The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-01-29

z the most remarkable in the history Of
American sugar production. II opened
most inauspieiously.
The 1914 crop of homegrown,
sugar was the largest in the history
of the country, amounting to 1000, 900
long tons, more than a quarter million
tons in excess Of the previous year 81
output. Added TO this was O record
breaking Cuban crop Of almost $500
900 tons, which, BY reason OF the
tariff preference enjoyed by Cnban
sugar entering the United States, nahlr
ally would seek this market.
The amount Of sugar available ior
the American market from its usual
sources of supply, therefore, was over
100000 tons in excess Of the nation 5
consumption in 1913, pointing newt.
ably to n period Of low prices.
Lowest Price In Years
During the latter part Of December
Z 1913, the net price Of refined sugar in
/ New York, confronting this enormous
supply, sank below 4 cents a pound for
the first time in many years, ana the
average cash prize during January,
4 1914 was over half cent pound be-
low the average for the same month
in 1913. sta .Eaig.2 A4E
Reduction Of Tariff 5as
IA menace more serious to the Ameri4
can sugar producer than the tempo
rary loss caused by irnremunerative
prices was the fact that on March
], IDA, there went into effect 25 per
!, cent reduction in the tariff rate on for,
eign grown sugar imported into the
United States. This was the first step
toward the entire removal Of the Gus
Y toms duty ON sugar, scheduled to take
effect on May i, 1916. n 4
Complete Reversal Of Policy ~'T
n. 1t marked the complete reversal of
! the policy of encouragement of sugar
I production in the United States, which
previously had been followed almost
continuously by the federal govern.
ment, and under which the growth of
sugar from American soil had increased
to, a point where il supplied nearly
one-half the sugar nsed in the country.
Effect on Domestic Sugar n 4.
@ The new policy looked to the elimin-
alton of the domestic sugar industry
and to the purchase of the sugar need.
cd by the United States from foreigp
4 countries. tE. .r# G
In view of the fact that everything
.
Queer in making his crop--buildings
machinery, supplies, and especially
Iabor--eeats him more than similar
items in various tropical cane growing
districts and in the European beet
. growing countries, it was obviously
impossible for him TO continue in bust
ness beyond 1916 under the conditions
presented at the beginning of the year
/. TNn..u.a..1 "A n..o ~ ,.kaA I.sf. .
Many producers, feeling it usless Il
" attempt to continue under the discopr
aging conditions facing them, or find
. ing Il impossible to finance their oper
ations, abandoned the industry II
q Eleven Of the seyenty-one beet sugat
factories operating in 1918 closed thei
doors and made no contracts for beet
TO BE grown in 1914. ft ..5.
Growers made smaller paintings, an
the Hrea sown to heets was reduce,
by 1876, 900 acres. ...- I, .sfs - ri
Forty Louisiana Plantations Quit Y
In Louisiana over forty mills AM
plantations went out of business, man.
Of the properties going into bank
ruptey or being disposed of at forde'
sale, fEH u
In Porto Rico half dozen central
were placed in the hands of receivers
Dmrmg the early months of the yea
the pressure of the heavy supplies o
domestic and Cuban sugars coming pI
N on the market forced prices to stil
lower levels st ,
The reduction in the tariff rate o
March undoubtedly had an inhuenc
in this direction by causing producer
to rush their product TO market earle
than they otherwise would have dom
During the period from the earl
part of March to the beginning Of Ma
refined sugar averaged 3N cents
pound in the New York market,
\ Reiiners Secure Control x, tg
With the coming of May new infi'
ences began to make themselves fel
BY that time practically all the dom
site sugar of the 1884 crop had lee
sold, leaving the market entirely
Cuban sugar. This had to pass throug
the hands of the big seaboard retinel
on its way TO the consumer, thus givn
the refiners control of the situation.
M, BY this time also the period for plan
ing the new domestic crop had endt
and il was known that the amount I
homegrown sugar, both beet and can
at would be decidedly decreased durii
the ensuing season. ": T.
Considerable amounts of Cuban sugj
had been sold to England, thereby !
dueing somewhat the available Culi
-. supply by, the United States, -
u Recovery Of Prices
"a. \. BY. the middle Of May the wholesa
priceof refined sugar In New York h'
returned to the same point y had Gee