The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-05-03
DOOM OF HAWAII
Ex-Gov. G. r. Carter Says Free
SUGAR is the KneII


Washington, April 2S.-"Hawaii is
given a chance to prepare for its fun
eral or to prepare for the deathblow
to be administered to its industries
by the Democratic tariff bills pro-
vision for. free sugar in three years"
was the declaration of George R. Car
ter, Ex-Governor of Hawaii, who is in
Washington as the representative of
the Merchants Association and the
Chamber of Commerce of Honolulu.
Mr.. Carter declares that the sugar
industry is the foundation of Ha-
waits prosperity and that If the pro-
gramme of the Democratic leaders
prevails Hawaii will die commercial
ly. He does not believe the anti
Japanese agitation in California will
develop into anything of serious
nature. His opinion is that the po-
litical parties involved-Democratic
and Progressive-are trying to make
capital out of delicate subject. He
says, however, that Hawaii would
prove the bulwark of the Pacific in
the event of war with Japan.
1--WE Hawaiians had not the slight
est suspicion that the Democratic
party would attempt anything so rad
ical as free sugar." said Mr.. Carter
tonight, for we rested on the assur-
ances of the party platform and the
President himself that the new tariff
would not destroy any important in
dustry But the Underwood bill is
a notice that we are to be buried
commercially in three years, and we
should make plans for the funeral,
After the news of the bill reached
the islands business was stopped and
mass meeting of protest, in which
everybody. joined, was held. The
whole territory was aroused.
Sugar is our one great industry.
1t provides IS per cent of the $4,000
600 annually expended by the local
government, and in addition it pays
$1,750,0OO into Uncle Sans Treasury
every year 1t educates our twenty
seven thousand school children
Free sugar means that the next Gov
ernor of Hawaii must reduce the gov
eminent expenditures to a 100000
basis. We are now expanding ST.
500 900 sugar money year on edu-
cation alone.
"The new tariff bill discriminates
most unjustly against Hawaii in fav'
or of the foreign sugar growers OF the
Pacific Ocean II proposes TO put us
on free trade basis for what We
produce, but not for what We buy.
Our supplies are not free. The tariff
on the jute bags we use is 20 per
cent We are not given free labor.
We cannot import cheap Oriental
labor to compete with the sugar plan
tiers of Java or Formosa. We are
compelled to ship our sugar to New
York in American vessels at $40
ton. Our sugar producing rivals in
the Pacific can ship in foreign sub
sidiZed vessels at cost OF "a ton.
AS loyal Americans we are willing
to stand the extra freight. but we
must have some tariff advantage to
compensate us if we are to live
1--WE are told to turn TO some other
crop. For years we have been try
ing to diversity our farming by rails
ing other crops But we are far
from markets. We are dependent on
a crop that we can handle and ship
in large quantities and that will
keep during the shipment. We do
raise some pineapples. but if we at
tempted to put our 2S5,0O0 acres of
sugar plantations into pineapples We
could not find a market for them.
This step will have grave political
consequences throughout the Pacific,
fort 1t puts our commercial prestiage
in question. Japan has adopted the
European policy of stimulating the
production of sugar in the island of
Formosa. 1t would indeed be strange
If. from lack of foresight and through
ignorance of the conditions in the
Pacific, American legislation should
make 1t possible for Formosa to take
the place of Hawaii and which the
larger influence in the future develop
ment of the Orient"