Evening star., 1925-10-05
HAWAII SUGAR MEN
FEAR MARKET GLUT
Bumper Cuban Crop Starts
Move for Diversified
Planting in Pacific.
BY CARROLL BINDER.

Hawaiian sugar producers are rally.
ing their forces to resist what they
term a conspiracy of Cuban sugar in
terests, abetted by financial and in
dustrial interests Of the Alta ntic sea
board. to put in the United States more
Cuban sugar. which means cheaper
sugar to the consumer.
We face q serious situation in the
effort of Cuban sugar interests IN gel
a reduction in the tariff rate on Cuban
sugar. declared Royal .. Mead
Washington representative Of the Ha-
waiian Sugar Planters Associa ton
before n meeting of Honolulu business
men.
Cuba. according to Atr Mead. pro-
duces sugar at = lower cost than do
Ha aWaii and the mainland sugar grow
ers. and unless tariff barriers are main
talned this cheap per sugar will flood the
United States to the detriment of the
domestic producers. AS sugar is the
Keystone of Hawaiian prosperity. is
land business men are keenly inter
ested in the maintenance of the pres
ent tariff
Eighty per cent Of the Cuban sugar
industry is owned by New York and
Boston financial interests and the At
lantic sesboard refneries." said Mr.
Mead. Naturally, they desire to cap
ture the American market. regardless
of the effect upon the domestic sugar
industry.
SO long as Coolidge is President we
have nothing to fear. But We face \
situation that probably will go beyond
the presidency Of any one man"
Market conditions are none too salts
factory for Hawaiian planters, who
view with apprehension rumors from,
Cuba that there will he a 5000 ,noo.ton
iian sugar crop was 701 .433 tons, with
An export valu. of $77,409,97s. The
1925 crop is expected to amount To
153. 700 tons.
The Hawaiian sugar industry pays
so per cent of all the territorial real
and personal property taxes and IS
per cent Of the territorial income
taxes. Serious curtailment Of those
incomes would dislocate many island
enterprises.
Meanwhile progressive business men
are encouraging diversified industries
and agriculture in the Territory in
order to liberate the islands from de
pendence upon sugar culture, which
has always been dependent upon po-
litical conditions in the United States.
II was the negotiation Of reciprocity
treaty with the United States in 1876
impetus in Hawaii. Annexation of
the islands in 1896 further stimulated
sugar production.
Pineapples and caring for tourists
are the most hopeful of the islands
rising industries. Already the pine
apple industry pays one.third as much
AS sugar in territorial and Federal
taxes. The 1924 pineapple output was
s.s25.904 cases, having an export
value of $2s2so4ss
Rice. once the SECOND crop Of the
Territory. is being supplanted in
mainland markets by California grown
rice. so that rice Ia nds in Hawaii are
being given over to banana growing.
Hawaiia n ba nanas are said TO compare
favorably with the Central American
variety in both popularity and price
About 10000 bunches are shipped
every month 10, San Francisco and
Los Angeles.
Waii is gaining wide favor on the
mainland and exports range from
S46e 600 TO $603,00o a year in value.
Fishing is an important industry-the
1928 catch of the $50 Japanese sam
pans engaged being 1900, 900 tons,
with value of 81 900 900.
Cattle raising is carried on exten-
sively in few areas. The Parker
ranch on Hawaii Island is said TO
have the leargest herd of thorough
bred Hereford cattle in the world.
Jams. jellies, chutneys. confections.
nuts. cotton and honey are among the
smaller products that helped swell the
value OF Hawaii's exports TO S110.soS.-
2s3 in 1924.
Hawaiians feel that their economic
importance to the United States is not
appreciated by the ma jority of their
fellow citizens. some of whom look
upon the islands as costly military
and nay al outpost. In fact, as was
pointed out in the Hawaiian bill of
rights adopted by the last Congress
when il granted the Territory its
share Of the Federal maternity. good
roads and other funds, Hawaii has
been a revenue producer for the
the Union.
Between 1900 and 1923 Hawaii con
tributed in customs S30.oo3 6sI and in
internal revenue S71.969,16o to the
Federal Government. Income tax pay
ments for the fiscal year ended June
80. 1924. amounted to $5,021,422 ex-
ceeding those of Alaska. Arizona. Ida
no, Mississippi, Montana. New Hamp.
shire. New Mexico. North Dakota.
South Dakota, Utah, Vermont and
Wyoming.
MOVING, PACKING & STORAGE.