Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-03
SOUTHERNERS ON
THE Fighting
Line

Dixie Lana mad Its mnlng DeIOfe
the sugar protection committee this
morning, a goodly number of people
Of the "sweet, sunny south" being
present by invitation, including Prin
cipal Perley l.. Horne, Richard II
Trent, DR.. and Mrs. w. T. Monsarrat
James L. Young, J. w. Caldwell, Au
ORGY Robinson, Mr. Filler, John COT
. fee, Mr.. Shepherd. Alexander HUNS
I Ford and two or three others, includ
ing an army officer, VINO dropped in
while the meeting was in progress.
| Mr.. Ford, when adjournment was
proposed, invited all the southerners
tC the Palm cafe to talk the campaign
over, and, as ne suggested, arrange
for a big dinner later to consider
concerted line of action on the part
Of the hundreds of southerners that
he had discovered had homes in ,Ha
wall. .~.-:
THE fact that the Democrats are
in control is due to the PTogressiyes,
said Chairman George r. Carter in
beginning his remarks to the visitors
whom he assumed were Democrats
Some Democrats may be misled By
the belief that the merican people put
them in power because it endorsed
their policies" He went on to say
that only the most radical Democrats
like the Republicans, were free trad
ers, while the doctrine of the Pro
gressives was that of tariff for rev.
enue. The movement for abrogation
of the duty on sugar was not owing
tc any demand from the people, but
due to a campaign by the sugar trust
among their customers. Free sugar
would reduce the price of the com
modify to consumers. When there
was no duty the price was six cents a
pound, and it came down after the
duty was restored and fell still lower
after an increase of the duty.
Mr.. Carter urged on the visitors
the duty of warning the leaders OF
their party of the fatal mistake they
would make in taking the duty off
action that would damage the pres
tige of the United States in the Pa
cific and react like boomerang UP
on the Democratic party
Repeating the familiar arguments
of the campaign, he mentioned that
before annexation the profits on Ha
waiian sugar were Is per cent but
since that event had been reduced to
fraction over 8 per cent, the chair
man caused Mr. Shepherd, who had
been introduced by Mr.. Ford as eHe
who came from Congressman Under
woods district, to state that he had
received the impression that the divi
bends on sugar were very much
larger. -
Mr.. Carter explained that the pro
fits on sugar were relative. Some
one had made the statement bach
cast that a certain plantation here
was paying 81 per cent per annum
which caused an erroneous impress
sion to spread broadcast, but the
statement was misleading in that il
did not. contain the fact that this was
the first year in a long period that
the plantation mentioned had paid
any dividend. The amount Of div
dend must be taken in connection
with the capitalization of the enter
prise, and the speaker quoted figures
showing that the sugar industry here
was uIfder-capitaliZed. r..
Secretary Rabbit, at the request oil
the chair, read statistics from re
turns of the plantations to their di
rectorates, until lately confidential
proving that the profits of the local
industry were not such as would save
it from disaster ii it were subjected
10 the loss of tariff protection -,
Mr.. Shepherd, at the outset, said he
helped Mr.. Underwood in his cleo
ton and would be very glad to write
TO him on the true position of the Ha
waiian sugar industry if he were sup
piled with solid facts" '@~..