The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-01-31
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY. January 81.

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vealing, a. It does, some abnormal hindrances
to our domestic industry not less than to our
national prosperity. To blindly shut our eyes
10 these important facts, and conceal or cover
up the truth, Is little else than moral dishonesty.
If the national health has become Frustrated
and the public heart beats sluggish, common
prudence urges Us 70 seek 10 restore 4 vigorous
pulse and full activity 70 every part of the sys-
TEN. The statistics which we published. show
beyond L peradventure that the state of trade
and Of our national prosperity is approaching 4
critical epoch, when theoretical schemes and
policies, however plausible they may be in the
minds Of those holding them. if not adapted 20
the time, the place and the exigency, must be
discarded, AMI such 4 commercial policy pur-
sued as may tend to restore our trade and de-
yelope our industrial resources.
The ministerial organ, in its last issue, after
u great deal Of squirming and wrangling, arrives
virtually ct the same conclusion which this jour
nal has demonstrated, that great irregularity
exists in our national trade; but it only yields
this after vainly seeking TO assign other causes
for the irregularities and decrease in our trade
and finances, than those given by US. This is
perfectly natural. \ ministerial press, owned
and supported for an avowed object, must en-
deayOr to accomplish that object, though it be at
the expense of truth and honesty. The public,
not less than the ministry, expect no other ser
vice from it, and if the editor is unable to ac-
complish the feat to satisfaction, q rcserre corps
is ever ready to lend q helping hand. as appears
to have been the case in its last issue.
Seeking 70 eyade the odium which must and
does attach to the policy of the present very un-
popular ministry, the public organ searches for
other causes than oDfcial ipcaPGcity and an entire
ignorance Of the operation and working of fiscal
regulations, which, however well they may be
adapted to older countries, possessing an exhaust
less reserve capital and internal resources and
industry, can in no wise be beneficial when ap-
piled to a comparatively poor and semi-barbar-
Gus people, just emerging from ahjcct poverty
and hereditary inertia. To expect that such a
people should suddenly deYelope, under some
mysterious law, the same resources, the same in
dustry and the same capital which attend the
experiment Of high protective duties or n reye-
nue. tariff when made in old and highly civil
lied countries, is seeking too much. Our fiscal
policy must be adapted 10 the circumstances and
condition Of The people.
The official organ, in its search for causes Of
the decrease in our domestic productions, states
that drought has been the sole cause of the
reduced production of sugar, and blight that of
coffee, when every one knows that no unusual
drought beyond the average of the past ten
years has been experienced, while with the coffee
blight, there has been less of it during the past
year, than any of the three previous. The item of
fdHo,c WA not alluded 10 10y us but if there
has been u decrease in the export, it has been
suggested that the consumption, aside from that
shown in the manufacture of soap, which we
are happy 10 learn OF. may have been for Off
cial use to make the wheels Of the government
machinery move more easily, as they have been
c~reaking badly of late. The Importation Of for
eign soap, however, has been larger for 1860 than
the previous year, as the Custom House figures
will show but there is room for an increased
healthy use of both the foreign and domestic
article.
In speaking of Hawaiian whalers, the minis
terial organ states that 4 large decline of over
$500 o has occurred in our exports of oil
and bone. This is true, and no one can deny
it? Now what has caused this decline? If
we mistake not, it is the very one which we
have assigned-a wrong financial policy. Let
us look the facts in the face. Formerly, We did
not tax our whaleships, and we found their
number increasing till, in 1859, we could
boast n feet of about eighteen sail. Most of
these whalers were owned in part in foreign
countries, as we have not the capital needed to
carry on extensively this branch of
No sooner, however, had this fine fleet been
launched, than our ministry thought it 4 capt.
tai chance to tax it and make up, in part, the
deficiency in the revenue from brandy, hereto
fore paid mostly by seamen. y liberal and
thoughtful ministry would have sought to ex-
empt this new and growing branch Of industry
from every tax, instead Of striving to crush
it. There certainly could be no great advan-
tage for foreign vessels to register under the
Hawaiian flag. Indeed, we have heard 1T as
serted that there are Disadvantages for the
capital invested, after being taxed in some form
in the foreign country where owned, must sub
W another taxation here. Besides, there
are increased expenses in shipping seamen,
would not be incurred if the vessel sailed
under a foreign flag. What is the consequence?
Why, foreigners are compelled to withdraw their
capital, Notwithstanding the advantage afford
cd by proximity to the whaling grounds for
cheaply CARRYING ON this branch of commerce,
and the fact that up to this date it has paid
even better than the average per ton of other
foreign vessels employed. As Il necessary con-
our tchahng feet has decreased, and our
Importations and consequent expectations of
oil and bone hare decreased and riH
rery soon disappear altogether. Indeed, our fleet
IF Hawaiian whalers (those carrying the Ha-
hag) has been already reduced TO only
TX VESSELS. Here is one of the strongest proofs
n support of our position and of the assertion
made last week, that there IS some error in the
financial policy Of the country, and no man of
lane mind can gainsay it. The organ can
put this and that together" and digest it at its
eisure.
Now what is to be done? Are We to go on
at our decreasing commerce and reve-