Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-05-13
SIDE LIGHTS ON
SUGAR INDUSTRY
How the Production of this
Industry Operates to Add
to Burden of People
SUGAR AND THE NAVY
There Is No Fairness in a
Revenue Tariff Laid Up
on Necessities


friends, who are worried about the
disaster predicted to follow the pass
age of the Democratic tariff bill, the
Herald prints below an extract from
a speech delivered in the House of
Representatives, April %, 1911, by
Congressman William Kent, of Cali.
fornia. Mr. Kent said:
Anyone who has lived on the Pa
cific coast can not fail to entertain
profound respect for the self-helping
ability of the Japanese They are
the most remarkable self-helpers in
all the world, and no one need ever
again invite them to help themselves.
Some two years ago, in the islands
of Hawaii, just at time when the
canegrinding season was at hand,
the Japanese engaged in that indus
try unanimously struck. They did
not appear to be satisfied with their
wages nor disposed to recognize the
contract they had made with the
planters, which procedure was not en-
tirely original on their part. In the
course of the dispute they wrote
series of resolutions to the planters
to the effect that it was the duty of
the planters, in accordance with the
true American principls of protection.
to get an increase in the sugar duty
and thereby raise the value of sugar.
and then out of the added profit they
should divide with the laborers.'
Strangely that this simple and ex-
cellent and wholly American plan
was not at once adopted. daughter
LET us consider some more phases
of Hawaiian sugar. The business was
build up first under subsidy and then
under protective tariff. The sugar
land is nearly all of it in the hands
of the great corporations. These cor
porations are paying large dividends
on inflated values. This is the upper
crust of the pie. Next there comes
a filling of upward of 100000 tons
of sugar, for which, together with
all other sugar, imported and domes.
tic the American people are paying
heavy taxes. The lower crust con-
sists of oriental labor The yellow
man is everywhere displacing the
white man even in the skilled occu.
Th0 vrIi< -
means has little or no chance to in
habit the Paradise of the Pacific
1t is today country Of corporations
and yellow men. The white men are
SO greatly outnumbered that there
seems danger that the pie may be-
turned over, to the obvious benefit
Of the under crust, but to the de-
struction of the upper crust. no
prevent such an unfortunate occur.
ence and to protect the protected
sugar industry, We are taxed for an
increase in our Navy. To protect
the Navy, which must protect the
protected-sugar industry, We must be
taxed to fortify Pearl Harbor. To
protect Pearl Harbor, to protect the
Navy, to protect the protected.sugar
industry, We must keep near Pearl
Harbor considerable army of men,
and these must be supported out of
public taxation
"This is an illustration of the Am
erican doctrine and the American
consumer can realize as he pays
his grocery bills that he is not only
patriotically encouraging an Ameri.
can industry for the benefit of cor.
porations and yellow labor, but tina.
he is encouraging an indefinite in.
crease in our Navy and a probable
increase in our Army, always with
the possibility that the Navy and
the Army aforesaid may have to be
actively used to protect the protect.
sugar industry, with all the waste o.
life and Of property incident to war
and at very rough estimate with
four hundred and eighteen thousand
millions of dollars of pensions to pay
in the years to come Naughter.)
'T can not agree with those gen.
tlemen on the majority side who be.
lieve in a tariff for revenue. There
is doubtless justification for a high
tariff on certain luxuries, but there
is no fairness in a revenue tariff laid
upon necessities. The burden is not
upon the proper shoulders. Mr.. Rock.
efeller probably pays less Govern.
ment revenue on the food he con-
sumes than does the average hod car
rier. He would doubtless like to pay
as much, but he can not without eat.
ing as much"