Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-05-26

OF the present law the provision re-
lating TO the Dutch standard and the
refiners' differential and reduces the
duty on refined sugar from $3.50 per
hundred to s1.275 and reduces the
duty on Cuban Ninesy-Six' from
$1.S46 to 1882
From careful study / am con-
WINGED that with the progress being
made in the development of the beet
sugar industry and the eheapening
of the processes OF production, the
amounts suggested will be ample pro-
lection. 1t is not my purpose at this
time to discuss at length the amend
ment or the tariff bill When the bill
comes from the committee to the SEN
ate / will give my views upon its
provisions at some length. Unless 1t
is materially changed from its pres
ent form | cannot give it my support
Il am very earnestly in favor of a
revision of the tariff but l am not in
favor of free trade and, as inconsist-
ent and faulty as this measure is,
mat apparently is the purpose of its
advocates.
worse nan RECIPROCITY.
Il voted against the Payne-Aldrich
tariff bill and at that time gave my
reasons for so doing. Since then /
have been endeavoring at every OPP
portunity to get the law amended, but
between the standpat protectionists
on the one side and the free traders
on the other, we have been unable to
accomplish that very desirable result.
This bill, in my opinion, is more in
defensible from the standpoint of
principle that is the Payne-Aldrich
law. 1t has all of the iniquities of
the Canadian reciprocity act, which
passed the last congress and was re-
jected by Canada, and none of its few
and doubtful merits. 1t is not drawn
from the standpoint of protection, be-
cause it will break down a number
of legitimately protected industries;
it is not tariff for revenue only, be-
cause it places sugar, wool and other
most important revenue producing
articles on the free list; and it is not
consistent with the theory of free
trade. because it places high pro-
tective duty on number of products.
1t has the evils of every one of the
tariff systems suggested, and the vir-
tues of none.'
RansdeIi AssaiIs Measure.
Senator Ransdell, after breaking
with the administration in an author
lied interview, has been assailing
free sugar on the floor of the senate
during the preliminary skirmishes on
the reference of the tariff bill to the
finance committee. He has not
minced words abut frankly declared
that the Democratic party was not
pledged to free sugar and disputed
that such an Interpretation was war
ranted by the Baltimore platform.
The tremendous gain in American
imports in the Philippines will be
wiped out completely, is the warning
of business interests in the insular
possessions in the far east, ii the
rates proposed in the new tariff meas
ure are put into operation. Losses to
the sugar interests, it is set forth,
would reduce the purchasing power
OF the islanders.
Representatives of the allied cham
bers of commerce and of the Agri-
cultural Association and the sugar
planters have drawn up protests
against the proposed reduction in the
duty on sugar, asserting that the
present rates give the industry only
a fair return, and that the reduction
would close to the Philippine produce
ers the only market they now have.
The substance of these arguments
has been telegraphed to the insular
bureau of the war department by
Governor General Forbes.