The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-04-02
.BROUSSARD FLAYS
.R[F|NER'SCOMB|NE
Tells Congress That Hawaii
Plays a Lone Hand IN
I Sugar AiaIrs

During the closing hours Of the last
day Of the session, March 4, Congress
man Robert p. Brousaard Of Louisianai
paid his respects to the Sugar Refining
Trust. His text was portion Of
circular letter sent out by the Federal
Sugar Refining Company and signed
BY I. y. Lowrey, its sales managey as
foll0ws:S
For political purposes Congressman
3roussard recently stated;
Refiners told Congress, and Congress
believed the refners, that IL the sugar
iuties were reduced consumers would
receive the advantage Of the reduetfoh,
in March Congress reduced the then
existing duties 25 per cent, and for
not q single moment from that day ~
this has the consumer paid as little
money for his sh ar as he did before
the reduction, w
Curiously enough, next day Gov. Car
tier of Hawaii, Congressman Brous.
3ard's ally in the effort 20 retain. the
high duties on sugar, more correctly
stated the situation, as follows. tr
In fact, the war in Europe has inadd
the last year the most phenomenal Ia
me history ofSsugar growers. In April.
| 1914, we got the lowest price for sugar
| in 90 years.
Proud OF oarter's Friendship
Congressman Broussard said ~ am
proud to ndnber such a splendid st,e-
eiman Of American manhood AZ Cover,
| nor George r. Carter, Of Hawaii. among
4 t.sar IL n
Icussed the sugar situation with Cover
nor Carter, save once in my life, and
that only subsequent to the issuance OF
the governor 3 and my Statements
quoted by Lowry. 81
Hawaii Plays Lone Hand
| The people of Hawaii have not
been cooperating with the cahe-sngar
| growers of Louisiana, Texas, and Porto
Rico in the death struggle they are now
| Engaged in with the Sugar Refining
trust, and while ! believe that AL the
mgaf producing interests Under the Am,
l,rican flag win eventually realize the
gisdoin Of standing together and pres
'enting q united front to their common
enemy, yet there il no more truth In
desig nafing Governor Garter as my ally
in the sense intended by the re6nerss
circular than there il IN many Of the
1ther false statements with which they
have persistently sought to deceive Con-
gress and the consuming public. X
Congressman Broussard touched with
much heat on Lowfey's record as being
the man who as self-appointed seere.
tary'' Of the Imaginary Wholesale
GTocers Committee, did the dirty
work for the refners combine during
the last presidential campaign and del
Idged Congress and the country. at large
| with fraudulent and untruthfnl liter
i atnre. +@ tE
Damned Public Opinion II J.. +.
e When they began to poison the pub,
ic mind q few years ago they caused
4 millions of circulars to be sent not only
i o the business men, hut to the house
wives Of the country, in which II was
stated. " ~ 4. NJ, y
There is probably no article handlna
4 BY the wholesale and retail erocers In
lnch q small margin Of profit as sugar,
30 that approximation in the tariff woull
Immediately result N q corresponding
i reduction in the price Of sugar 10 he
4 consumer, who would thus receive all
Il he benefit from the reduced rate. 40
objection can therefore be made against
4 reduction in the tariff ON the ground
Il that the difference in the tax on sugar
would 20 to the refiners or the dealers
handling II.
i THE public benefits from cheaper su.
gar would not end with reducing the
cost of that article to the consumer. I'M
i der the present tariff the relatively
high cost of sugar seriously burdens our
j reat fruit canning and preserving in
i dustries, and by increasing the cost Of
these products limits their consumption
in this country and practically prohibits
Preparations on large scale. va.
4 They pasted their fraudulent state
ments, Intended solely 10 deceive, upon
the head Of every barrel that left the
refinery and inserted In every pound
package of sugar q circular saying that
Iif the duty was removed the housewife
teould secure that same sugar at a saw,
ing Of q cents a pound. K WI
Millions OF people were deceived. A
great clanior arose throughout the coun-
TRY for cheaper sugar, and while the
work Of revising the tariff was in pro I.
ress these Tefih0fs sold their output at
q loss in order to further the deception.
They knew they couid make up Lheir
losses later after C6fgress had been
trapped. "A y als.
/ stThis is proven by the course of this
Identical Federal Sugar Refining Co, 1t
lost 50 much money during its cam
paign for 'eheap sugar, that lit was
compelled to skip the usual dividend
on It's common stock; and on January
! Z, 1914, its president, Claus A. Spreekd
els, Lowrey e employer, issued q state
ment in which lie explained the suspen-
sion Of the dividend by saying: tg
| This is due to the fact that during
the past few months the margin be.
tween the cost of raw sugar and the
price at which refined 81 ar has soiil
has been too small to justify a diyit
dend on the entire capital stock. 1.