Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-31
DELEGATE KIJHIOH|EESBRIEF
AGAINST REMOVING SUGAR DUTY

the house ways and means committe,
setting forth his opposition to tn,
abolition Of the sugar tariff. BY tn,
last mail copy of the proceeding
before this committee relating Il
sugar was received Delegate Kuhioi
brief says:
Brief Of J. kaIanianaoIe
Inc Chairman and members Of thu
Ways and Means Committee:
AS the official representative of the
Territory Of Hawaii in Congress,
would like to present some reasons
that seem to me important. why tht
tariff on sugar should not be abolish
ed.
The considerations which shall
urge upon your committee relating
particularly to the Hawaiian Islands
are not merely economic and finan
cial; they 90 beyond that to questions
OF craftsmanship concerning the at
titude Of strong nation toward its
insular territories; they vitality and
fundamentally affect the future Of an
island people who voluntarily sur.
rendered their own sovereignty to be.
come a territory Of the United States.
do not appeal to you primarily on
behalf of the sugar planters, who have
the largest amount Of capital invested
in that industry. AS delegate from
that island territory my purpose is to
show you the Inevitable effect Of this
legislation on our community as a
whole, and particularly on the
Caucasian and native Hawaiian citi-
zens OF our islands. sG - }~~a 9
Capital has it's rights and is en-
titled 10 fair consideration; tut, after
all, the man OF wealth can always take
his money and go elsewhere to en-
JOY II, even though, as in the case OF
Hawaii, he would lose large part of
his capital In making the transfer and
would leave our island community inn
poyerished. But with tie mass of our
citizenship whom represent the case
is different. Ny purpose is to show
you what the effect or this. legislation
would be on the rank and file Of those
who constitute the citizenship OF our
territory.
Congress has the power to enact
legislation that will paralyze the In
dustfial life of its island territory and
insuiar possessions; but do not be-.
lieve that II ought to do so without
at least frankly facing the probable
results and recognizing what ii Isl
about to do. Hawaii under its own
independent government was a pros
porous community. It voluntarily
ceded it's sovereignty to this country.
believing that congress, as the arbiter
OF it's destiny, would always give fair
al n lar fr.1a a. %,
therefore, one house Of congress looks
fayorably, as believe. toward the
abolition Of the tariff on sugar, the
effect Of which will be to wipe out
four-fifths of the main and well-nigh
sole industry of that country. deem
II my duty to place the facts before
you. so that the congress shall act
with, full knowledge of the conditions
and with undivided responsibility for
the results that must follow
IL this were merely question of i
cutting down the profits OF the sugar
planters, would leave 1t, to their at
torneys to argue the questions OF COM
paratiye cGsts and the proper tariff /
rate to best maintain the relatively |
low price OF sugar which the American
consumer has enjoyed during the past
20 years, while still building up a |
large American sugar production. |
But the question now before congress
is the total abolition Of the sugar
duty. Il Is admitted that this radical
reversal of the lCng-estab lished policy
with respect to sugar will greatly
lessen and undoubtedly eventually
destroy the sugar production Of Louii !
siana, win destroy four-fifths Of the
in Hawaii, win greatly
reduce the production of Porto Rico,
and will wipe out most of the beet
sugar industry in the United States.
II is the resulting conditions in the /
Territory Of Hawaii that / wish to
make clear to your committee.
The Hawaiian Islands form an ex-
treme example Of a one-industry
Ninety per cent OF the com.
either. directly or indirectly, upon
sugar production; necessarily, there
fore, the wiping out of four-fifths of
cur plantations by free-sugar iegisla-
lion win mean industrial disaster for
the Hawaiian Islands. F. Il
But the rapid decline and collapse
or our present industrial life will not
be the worst form of the disaster to
Hawaii; the most serious factor in1
The Hawaiian situation is the inherent
obstacles to substituting other forms !
,f Industrial life and in making them !
succeed, under the physical and geo.
graphical conditions Of those islands.
II the sugar industry OF Louisiana
s wiped out, while there will be
great economic loss, still the land can
be used to produce cotton, corn. or
ice. When the free-sugar law shall
have turned the sugar-beet factories
,f the United States into junk heaps,
he miles of sugar-beet fields sur
,ounding them can be used to grow
Yheat, corn. or other crops. IL