Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-06-19

beet sugar is entering on a new era.
and the conditions will require
careful examination IL we are
TO draw any correct concl1-
sICns. During the period OF the
European bounties the sugar prodGc-
ton Of the world went through many
vicissitudes. Previous TO the year
1870 cane sugar had our markets
pretty much to itself Then the first
disturbance came from the Paris re.
finers when they began to use raw
beet sugar In large quantities. They
saon discovered that they could get
80 per cent of refined sugar out OF
daFk-colored' beet root sugar which
was estimated by the French Excise
to yield only 50 per cent. As the duty
was more than 60 francs per 19C kg.
they got an enormous bounty no. only
in the home market. but also on ex-
portation, because they could dis
charge the debit of duty On 100 kg. OF
raw sugar by exporting so kg. OF re.
fined, and thus had 10 ky. Of refined
sugar free Of duty. The result was
enormous exports Of French loaf sugar
from Paris, which flooded the British
markets and gradually drove rearly
all the British loaf sugar refiners out
OF competition This was sufficient to
alarm the West Indian sugar planters,
who found themselves gradually losing
their usual customers. the London re-
timers Then came the new bounties
on raw and refined beet root sugar In
Germany and Austria. which gradually
drove cane sugar out OF British mar.
kets. At one time II could be said
that every sugar refiner In this coun.
try, with one or two exceptions, used
nothing but beet root sugar. More
oyer, instead of the British consumer
being supplied. as he used to be, en-
tirely with British refined sugar. the
time came when our imports OF for
eign refined sugar exceeded a yearly
average OF 100000 TONS This was a
complete revolution IN the worlds
production OF sugar In the Tnean-
time, the consumption of sugar In the,
United States was rapidly increasing.
Monster refineries sprang up there
with all the latest improvements. and
the time came when those refineries
could not find enough cane sugar to
keep them going. The production OF
cane sugar had been so discouraged
by the bounty-fed competition of Ger
many and Austria that its natural ex-
pansicn had been seriously checked.
The bounties had been stimulating
Cyer.production on the continent to
such an extent that at last, In 1884, 4
there was a revolution of another
kind. Prices in that year fell to the
lowest point ever known, and then
continued to fall to half that price.
Good raw beet root sugar fell to below
POS. per cwt., and then continued to
fall until it gos below los. per cwt.
In those days there was no cane sugar.
producing country, with the execution
perhaps OF Java, that could compete
with such a pfice. This revolution.
seemed to threaten most OF
BUR cane sugar with absolute eytinc-
lion. But II soon appeared that low
prices meant reduced production. fol-.
lowed by higher prices Thus, cane
sugar was able to struggle on and |
maintain q precarious existence, flour
Ishing duging the periodical cycle Of
nigh prices and losing money with
The turn OF the wheel to glutted mar.
kets, Increased bountles, and nrices
below cost. The American govern.
nent, determined that their own sugar
should not suffer, leviad a /
countervailing duty on bounty-fed /
sugar, and thus enabled our West In.
iian colonies to find market wheraI
rec competition was once more es.
.ablished But there was not enough
sane sugar in the world to supply the
American consumer and then appear.
ID the extraordinary spectacle of hun.
lreds OF thousands Of tons of raw beet
GOT sugar from Germany and Austria
'rossing the Atlantic and paying the
,ounteryailing duty. The United
states treasury was delighted to, re-
GIVE from Germany and Austria these
arge contributions to its revenue. Our
might have done the
anne, but they were hampered by an
erroneous dogma-@1o duty except for
evenue purposes" $50 they refused
he gift, and let their sugar industries
uffer. This they called free trade.
hey thought, that buying commodities i
Glow cost price was a benefit 10 the
consumer. But when production was
hereby checked. and when, In addi.
Ion, there happened to be q short crop
+ beet root sugar, they discovered that
be consumer was paying the penalty
-and that their dognas were not
ute sound. Consequently. whcr the
indian government declared that they
lso must levy counterYaiiing duty /.
n bounty-fed sugar our house o. com. !;
aons. agreed to the proposal BY 4 /.
,rge majority On that occasion
1897 Mr.. Chamberlain deelafed his
determination that the house should
stablish the principle &C 4 dnf5 to 4.
a bounty. That WAS his
rst appearance as a tariff reIorinef.
When the bounties were abolished
! 1903. we entered on the second era !:
the competition between cane and ]
Get The Spanish American war insI
reduced q new disturbing factor.
aba, previous to that event. had
ucceeded in showing that it could
ompete AGAINST the European botfI1- :