The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-03-11
CAMPAIGN
At ELEVENTH
HOUR
Will Take Up Fight to
Preserve Tariff
on Sugar.

Aroused at last TO the Importance of
doing something toward a campaign of
publicity and action in behalf of pro.
lection to the sugar industry of this
Territory it is probable that joint
meeting of the chamber of commerce
and the merchants association will
be held tomorrow afternoon to appoint
a committee to cooperate with former
Governor George X. Carter in the effort
to convince the people of the United
States, and especially the members OF
congress, that there is no necessity for
a reduction in sugar tariff.
Ex-Governor Carter sounded the key
note of this campaign before the spe'
cial meeting of the trustees of the mer-
chants association yesterday whom he
stated that during the past decade the
price of sugar to the consumer has prae-
tically remained the same, while all
other staples have increased in price.
This fact accentuated in the right
way should have great weight with the
lawmakers at Washington, for it is pro-
posed to reduce the tariff on sugar sole
" to make it cheaper to the consumer.
But by reducing tly tariff it would only
add to the profits of the sugar trust
which controls the refneries.
At the meeting yesterday President
Johnson of the merchants association,
opened the session with congratulations
upon having such a strong man as Mr..
Carter to go to Washington in connec-
ton with the sugar tariff campaign,
and he called upon. Mr.. Carter to know
e L., baF t,aciffnn
Mr.. Carter said that he was not anX-
ious to go to Washington, but would
do so, if necessary, as matter of duty.
lie thought the thing to do would be
to start campaign in Honolulu,
arouse public opinion, get the people to
act and get behind the man who goes
to Washington and back him up.
Have Been Apathetic..
"The people here have been apathetic
and have done nothing as they ought
to have done long ago." asserted Mr..
Carter, "and now they want me to go
to Washington and take the job of help
ing out. Nobody has done anything IN
this matter and there has been great
lack of energy, everybody thinking that
the easiest way was to get somebody
else to do it. Though it is late to be-
gin the campaign, no fight is lost until
If is ended. 1t is too late for a cam
paign in the house, but a poll of the
senate shows that it Is evenly divided,
with few doubtful ones. The cam
paign should tend to strengthen these
men in their stand for continued
duty upon sugar"
Mr.. Carter went on to show that
whereas sugar has remained at the
same price to the consumer for de-
cade or more, it has increased in cost
to the manufacturer. On the other
hand, the cost of distribution has been
much lower than for many other staples
due to the lack of many middlemen
All grocers have to carry sugar and dc
not make large profit out of 1T, be
cause it is one-price staple, while in
coffee or tea the consumer pays accord
| ing to the brand, and oftentimes the
| cost to the consumer is as much as ten
times the cost of manufacture. AS fol
coffee, it has nearly doubled in price
since it was placed on the free list, he
said.
An excellent suggestion by Mr.. Car
| ter was that all the business men il
| the city mention these arguments brief
| " in their letters to friends or bust
ness associates on the mainland and he
felt sure that with $4,000 letters going
out every month such continuous cam
paign would have its effect.
"I can go to Washington and tall
my arm off and cannot make as mucl
impression as some personal friend o.
senator whom he has confidence II
could make with a letter. Find thu
| channel which will be most effective t.
reach these men, added Mr.. Carter.
He again accentuated the necessity O.
doing things in modern way, which h
asserted was to have trained sharp
shooter, or specialist, at work. He stat
ed that it was time to start cam
paign with men outside of the sugar in
dustry. on the ground that argument
from the merchants would be more CT
fective than from the sugar men alone
Necessity of Working.
''I don't want to say / won't G.
to Washington, for as citizen here
recognize the necessity of working AM
how it may affect us all, and if d.
nothing I will deserve any loss whicl
may follow injury to the sugar business
but if 1 go and work hard, at least
will have a clear conscience, knowing
have done my best.'
Then Mr.. Carter outlined the worl
which should be done in Honolulu