The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-12-28
IsecIprocIty, Labor. steamers. Sc

On our fourth page will be found an interest
ing article ON the proposed reciprocity treaty,
taken from the Alta. Although it is rather non
eommittaI for or against the measure, like the
discussion had in the San Francisco Chamber Of
Commerce, yet it contains some statistics bearing
on the subject, which We have not seen else
where. The importation OF Hawaiian sugar into
sun Francisco, for the current year, according to
the figures given, will not be far from sixteen
millions Of pounds
There arc some statements made by the Alta,
which need correcting. The impression that
these Islands have land enough to produce cane
to supply the United States, is entirely incorrect.
The whole area Of the group is COCO miles, equal
to say four millions OF acres. But threc-fourths
of tins are rocky mountain wastes. The area Of
good sugar-growing land ON all the islands, is
supposed to be about 100 900 acres, capable of
producing on an average POO, 0OO, 900 pounds nn-
uually. The extent actually under cultivation on
thirty-threc plantations il 1928 acres. This is
expected to yield about ~, OOO, 900 pounds, which
may be taken as n fair average for any larger
area that may be brought under cultivation.
The average consumption of sugar in the
United States il now about four hundred thou
sand tons, or SOO,0 600 900 pounds. 1t will ut
once be seen how wide Of the mark are the state
ments that we can supply the United States with
all the sugar they may require. Even with their
present consumption, there Is no chance Of Ila-
waiian sugar ever meeting more than onc-fourth
If the demand. There are probably five hundred
thousand acres Of good land here suited to Iastur-
age, which may perhaps be put to some other
branches Of agriculture but the general belief
is that it will never grow cane probably, unless
some mode Of irrigation il devised that Is not
now practicable. IL IL possible thHt future efforts
may prove that the cool highlands Of Hawaii,
where rains are oyerabundant, and which are
now covered with dense forests, may be adapted
to cane culture, but no efforts will be made to
those wastes until the more eligible tracts
are taken up, nor until the population is greatly
increas : over what it is Mt present.
The production Of sugar, under the stimulat-
ing effects of the reciprocity treaty Of it becomes
law,) Will doubtless continue to increase stead
with the small increase of foreign population,
and laborcrs which may lie expected, till
it reaches sixty or seventy millions of pounds,
will be less than the consumption Of the
Pacific States - ten years from now. Under the
Of the treaty, it il not unlikely it may
to that extent, provided n stable govern
ment gives assurance to capitalists that their in
yestments are safe.
The Island Of Mauritius, which is only n little
than Oahu, containing about $50, 900
leres OF surface, produced in the year ending
80, 1866, .2I5 .OOO, 900 pounds of sugar.
About half the entire surface of the island il
to cane, while very little is reserved as
.Pa-ture, there being comparatively few animals
IN rh. s.f.pI Thaz 1urr. nruHucrixn SO meas -
,wing to the admirable labor system introduced
here, Indian and Chinese coolies mainly being
Employed, and when their term of service is end
Il they are returned to their country.
The greatest difficulties in the way to increased
usar production here are the lack of capital and
abOr. Should the treaty go into force. capital
nay to some extent be prOcurable, provided the
of interest remains a. now. The labor ques-
ion il vet to be solved. 1t has been suggested
Japan may furnish all the laborers that are
-equired and as fast as needed. The idea will
every one f~ayOnbly. The japanese are in
ONE respects unquestionably a superior race to
he Chinese. They are not 20 vicious and i'm
moral "a the lower classes Of China, and will
probably be found more readily TO acquire
Ioreign habits and language, and perhaps furnish
! more desirable stock To amalganatc with the
vanishing native race. IL il said that the labor
ing classes in japan are accustomed to hard labor
md severe tasks that generally they work faith
fully and are easily managed. They are said to
more kindly dispOsitiOned and tractablc than
Chinese coolies.
But the great question i, can they be obtain
d? We learn from Captain Waterman, our late
Envoy to Japan. that if the permission Of the
japanese Government could be had, thousands
L. II-I- IL