The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-07-30
RICE VS.. SUGAR
LINKS ISSUE IF
4. HE ENTERS RACE
But McCandIess Is Beginning To
Wonder u Maybe Some Other
Democrat Mghtn't Be Better
TO RUN OR NOT TO RUN;
THAT'S THE QUESTION
Accuses Plantation interests Of
Trying To Throttle Rice Indus
try To Get Chinese laborerS

hablt OF running Tor delegate TO con
gress on the Democratic ticket, will
run on rice platform this year-if
he runs ut all. A statement to this Of
feet was made by Mr.. McCandless yes,
terdRy.
But-"Link may not run. Whether
or not he will he says he has not yet
decided. He is beginning to wonder
If IL is not just barely possible that
there IL some other man in the Demo
cratic party who might make a pos
sible. candidate, who might even run
faster and farther than himself, not
withdrawing an his experience. Truly,
"the world do move"
Mr.. MeCandless was asked yester-
day whether or not he was ready yet
to announce his candidacy. He WASH t.
He was still waiting, with one car
pressed closely to the ground, he init
mated, to ascertain from the leaders
Of the Democratic precinct clubs
whether or not there is loud and in
sistent demand that he once more enter
the Lists.
But even if such a demand should be
voiced in stentOrian tones, the hitherto
perpetual candidate, whose aspirations
have, up to this year bloOmed biennielly
, with all their pristine freshness, said
he wasn't at all sure he would heed the
Macedonian call. He might, and then
again he might not.
Not Scared, Anyway
But if he doesn't run, IL will not be
because he is afraid to go before the
people on his rice record. He wanted
that made perfectly plain.
Indeed, he intimated that should he
launch an offensive once more on the
oft fought lover political battle field,
some of the shots he would fire at his
enemies would be in the nature of rice
pellets.
Rice versus sugar will be the cam
paign issue upon which the veteran
candidate will make the race-if he
makes it.
Asked if it was fear of attack be-
cause Of his difference with the food
commission over the question of rice
prices that might keep him out of the
race, "Link" waxed eloquent. A rice
platform, he asserted, migth be just
as good in Hawaii as one sweetened
with sugar.
Referring to the suggestion by "By-
stander" in The Advertiser yesterday
that local songsmith was grinding
out campaign song for McCandless
entitled 81 didn't raise my rice to feed
the soldiers" "Link' said that was
not entierly correct. He didn raise
his rice, he said, to fattcn plantation
laborers at three dollars a bag less
than they are willing to pay for Japan
ese rice.
at am not afraid to go before the
people and explain my stand on the rice
question" said the Land Locked one.
Blames Sugar Men
All the trouble over rice is blamed
by Link" under the "iniquitous sugar
men,. And he drags the skeleton
right out of the closet and rattles it's
dry bones in the full light of MONDAY.
The sugar men, he says, always have
tried to kill the rice industry in Ha-
wall. Now they are trying to do it
legally while they have the opportunity.
This is the way Link states the
problem and works out the answer:
"The best cane cutters in the Is
lands are Chinese.
"Nearly all the Chinese labOrers arc
. engaged in cultivating rice.
killed of, the Chinese would have to
work on the sugar plantations, thereby
alternating the present labor shortage.
90. f. Do
Defends His Actions
McCandl defends his action in
selling Hawaiian rice above the price
fixed by the food administration with
considerable heat He says he was
complying with the request Of the food
commission and selling his rice for
eight dollars a bag, three dollars less
than the price Japanese rice was bring,
ing in the open market. Then, he
says, California rice was imported and
sold on the market for $lO.25 a bag
II was after this that he began
marketing HaW allan rice for the same
figure, regardless of the food com
mission rules, which eventually led to
his arrest on a charge of profiteering
and the question of the constitutional
ity of the food commission 5 powers
carried up to the supreme court, where
it now awaits a decision.
He says It was "Hunnish " for the
food commission to try to dictate the
price of Hawaiian rice, when no con
troll was assumed of the price of i'm
ported rice. McCandless asks the ques
ton, "What would the sugar men have
donei" if they had been ordered by
Hoover to sell their sugar at several
dollars less a ton than the sugar OF
the Philippines, because of the differ
3 eneet in tho freight rates between HO
d nolulu and the mainland, and those
between Manila and the mainland.
McCandless says the principle is the
same and that Hawaiian rice growers
should be allowed to take advantage
of the open market price in compel
tiOn with Japanese rice, the same n
the Hawaii sugar men are given th'
advantage over the Philippine sugar
irrespective of any differences in Tho
freight rates.
It's upon this contention th"t. Me
Candies says he is willing to 90 be
fore the people in the coming r"mn"io"
if the Democratic precinct Leaders g. go
vince him he should be a candidate
and he decides there is not another
Or. .re..