The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-05-30
IDEA Of
HAWAII IS UNIQUE
Senator Says Hawaii Will Stay in
Business AT Same Old
Stand.

That Hawaii might "become perma.
ncntly and hopelcssly Orientalized' is.
in the opinion OF Senator G.. ). Thomas
OF colorado, "the hobgoblin of a timid
mind. Z
That Senator Thomas has '.unique
and inaccurate IDEAS regarding liza.
waii and the sugar situation is the opin.
ION OF f. Faxon Bishop, president of
the llonolulu Chamber of Commerce,
The above are gathered from letters
over the signatures OF the senator and
the chamber president, the senator ex-'
pressing his views in letter to con.
stituent, which has been forwarded to
Honolulu, and Mr.. Bishop giving his
Ideas in reply.
81 am obliged for your letter of the
Both ultimo with enclosure, which
have read with much interest" saws
Senator Thomas in his letter. 81 am
not, however, as much impressed with
the seriousness of the situation in Ha.
wall, as you have been by Mr.. Ander-
son & tale of woe. ] recall very dis.
tinetly in 1875 when Hawaii was clam.
oring for and obtained a remission OF
all duties to the United States, she de-
clared that few years of free trade
would make her wholly self-supporting.
As a result of that policy practically all
the lands of the Islands have been ac-
quired by half dozen great families,
which have secured large quantities of
cheap European and Asiatic labor, so
that it now produces sugar more cheap
ly than any other part of the world, if
my recollection of the average cost per
pound is not at fault. Hawaii can and
will produce sugar on just as extensive
n scale as we do.
Beet Mems Clamor.
"In this connection it is interesting
to note that the beet sugar people ella
NOR for the continuance of substan-
tial duty because they otherwise will
be overcome by the cane sugar industry
with which they cannot compete as to
first cost. They must, of course, divide
the benefits of the duty with Hawaii
and Porto Rico, but from their point
of view the menace extends beyond that
and includes the cane sugar industry
as a whole.
Enormous Fortunes.
Besides absorbing the lands, the
Hawaiian sugar planters have amassed
enormous fortunes which are in strik-
ing contrast with the generally prev
alent poverty Of the people; have sup.
pressed all chance for independent SUI
gar raising, own their own line of boats
for transportation, and are perhaps as
well circumstanced as any people in the
world. rsIa..I.
GAS Democrat, believe in a tariff
for revenue only, and / must look at
the Underwood Bill as largely as pos
sible from that standpoint. There is
no section, however, which has less
cause for complaint for the, removal Of
duties on the necessaries Of life than
the residents of Hawaii. Mr.. Ander-
son s fear that the Islands will sink
back into semi-barbarism, or become
permanently and hopelessly Oriental.
lied, is simply the hobgoblin of timd
mind.
~ recall the same predictions of dis
aster when copper was placed on the
free list, none of which materialzed af-
ter the duty was removed. Hawaii will
be doing business at the old stand long
after you and / shall have been gath.
cred to our fathers.'
Setting Him Right.
In reply to this, the letter having
been forwarded to Honolulu, Mr.. |
Bishop, as president of the chamber of |
commerce wrote.
"Dear Senator:-I have been shown |
your letter of May last to Mr.. Peter
II. HOlme of Denver, on the subject |
of Hawaii's need of tariff protection
for its sugar industry. / do not wish |
to encroach upon your valuable time
unnecessarily, nor will ! even attempt |
to convert you from your party prin- |
ciples on the tariff subject; but / beg
indulgence to the extent of being al. |
lowed to set you right on certain facts
regarding Hawaii and the conditions
prevailing here, which 1t appears from
your letter YOU have unique and In.
accurate ideas regarding.
"The sugar lands of Hawaii are NOT |
owned 'by a half-dozen great fam
lies, nor do we produce sugar more
cheaply than any other part of the |
world The ownership of the sugar in.
iustry in Hawaii is vested, at least |
ninety.fve per cent, in incorporated |
whose stocks are distributed |
among 9071 shareholders. These share.
holders are scattered through the Ter.
ritory of Hawaii, up and down the Pa
cific Coast, as well as in the Eastern
States. Again, Cuba can manufacture
sugar much cheaper than can Hawaii,
and they have the further advantage
Of $500 transportation to market, while
It costs Hawaii $1,000.
"We deny that in Hawaii all chance
for independent sugar raising has been
1t is true that small es-
Iates have gradually found it to their
advantage to consolidate and operate
rs larger units, but I know of no in
stance where the small planter has been
or oppressed by the larger
Labor and Wages.
GAS to the employment of European
and Asiatic labor, / have only this to
say, that owing to our geographical |
position, and remoteness from Europe,
as well as the comparative nearness of /
the Orient, we have employed Asiatic
labor in R large degree. for the simple
reason that we could get nothing else.
Moreover, the white man will not. nor
can he, work in the cane fields of the .
tropics. The planters of Hawaii have
spent millions of dollars in the effort .
to get European classes into our labor