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-
8 cratic Administration

Null recognition Of a year of un-
paraIIeled prosperity in the sugar in
dustry OF the islands and stimuli
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
tomiey, 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
great improvement being made In the
quality OF sugars which we are send
ing to the refiners," and added:
@Thouob we. have long been accus
toned 70 paying more attention to get
tInp q rnueh a. possible for our
sugars than we have 70 their quality.
4 feel sure that different methods
must be adopted IN the future and that
every effort must be made to change
Hawaiian sugars from being the least
desIrable 70 being one Of the most de-
sirshie sugars offered to the reftnere."
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 with the
refiners will only be made subject to
deduction based on refining value
greatly in excess of anything we
have ever had to pay in the past.
President Bottomley's address in
full follows:
aIn opening this Seth annual meet
IIing of the association, II gives me
great pleasure to refer to the iact
that the year 1916 has been probably
the most fortunate year that the sugar
,industry of these islands has ever ex-
pefienced.
According to The Underwood Tariff
Bin OF 1913 sugar was scheduled TO
20 ON the free list this year, viz. on
the lst 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 repealed the provision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 OIL
sugar. and left q 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 growers still found
themselves protected by reasonable
duty.
Lesson of War Emphasized
How vital II 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 we'll 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 it.
under present conditions. Apart alto
gether from the question of reyenus.
the sugar situation today IN Europe
(which would also exist in this coun-
try. we're IL rot for the domestic sup
ply should surely present to all think
ing people the strongest kind of an
argument in favor OF continuing the
) present protective duty. without
l&hfch the Seet and cane sugar pro-
Nacers 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, I believe that with the increas-
ing national expenditures and the ne
cessity for retaining and enlareing
every source Of government revenue,
we have no reason-at any rate IN the
immediate future-to fear a return to
a basis Of free sugar.
In addition to the repeal of the
free sugar clause so earnestly desired
CONTINUED on page four)
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