The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-12-05

u** 4 4 X X X X X X X X X X n
The thirty.third annual meeting of
the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Associa-
tion convened at Castle & Cooke Hall,
at 10 o'clock Monday morning, over
sixty members and staff officers being
present.
The retiring President, Joseph p.
Cooke, addressed the association as fol.
lows:
To the members of the Hawaiian SUI
gar Planters Association.
Gentlemen: II is hardly necessary
to state that the all important question
during the present year has been the
fight against free sugar. When the
Democratic party came into power it
was only reasonable to expect that
heavy reductions would be made in the
duties imposed under the Payne Aldrich
law. The domestic sugar interests
felt hopeful, however, that reasonable
amount of duty would be retained on
sugar, as the Democratic platform de-
ciared, 1--WE favor the ultimate attain
ment of the principles we advocate by
legislation that will not iniure or de.
stfoy legitimate Industry All through
the campaign assurances were given by
the leaders of that party that at least
revenue duty must be maintained on
sugar. The fact that during the pre-.
eeding congress the so.called Bristow
Bill passed the senate with only two
dissenting Democratic votes seemed to
lend assurance that nothing like free
sugar would ever pass that body. The
TWO Democratic senators who voted
against the Bristow Bill did so because
they thought the cut on sugar was too
great.
Announcement Came as Blow.
The announcement made during last
March that the administration advoca.
ted free sugar came as blow to the
producers of nearly half Of the sugar
consumed in the United States. A
great industry extending over eighteen
States and the Territories of Porto Rico
and Hawaii was menaced; an annual
production amounting to over $3.50 .0O0,.
900 was involved, as well as hundreds
of millions of dollars invested in plants
and subsidiary enterprises.
AS soon as the policy of the admin.
lstration became known large delega.
tions from the various sugar inter.
ests appeared in Washington for the
purpose of endeavoring to show how the
party pledges had been broken and
now disastrous the effects of free sugar
win be.
Heretofore the policy of the Hawai-.
ian planters has been to keep rather in
the background ON ordinary questions
of national legislation, but when free
sugar began to threaten the industrial
life of the Territory, Hawaii took A
foremost place ON the firing line, and
was represented by the following gen.
temen IN Washington during the sew
eral months the bill was under discus.
sion; Judge 5. NJ. Ballou, the Wash.
lngton representative of the II. S. p. A..
Hon. George r. Carter, representing
the chamber of commerce and the mer
chants association of Honolulu, Harry
irwin, for the Elilo board of trade,
Messrs. X. ID. Mead and j. d. Trenor,
also representing the II. $. p. A., j. F..
numphrg, representing the firm of H..
Hackfeld Co., Ltd, and Messrs. w
u. Cooke, A. d. Baldwin and f. +. Pax.
ton on behalf of Alexander & Baldwin
Ltd
The above named gentlemen, in con.
neetion with representatives of the beet
sugar States and Louisiana conducted
an elaborate campaign in the city of
Washington, having for it's objects the
following:
]. To refute the false statements
made by the Eastern reGners advocating
Tree sugar, especially G. 4. Spreckels
and f. c. Lowrey.
2. To set forth the facts regarding
the importance OF the domestic SUGAR
industry on its merits.
3. To furnish our friends in and ont
OF congress with material for argument
and TO encourage them 10 make ms hard
a fight against free sugar Ms possible
This campaign proved all the more
Jnstihable when the Representatives of
the different sugar interests were urac.
tieally denied hearings before the con.
gTespional committees, having the bin
nnder consideration
IN this connection TOO much creiit
cannot be- given 10 Ex-Governor George
n Garter Messu. Va Towsr. Fred l..
Wsldron, Emil A, licudt, -. q. swain
and those associated with them ns n
special committee fuf the strenuous
WORK they performed u ufousiup our
people 10 liue sense Of the impeud