Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-04
T Rec S u GA R
WOULD NJl]RE !
SHIPPING

The staggering blow that would be
dealt to the American merchant ma
rine by the passage OF free sugar legis-
lation is emphasized in recent bulle-8
tin from the domestic sugar producers
bureau OF Washington. The bulletin.
which refers particularly to Hawaii
says:
The fact Is that the most cunningly
devised legislation to smash American
shipping would not have a more
blighting effect than tariff bill con-
tanning free sugar. Such law would
play havoc with onr rapidly growing
insular merchant trade. which has be-
come the bulwark Of American ship
ping since the decline Of the American
merchant vessel as factor In foreign
trade. A law that would wipe half
the American tonnage out OF our for
eign trade would result in thrusting
any political party that stood sponsor
for 1t out Of power. The free sugar
bill threatens. an equal calamity. II Il
becomes law II will paraiyze the In
salar shipping trade, which Is now
equal IN value to half the total foreign
commerce carried In American bot
toms
ssFor years the steadily decreasing
percentage Of our foreign commerce
carried In American ships has been .
matter OF concern among our repre-
sentative COMMERCIAL bodies Up into
the eighties nearly third Of the ton.
mage. carFieasin foraigl1 eOmmefcn nttll
sailed under the American flag. To
day less than a tenth goes to or from
our shores IN American bottoms.
Since the annexation OF Hawaii and
Porto. Rico. new Fistas OF commerce
have been opened for ships uUlef the
nag. With the remarkable progress
made by these colonial possessions nm
der American rule has sprung up .
brisk trade. all carried In American
vessels, according to the coastwise
shipping laws which applysto the In
sular possessions Last year this
trade had grown to such proportions
that its value was half that Of our to-
tai foreign commerce carried In Amers
lean bottoms on the high seas The
figures are:
Carried in American ships
Porto Rico .............. $Sl, 4OO,OUO
Hawaii .........y....... 79,S00, 600
Total .s161, zoe, 900
Total foreign commerce. .$32z, 500 OU
"The backbone Of this splendid COM
merce has been the development OF
sugar industry in Hawaii and Porto
Rico. Last year. over so per cent Of
the freight they sent to as was the
saccharine product Of their cane fields.
Our merchant ships brought Us nearly
million tons OF sugar from the
islands-all produced and shipped I'M
der the flag. In return the Islands
took millions OF dollars worth OF steel
and lumber for their sugar mills, and
for constructive enterprises that have
developed with the progress OF the
sugar industry. They took millions OF
dollars worth of meat and breadstuffs,
practically all bought with their sugar
money. Over fonr-fifths OF our trade
With Hawaii and nearly three-fourths
of our trade with Porto Rico depends
directly upon this same sugar indus
try.
"Of course blow dealt at sugar pro-
duction would paralyze this commerce.
1t would go far toward Wiping the
American flag off the Pacific ocean, as
practically all the vessels flying the
American flag on the Pacific are en-
gagged in the Hawaiian trade.
There Is not an American ship cap
tain running to Hawaii who would not
find his cargoes depleted If the sugar
plantations Of the islands were put
out of business or crippled by adverse
tariff legislation.
Free sugar would stop all develop
ment on the islands. The smaller
planters would be ruined outright The
larger interests would have difficulty
in saving anything from the wreck.
And the upbuilding of the American
merchant marine in this lucrative
trade, in which the only noteworthy
progress of American shipping during
the past half century has been made,