Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-07-28

national food COntrO lers TO regulate
q MR. LODGE Mr.. President, wheh
] spoke a day CT two ago upon this
biII. | made some allnsiCn to the cur,
rent and widely d:ffuSed reports IT,
regard 10 the intent Of the gentlemen
who were TO BE- inv esttd By tnts bill
will power in regard 10 making priced
for sugar. | said that had heard THAI
they were endeaynrng to make a price
TO the domestic roduCer which would
leave him little or no profit. oecaus'
he had already mad his beet con
tracts, and then referred parttIu
larry to Cuba 1t MET ho rene ;u1er"C
that the Cuban suLar, 4 ItY lad, make
the price in tins country
"a. I had heard it said, on what
. thought good authority, that it was
the intention of the controllers OF
food to compel Cuba to make yer!
low price. and to compel her TO do so
by Withholding fOodstufls from the is
land. | thought apart from the eco
nomic objections. that TO treat, with
an absolute disregard OF treaties, a
country which is our ally, and Wiz.
tually under our protection, and which
has followed US INTO the war, would
be a very great mistake.
I received this morning a letter
from Mr. Hoover telling me. That tie
reports to which | have reterred-thc
runners, If you choose to call them s.
were wholly unfounded as far as ne
was concerned.
I am extremely glad to hear it. !
wanted to make this statement, be-
. IL L write
me a letter saying that they had No
foundation; and am very glad TO
know from so high an authority, who
IS TO be charged, certainly in large
measure, with fixing the food prices
in this country, that he did not intend
70 compel Cuba to make an unduly
low price on her sugar.
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN. Mr.. Pre2i-
dent, may l suggest to the senator
that |. believe, too, that he was cor
Moderated in the statement by the
REPRESENTATIVE Of the beet-sugar in.
terests.
Mr. LODGE. Oh, yes Mr.. Hoover
sent me a letter from the representa-:
tive Of the organization, Mr.. Peterkin'
saying that they were satisfied with
the ARRANGEMENT which had been made
with them. Precisely what that ar
fangement was / do not know, but II
they are satisfied it shows that Cuba
has received proper treatment, be-
cause It would be impossible to fix
the domestic price without regard to
ne Cuban price. :
Mr.. REED. 1t might be suggested
hat II what is commonly known as
he sugar trust is satisfied with the
price agreed upon, the consumer may
not be so well pleased. So far as l
an concerned, should like TO know
what that agreement In regard to
price was.
Mr.. LODGE. Mr.. President the
gentleman whose letter Mr. Hoover
|nclosed did not represent In any re-
6p6et what Is known as the sugar
trust He did not represent the re-
liners. He represented the beetsugar
interest In this country.
Mr.. HARDWICK. In which tho
sugar trust has considerable inter
est
Mr.. LODGE. It may possibly have
4 dispassionate interest in 1t.
Mr.. HARDWICK. Dispassionate?
Il has a financial interest.
Mr.. LODGE. At all events, Mr..
peferkin, who is the head, said that
he was satisfied with Il. What prices
have been made for the country By
the beet-sugar people and Mr.. Hoover,
Of course / do not know. That was
not stated to me.
Mr.. REED. Mr.. President, may 4
ask the senator from Massachusetts
n he does not think that the public
have such an interest In this matter
that they have really right to know
what agreement has been made In
regard to one Of the prime necessities
ol life?
Mr.. LODGE. think II win be dis.
closed in time. OF course, the price
liking was done, assume-it must
have been-by fixing the price on
Coban sugar; so much on the raw
sugar in Cuba, so much for freights,
- much for refining, so much for
nles, and as good differential as
The beet-sugar people could get for
their additional cost Of transportation.
1lR. HARDWlCK. Mr.. President, II
the senator viii yield, will he please
tell me how, even If we pass This bill,
Mr.. Hoover could possibly DO that?
AR. LODGE. / do not know how he
cou.d Dc 1t. Apparently he has done
II Without tho bill.
NH tIARDWiCK. He could not do
Il Nth the bill, to save his soul, In
ny Judgment; and know something
ABOUT beet sugar.
AR. LODGE. ] only know what
was said to me. He said that the
rofnors / had referred TO In regard to
the fixing of prices in Cuba were IN
founded, and he Enclosed letter from
tlln representative Of the beet-sugar
Interests in which he spoke OF the
entirely satisfactory character of thc
afrangements made with Mr.. Hoover.
MR. HARDWICK. In other words.
he has consulted them about 1t?
mr.. LODGE. He consulted them:
certainly. They are the chief domes.
tie PRODUCERS. do not know whether
he consulted the Louisiana people o"
not or whether he consulted the Ha-
wniians or the Porto Ricans. The
rerson who expressed satisfaction was
~. rar,raeanfafipa NJ fhe haef-Su1ar