Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-05
Menace of Deduction, Based
on Refining Value, Shows
Need for Plantations I'M
proving to a Standard Grade
LESSON OF WAR SHOWS
VALUE OF PROTECTION
Great Conflict and Need for
National Revenues Factors
in Laying Bogey of "Free
Sugar." Even Under Demo-
A cratic Administration

Full recognition of a year OF un.
paralfeled prosperity In the sugar In.
dustry OF the islands and a simul-
taneous warning that the high tide
will recede-that there are lean years
TO come-are foremost in the address
of Retiring President Allen w. T. Bot
tomley, the feature today of the
thirty-sixth annual meeting of the Ha-
waiian Sugar, Planters Association
President Bottomley urged the
necessity for economy and the de
velopment OF efficiency in every
branch OF the raw sugar industry
Perhaps the most important part Of
his warning is that the Hawaiian plan
tatIons must raise the grade of their
output
He spoke OF ''the necessity for g.,
great Improvement being &ade in the
quality Of sugars which we are send.
ing to the refiners." anu added
"Thouok we have long been accas-
TONED to paying more attention to get
ting ss much as possikfje fof our
sugars than We have 10 their quality
= feel sure that different methods
must be adopted Ii the future and that
every effort must be made TO change
Hawaiian sugars from being the least
desirable to being one ofsthe most de-
slrabIe sugars offered to the refiners-'
He commented that Hawaii is al
ready at a disadvantage IN this re-
spect as compared with Cuba. He had
previously explained the necessity for
an IMPROVEMENT in Hawaiian quality
by saving that unless there is radical
improvement from the beginning OF
the new crop, new contracts Win the
refiners will only be made subject 10 .
deduction based on refining value
greatly in excess of anything We
have ever had to pay in the past
President Bottomiey's address IN
full follows:
s. elm opening this Both annual meet
'9ng of the association, 1t gives me
great pleasure to refer to the TACT
4hat the year 1916 has been probably
The most fortunate year that the sugar
industry of these islands has ever eN-
pefienced. se
-~According to The. Underwood Tariff
BiIl OF 1919 sugar was scheduled TO
go on the free list this year, VIZ. on
the list of May, 1916, but 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as you know, repealed the provision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 OH
sugar, and left 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 ana
toe domestic sugar growers still found
themselves protected by reasonable
duly.
Lesson Of War Emphasized
sHow vital it is for these United
States TO have a supply OF sugar
grown and manufactured at home, in
dependent of the sugar supply of the
rest Of the world, is surely well illus
trated by the difficulties which the
nations Of Europe are now experienc-
ing in obtaining their sugar and the
prices which they have to pay for 1t,
under present conditions. Apart alto
gether from the question of revenue.
the sugar situation today IN Europe
(Which would also exist in this coun-
try. we're il rot for the domestic sup
plyl should surely present to all think
ing people the strongest kind of an
argument in favor of continuing the
rpresent protective duty, without
lShich the seet and cane sugar pro-
Iucers Of the United States cannot
exist under normal conditions. Aside
from arguments such as these, and
although the Democratic administra-
ton. which reduced the duty and al
most removed it altogether, has been
returned to power. for another four
years, believe that with the increas-
ing national expenditures and the ne
cessity for retaining and enIarging
every source of government revenue,
we have no reason-at any rate in the
immediate future-to fear return to
q basis of free sugar.
.'In addition to the repeal of the
free sugar clause so earnestly desired
tContinued on page four)