The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-09-11
A Protective Tariff

Mr.. EDIToR-As 1 stated in my last, I repeat here
" what we need is a thorough and discriminating re-
vision of the tariff, by which protection may be sub
s~tantially afforded to our home Industries
Let us inquire, first, what are the home industries
that, by being fostered and encouraged by protection.
are likely to bring about the results we desire-the
helping to make our people an industrious, thriving
people, followed, as a natural consequence, by an in.
crease in enlightment, virtue and population
L reply, in brief, the mechanical arts. No one
will deny that the Hawaiians have shown themselves
capable of becoming good artisans in almost every
branch in which they have been given an opportunity
of trial. As shoemakers, a very short term of ap-
premiership enables them to turn out a very fair
shoe, as any one can prove by looking in at the nu-
merous little cobbler shops ON Nuuanu street, and
elsewhere, all over the country, where side by side
with the patient, plodding C~hinaman, here and there
q Hawaiian pegs and hammers out a living, in spite
of the fact that foreign made boots and shoes are sold
at the next door cheaper than he can afford to make
them. A large proportion of the saddles and brides
used in the interior and ON the other islands are made
by the natives, and the homemade trees - are
preferred by many to the imported. Now what is
our 6 liberal . policy towards these, our own people,
who are endeavoring, by the exercise of the one poor
talent which God has given them, to struggle up
wards in the social scale? Well, we admit boots and
shoes, and ~saddlery, manufactured in the countries
where labor is crowded and cheap, on the payment
of n duty of 10 per cent. od raiorem, only, making
in our tariff charges no distinction between articles
that can be produced here by our own people and
such articles as jewelry, plate, clocks, crockery and
glassware, which we are never likely to produce.
And if our Hawaiian wishes to increase his stock of
tools or to buy Irvine or pegs, or other little matters
that go to make up his necessary " kit the same
ten per cent. must be paid. We import annually,
something over one hundred and thirty thousand
dollars worth of boots and shoes and saddlery. And
this large amount of cash,-large for US, it isis
sent out of the country to pay for articles that we can
produce ourselves while thousands of hands that
under a different system might become busy wealth
producers, are found to lie idle or gain a precarious
subsistence in unequal competition. Meantime our
legislative Solons spend days and weeks in wordy de-
bate on the horse or dog tax. or on the question of
some government officials salary, utterly ignoring
the true interests of the country and of the people.
In the article of ready made clothing, we import
very largely, and yet our own people, men and
women,-more especially the latter,-can turn out as
well fitting and a far better made garment than any
that can be imported. There are hundreds of women
in Honolulu alone who under a protective tariff could
find constant employment from the tailors, and earn
an honest and comfortable living with the needle. |
But the foreign made ~clothing, which VIC import to |
the amount OF say two hundred Thousand dollars |
worth annually, under a duty Of ten per cent. nd |
rotorem, virtually tabus this branch of industry
By our wretched policy, we in effect say to the |
Hawaiian woman who is earnestly seeking for an |
honest and respectable means of ivelihood.-"G Go |
we have nothing for you to do. The streets are omen
to you there seek the bread you need bv selling
your bodies and debasing your souls. For behold
have we not brought hither the blessings of commerce
by a system of almost free trade? Don't we epcour-
age, by making the duties very light, the introduc-
ton Of the fancy goods, the silks and satips. and
ribbons, in which you, in common with YOUR seq
everywhere. delight to array yourselves The
modus operandi by which you obtain the means to
thus gorgeously array yourselves, is no matter of ours
don't desire to be inquisitive. In fact. az
things are now going, under our liberal system.
1t Is not probable that we shall be troubled much
longer with your opportunities. You win soon dis
appear from the earth, and over your graves we will
have the supreme satisfaction Of ~rcmember;no ,bo.
you did not die of protection"
Does this sound harsh, and oyerstrained7 II !.
nevertheless the truth. and the half is not vet told.
Yours, for the present,
PHILo-HAwAII.