Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 324, 16 November 1891 — The Sugar Barons. [ARTICLE]

The Sugar Barons.

In order that they' may" be 110 misappreheiisioß as to our attituide on the iabor question, whieh is of sach «erioue importaiice to our sadaristocracy, we wili clearly eni2pBer&te Q«r views thereon. tt tfca or purpose of the Jfataonai Party to take advantage of poiit)OAl m#joriiv to impQrml the vefited milliooa of capitftl, which have been placed here in eugar indoetry. But if in the coorse of thk cumpaign it heeomea necessary to deal eomie eevere blows againßttbe baroiiB it will be bethev have only thomselves to blame. It a misfortQne that so mueh mouey wos inyested in one indußtry that hos now received an irrecoverable biow, and our syrnpathies are \vith thoße of our fellow citizdn« whoae fortime are at stake, But these men are only a class, and we object that every interest of thia nation and this people should be prostituted to the selfiflh and 2raspinfif needs of the clnss of inen who have now becoine politieally known as the"sugar barons. ,r The National Party has< for one of its principles, and i? strong!y advncating the importauc<vof diversifietl ind: »striesu the raisfn« ofother prodncts for whieh oursoi) isadopted aud that have active valuo iu the niarketH of the world. /particularly in tlie United Stetes. For, as it ī«? now demonstrated, it is un(iafe and unsoaud to h:\ve our whole commercial tabiic raisod upon the ftnctuations of but one staple industry. But it will requijo eight to ten vears to build up tlnlse other industrios» therefore in the meau* whilr the sugar planters are entit!* to some aBsi'Btance. But- btjfore eoj»cedinir the Jidvtinc&l by the for • labor vr,dr>r ss a teniporary relief, loi us<liKBect ihe f.n:l ixmcērning BUgar, snd 1 ihink wt v wii! find that the barons ver v disingo»uiou.< 'w ;b<«ir p?*o--I i?v;<>j*on»Y,

It ia daimed we Wieve, that the average c;o8t of productioii of sugar ■at present ayerageß about $50, a»(i the aet returns to the planter aboot $40. Ūndoubtecfty at this rate the planter wiil lose about $10 oo evēry ton he prodūces. At that rate he had better shut down. , But between tho price reaiized in the foreign markets (about $65 ,<& $70) and the agents returoß to the plānter (about $40 (&■ $45), there is a heavy margin npon whieh inanv leeehes are fa6tened, and it is there where the p!anter shouldlook foreeonomy and Tor his profits.. „Why strike at tlie poor toiling human labor upon whom the produetion dependsr ānd try to keep him down in the loweth depths of degradation, to be fed, herded and worked like cattle. \Vhy not strike at the very top of your extrayagances. Why *not cut down the ex travagant salaries of your managcrs and other officers. In these days of eompetition in t'ne trades and professions youma\* find many competent men to do the work who ] would be content with a good liv- i ing salary, and not require a man- i sion to liyo in, fin6 equipages and a body guard of servants; besides means for unbounded hospitality and occasional trip to Europe. And why should you and your toiling slaves supp6rt in tuxurious eaae, merchant and corporations and their eleek clerks in You iinust admit that the interest and conimissions that tliese geatry cliarge you are an outrageous tax upon your produce. lt is an excessiye apd unnecessary ineubus upon yo»r industrv and is the chief csMises of y&i\% presen t misforUines an<l disabilitaēs. ypur bankerg ».fi agentfl are lefcches» who ab-

6Qp the «:ream of yoqr pro!it« wifcha\\t performing adequate ]abor therefor. Here is where you to strike for. retrenchmenfc. Vour hneinep» ean be harulied at 75 per cent lesa cost tha» at present whieh will more than (ioubly cover the Joss you now suffer, t .->ny nccessity toMntērferewith your pre* sent labor or to havo any further' anxiet.y on rhe labor queation. The planters of Manritius have one central depot in whieh they are all Btoekhokler9, an«l to whieh ail the sugare are Bent, and aJI siipplieBQbtained from. The cost to the pianters is but a trifie. Again you are chargt?<{ too high freight rates to get your sugars to Honoiulu and vou ought t<> Rtnke out for economy in thip direction. Two boat eompa nies whose s«tock is quoted at least 25 per eent aboTe par, anel are paying handsome »iivide*<ls are levying aheavv tax on you tlnt. ought to b< k vodncThrec <1 >>llnrs a ton ia t»>o niueh. Tt is ihr aa sailing rate!« betwf t*it liore h tui Sun Francisco ] and nearly twife as mueh as thc rates between New York aml T.iver* l>ool. The tjuotations and the dividctuls of ihe sreaui - lx>at (X)mpanieis prove that a largc iedootion of the planters exj>enso ought to be obtaine<l theoj. Barons. vour U not a hopeless oue. and even with the preBent low price of s«gar vou tvin still uiaintflin your plantations and ntake.H profit if you wiil 01U3' grappk wilh th« big leeohes who are abī?orbiug tlve profits thnt shouid; £o into y<mr pockets, and nol try to create a polilieal conrtict ou tho l«bor <pu*M-i*n whieh «8 we |iave s*md aiwu-* dtainpenttOH'* > un-

wortfay yoia as men and and disaster to all -other inlexests. There ,sre Some of you planters who liave been toiiing for ,years producing good crops of sugar but vou are now on the verg;e of baßkruptcy, While agents who handled your sugar and fumished vour supplies, eharging you 2% per cent commissioa oa both ; sides of the lēdger, compounding high interest, and claiming all freight rebates, &c., are rolling in luxury upon the proiits rbetween produetion and market that. should i have been main!y yours. Ch6ap labor is not abso(lutely necessa?y. to make a piiin- i ; tatiqn pr*oifitable, but to maintain ;in comparatively idle luxury £he I monied nristocracy who are a sel j fish and grasping class. [ We cannot admit that thc sugar | barons as a class h&ve a right to a | domination in the poliMeal affairs of this kingdon. They are out numbered, out voted and out weighed by a majority of our native and naturalized population whose personal and public interests cleariy lie iu im opposite direction» The area of land snitable for sugar eulture is about one tenth of our arable laud. Therefore we elaim that the National Party as a political factor is entit!ed to i the greatest consideration, ainee iit is the party purpose to represent the needs" of the other nine-teYiths of our land and the nccossity of ailoting it to an agriculfcural popuiation for the development t>f otber productive industries besides A polity whieh if pursued intelligently will s«on put sugar in rear rank of our industries. andbriifg ganeral prosperity to the in many ōtaērlibes. 1