.
ETC.. as well as of grain, must till his
ground and reap his harvest each year
no matter what the conditions arc in
order TO be in a position 10 take ad-
vantage of change in conditions.
These arguments Of mine may he of
no value Whatsoever in your fight IN
Washington. and ] only give them To
you for what they are worth. AS
stated above. shall leave no stone
unturned to assist you in every way
possible, which, after all, means as
s;sting myself, for it makes quite d
difference to ME whether the price Of
sugar is three or four cents per pound.