Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-11-11
CRISIS FOR SUGAR INDUSTRY MAY
ARISE WHEN EUROPEAN WAR IS ENDED
Carrying Out of Great BranS Policy TO Develop Home and
Colonial Production Likely to Result in Forcing European
tervaing Duties Shall Protect Against Bounty
Competition

word over but the general public
! learns more SLOWLY e.. l." 49,. .:
VIII Seek Independence H.. -
I Trade war or no trade war, il is rm.
/ likely that Great Britain will hazard
ever being placed in such position
again. The British government is not
/ likely 10 become dependent on foreign
countries. least of all on the Central
Powers. for such an essential com
modify as sugar. of which. the per
capita annual consumption among It's
people is close to a hundred pounds.
If Great Britain as nation fosters
and protects the domestic British
sugar industry, as the present trend
OF events would indicate. the vital
point of interest to American sugar
producers is what viii become of the
normal surplus of German and Aus
TRAN supplies? For the Teutonfc
powers TO abandon such large pro
portion of their output as was previ-
ously represented by sugar exports
would seem to be nnthinkable Hun
dreds of millions of dollars have been
invested in highly specialized machin-
cry devoted to sugar production. The
industry has been built up laborious-
ly, and much OF the best engineering,
chemical, and agricultural talent n
the two nations has been given to il.
The governments have in the past
spent great sums in bounties and bo-
muses. to foster its development. They
are committed and bound to stand
behind their beet sugar production be-
cause of the prosperity it has brought
to both nations.
Only American Market Remains ...
With the British market taken away,
Germany and Austria would normally
have ABOUT a million and half tons
to dispose of elsewhere -: ~.~
II the trade alliance of the Entente
Allies is established, this export sugar
could not be sold in France or Russia,
nor could an adequate market for this
beet surplus be found in the Far East. |
There remains only the American mari
ket. There is now no Brussels conven-
ton prohibition applicable to the
United States to act to keep German
and Austrian sugar away from these
shores.
If Germany and Austria try to dis
pose of their surplus production on the |
United States market, through govern |
mental export bounties and other de-
vices to offset the United States tariff |
Of cent and quarter a pound and !
our own congress does not countervail
against such move. in the opinion of |
.ar-sighted critics our domestic sugar
industry will be forced into the great
EST struggle in its history to prevent |
is destruction. 1t will be at the mer-
y of the bounty-fed Germanic and |
Austrian competition, in addition to
having to face the large increases in
he British and Allied production.
The increase of the sugar output of
he British colonies and Allied coun-
ries, together with that of Cuba, will
,e large enough in itself to reduce val
les from a domestic standpoint, even
Without such Central Powers compe-
ition, as has been indicated above.
Facing this situation, the opinion of
ar-seemg economists of this country
5 that congress must promptly pro- 4
lde for proper :countervailing duty i
n sugar. to meet changed conditions, +,
S other congresses have done in the
asst.
There is no countervailing duty pro- !
ision in the Underwood tariff act. !
or will the anti-dumping clause of {
he revenue act passed by the last [
ongress automatically take care of
lie situation. .-..... !
III the present weakness is remediedi ,
y prompt action in the form of ade- 2
uate counteryailing duties, Germany G
nd Austria may possibly be Temporal /
Y forced to produce only what they !
themselves or can profitably I
I'll in available open markets. Only s
trough such legislation can bounty 5
d beet sugar he prevented from I'M s
ermin1ng and destroying a great I
meriean industry. T
Radical and revolutionary changes 7
fecting the worlds sugar industry T
'e apparently inevitable in the near 6
ture. 1t matters little what form O
icy take or from which quarter new +
assures and influences are exerted,
e domestic sugar producers of the r
nited States will have to prepare to a
Get them. In particulaf, govern / Il
entail protection in the form of ade-
late countervailing duties, equiya- O
Mt to the amount of assistance or h
provided for the industry in r,
her countries, will have to be forth 2
ming, if the domestic industry is to- a
rvire, meet the keen competition in n
e worlds sugar market and continue y
prosper ~. p,
49,. il
FFICE OF MARCONI fA