Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-04
F Rec S UGAR
WOULD INJURE
SHIPPING

The staggering blow that would De
dealt to the American merchant ma
rine by the passage of free sugar legis
lation is emphasized in a recent helle-
tin from the domestic sugar producers
bureau of Washington. The bulletin,
which refers particularly to HawaiS
says:
THE fact is that the, most eunningly
devised legislation to smash American
shipping would not have more
blighting effect than tariff bin con-
tanning free sugar. Such a law would
play havoc with our rapidly growing
insular merchant trade. which has be-
come the bulwark of American ship
ping since the decline of the American
merchant vessel as a factor in foreign
trade. A law that would wipe half
the American tonnage out Of oHr for
cign trade would result in thrusting
any political party that stood sponsor
for il out of power The free sugar
bill threatens an equal calamity. II II
becomes law it win paralyze the in
sular shipping trade, which is now
equal In value to half the total foreign
commerce carried in American bot
TOMS
For years the steadily decreasing
percentage of our foreign commerce
carried in American ships has been a
matter of concern among our repre-
sentative commercial bodies. Up into
the eighties nearly a third of the tom
mage carried in foreign commerce still
sailed under the American, flag. To-
Gay less than tenth goes to or from
our shores in American bottoms.
Since the annexation of Hawaii and
Porto Rico, new vistas OF commerce
have been opened for ships under the
flag. With the remarkable progress
made by these colonial possessions ur-
der American rule has sprung up a
brisk trade, all carried in American
vessels, according to the coastwise
shipping laws which apply to 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 Amer
lean bottoms on the high seas. The
| figures are:
Carried in American ships
Porto Rico .............. So, 400 900
Hawaii .................. 79,So0OVo
Total -Slol ,zuV'VVo
Total foreign commerce. S322,450, 600
sThe backbone of this splendid COM
merce has been the development OF
sugar industry in HAWAII and Porto
Rico. Last year, over so per cent or
the freight they sent to us 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 four.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 4 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 issnot an American ship cap
tain running to Hawaii who would not
find his eargoes depleted il the sugar
plantations of the islands we're put
cut 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,
would be abruptly stopped" 4