Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-09-13

.fr. fsailuu. Yes.
Senator Walsh. AID Cuba supply
| ing us with two an one-quarter mil
/ lion tons ard Evope supplying US
with one and one quarter million tons,
YOU think that fhe European price
would tx the 9dban price,
Mr.. Ballou kes; and It always did
lin the sugarbusiness. Before Cuba
came up. cha would always take at
l1sast the Hmburg price.
I|Senato,Reed. How much was Gu
4fbas pyhon of the supply at that
NJ Ballou. Before reciprocity.
lpr,lticalIy 100000 tons. We could
| ~ sugar at the Hamburg price in
Cuba and Immediately 1t takes the
enhanced price. The minute you let
full duty sugar trickle in here all the
sugars take an enhanced price.
Senator Walsh. Now, that we have
learned that you did not mean that
the trust would control the supply, as
you say in this advertisement, will
you tell US where you got the fact
that laborers in the beet fields Of
Europe get $3.50 a day?
Mr.. Ballou. got that from Mr.. Tru-
man G. Palmer.
Senator Reed. Have you ever lived
In the Hawaiian Islands?
Mr.. Ballou Yes; have lived there.
Senator Reed You have lived there
under the old plan Of wages, before
this Government took possession?
Mr.. Ballou. Yes.
Senator Reed. And have you had
anything to do with the Importation
of labor?
Mr.. Ballou. Since / came to WASH
ington ! have had a little to do with
It.
Senator Reed. What did you have
to do with it?
Mr.. Ballou. ! am not quibbling with
you on the use of the word import, I"
In relation to importing labor.
Senator Reed. Yes.
Mr. Ballou. When a shipload of I'M
migrants goes to the islands, destined
from Portugal, usually. to Hawaii. it
is the custom of the United States Ma
rine-H Hospital Service to detail a
health officer to inspect those immi-
grants at the expense of the territory
Of Hawaii, in order that there may be
no sickness and unnecessary expense
when they are inspected again on
their arrival. / have, on two or three
occasions, since I,haye been here, gone
to the secretary of the interior to re-
quest him to request the secretary Of
the treasury to request the surgeon
general of the public health or marine
hospital service to detail a marine
hospital officer to inspect those immi-
grants. That is the only connection
have I1a6.ssa s.{--e - e.tsll- lsas,.s.sz
Senator Reed. Did you have any
thing to do with advising the Cuban
government-
Mr.. Ballou. 70 do not mean the
Cuban government?
Senator Reed. mean advising the
government at Honolulu at the time
that the immigration bill was amend
ed, or the department made ruling
that you could no longer import labor
direct; that is, your clients?
Mr.. Ballou. They were not my cli-
erts at the time was either in gem
eral practice or on the bench at that
time. IS
Senator Reed. In Hawaii?
Mr.. Ballou. In Hawaii. have seen
the departmental ruling, however, on
file in the department as to the legal
ity Of that.
Senator Reed. These men you now
represent as your clients are, general
ly speaking, the same concerns that
were in business before this govern
ment took possession?
Mr.. Ballou. There have been q
good many changes, naturally. Some
o. them are, / guess.
Senator Reed. But the same cor
porations, to a large extent?
Mr.. Ballou. The same sugar PLAN
tatfons, to large extent. OF course,
some of the agencies are the same.
Senator Reed. And is it not fact
that one complaint that is made by
your clients today is that they are not
permitted to have free trade in labor
as they once had it?
Mr.. Ballou. No, sir; it is not.
Senator Reed. In circular No. 5,
volume /, in, the first column, / read
this.
"The new tariff bill discriminates
most unjustly against Hawaii in favor
OF foreign sugar growers in the Pacif-
lie ocean. 1t proposes to put us on a
free-trade basis for what we produce.
but not for what we buy. Our sup
plies are not free The tariff aoi the
iute bags we use is 25 per cent. We.
are not given free labor. We can not
import cheap oriental labor to COM
pete with the sugar planters of Java
or Formosa"
That is one of your circulars.
Mr.. Ballou. / do not consider that
a complaint in any way.
Senator Reed. What would you con-
slider it?
Mr.. Ballou. would consider 1t a
statement of facts We do not COM
plain of the tariff on jute bags. We
are willing to pay tariff on iute bags,
and prefer to pay it.
Senator Reed. Provided you can get
your sugar?
Mr. Ballou. We do not complain of
the lack of cheap labor. On the con-
trary, | would answer your question
n A. !,