The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-12-08
DETERRENT METHODS OF
!, SUGAR MAKING URGED
, BY Mr.. BOTTOMLEY
THO RETIRING PRESIDENT
WARNS PLANTERS TO
Be efficient"

NTFERENT methods must be
IL adopted by the sugar plaBfers Of
Hawaii IN preparation for the
lean years that are to come, according
to.Allen W. T. Rottomley, retiring presi.
dent Of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters
association, in the address he made to
The association at the opening of the
annual meoting yesterday.
Though we have long been accus.
toned to paying more attention 70 get.
ting AZ much. as possible for our sugars
than we have to their quality, l feel
sure that different methods must be
adopted IN the future and that every
effort must be made to change Ha.
NRiiHn sugars from being the least del
sirable TO being one of the most de.
sirable sugars offered to the renners.s,
Mr.. B"ttomley paid full recognition
to the prosperity which had been the
good fortune Of the planters Of these
Islands TO experience this year, but he
gave a real warning to his hearers not
70 allow Themselves to forget that the
lean years are sure to come, and that
hey must under no consideration neg.
'ect 20 make ready for them. He urged
the need for economy and for the de-
veiopment Of better and higher grade
sugar as well as efficiency in every de.
Partment of the Island industry.
He said:
Banner Year Closing
"In opening this thirty six tn annual
meeting of the association, it gives me
great pleasure to refer to the fact that
the year 1915 has been probably the
most fortunate year that the sugar in
,dustry, Of these Islands has ever ex.
perieneed.
~" According to the UNDERWOOD Tariff
Bill Of 1913, sugar was scheduled to 90
on the free list this year, viz, on
May l, 1915, hut before that date, on
the recommendation of the secretary
of the treasury, congress, as you know,
repealed the provision of the tariff act
taking the duty OFF sugar, and left a
duty of little over one cent per pound
on Cuban sugars. Thus the day, which
since 1913, we had all been looking
forward to with so much dread, came
and went and the domestic sugar grow
ers still found themselves projected by
a reasonable duty.
How vital II is for these United
states to have supply of sugar grown
and manufactured at home, independent
of the sugar supply of the rest of the
world, is surely well illustrated by the
difficulties which the nations of Europe
are now experiencing in obtaining their
sugar and the prices which they have
70 pay for it, under present conditions,
\part altogether from the questiotir OF
evenue, the sugar situation today Gin
Europe (Which would also exist in this.
country, we're it not for the domestic
supply should surely present TO all
thinking people the strongest kind of
IN argument in favor of continuing the
present protective duty, without which
the beet aud cane sugar producers Of
the United States cannot exist under
normal conditions. Aside from argu-
ments suchFas these, and although the
Democratic administration, which re-
duced the duty and almost removed it
altogether, has been returned to power
tor another four years, 1 believe that
with the increasing national expendi-
lures and the necessity for retaining
and enlarging every source of govern,
ment revenue, we have no reason-at
any rate in the immediate future-to
fear return to a basis of free suoar
Good Prices Received
elm addition to the repeal of the free
sugar clause so earnestly desired by all
OF us, the year 1916 also brought US
excellent prices for our crop.
In the annals of the sugar industry
OF Hawaii, more prosperous year than
that preceding this meeting of the as.
ISOLATION has never been recorded. II
IS true that prices of sugar have been
much higher at some periods in the
past than during last year, but the
low yields and consequent high cost of
production of those time more than
Offset the increased returns from the
sale Of sugar. The average New York
price for raw sugar during our 6scaI
year was $lll.25 per ton, which has
not been exceeded in the average of
amy yenr since 1889. This year and last
have brought profits for the planta
lions and profitable times for the Isl.
ands as a whole; for when the sugar
business is prosperous its prosperity is
reflected in almost every other line of
business, and the reverse of this is
equally true. -
"While we have every right to en- |
Joy the prosperity that has come to us,
we must not allow ourselves to9be nm,
Only carried away thereby, but should |
exercise discretion in the management |
and conservation Of the finances of the |
sugar plantation corporations. There |
Snn m fh hIa
porous times will be our good fortune |
next year and probably for short time |
thereafter Let us realize, however.
that our prosperity and the wond erful |
prosperity ia, almost every line of bust.
ness throughout the United States rests |
on very slender foundation, and that
lean years are sure 10 follow in the |
wake of the termination of the Euro
mean war, and let us also bear in mind |
our constantly rising cost of produc.
ZION.