The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-08-01
THE PACIFIC
Commercial AOOertlstr.
AUGUST l
Hawaiian Reciprocity.

A number of foreigners engaged in business in
Honolulu have addressed a petition to King ka-
lakaua TO reopen negotiations with the Govern
ment Of the United States for a Reciprocity
Treaty, without which, in their opinion, the bus
iness Of the Kingdom will not afford enough
revenue to maintain the Government or the present
population. They regard Reciprocity as the only
practical method Of securing a profitable market
for their sugar, which Il the main hope for the
Development Of their agricultural industry in the
near future. Unless some stimulus can be given
by legislation to sugar-plantiDg, they fear q" dis
aster 10 the financial interests Of the Government,
and all the inhabitants of the Kingdom in the
near future" The petition is an appeal to ka-
lakaua its publication is an appeal to the people
and Government of the United States, and Is
entitled to careful and favorable consideration.
Our Administration should strain u point to aid
and encourage the little Hawaiian realm, which,
by it's geographical position, its trade, its past and
future, is made 20 q considerable extent dependent
upon us. Its civilization and many of its foreign
residents are American, and TO the generosity, If
not to the justice of America, it now looks for
protection against bankruptcy. Our Admins
tration has recently framed n Reciprocity Treaty
with Canada, a Treaty that, if ratified, will con-
fict in many points with large industries in the
States near the Lakes. a Hawaiian Reciprocity
Treaty would conflict very slightly with American
industry, and would attach the Hawaiian people
TO us, with bonds that would grow stronger as
time passes.
The Hawaiian Islands have an area of several
hundred thousand acres now untitled that would
produce sugar with much profit if it could be
admitted free Of duty into San Francisco, but
without a free market here the cane cannot be
cultivated there on a larger scale than at present.
These sugar districts of Hawaii are much to them
but little for a nation like ours and years would
elapse before they would be all titled. Any
Treaty would probably contain a clause providing
for its abrogation after notice of a year or two by
either party, and fear that 1t would not be per-
manent would cause delay in planting much of
the available ground, so that five or even ten
years might elapse before the Islands would reach
the full capacity of their production and the
changes from the present circumstances would be
very gradual. If there be any serious objection
to Reciprocity, it must be based either on n
large, sudden or a very large ultimate increase i'll
importation; and neither appears probable to us;
that i, considering the word " large" in refer
ence to the sugar consumption of the United
States, though the case would be different in
reference to the past production of the Hawaiian
Islands.
We must not overlook the beet sugar industry
which is confined in the United States to Cali
fornia, and it deserves the protection of Congress
as much relatively as the iron furnaces of Penn
sylvania or the cotton mills OF Massachusetts,.
Our beet sugar companies are not yet in a condI-
ton to regard with Indifference the free importa-
ton of foreign sugar, and they would soon close
if the sugar of Peru and Manila were admitted
without duty but we presume they would not
be seriously injured by Reciprocity with the
Hawaiian Islands, especially if the Treaty should
provide only for the free admission of raw sugars.
1t is very doubtful whether the refining could be
done with profit in the islands, but it is not well
for our Government to encourage experiments
there in that line at present. The Hawaiian
petition solicits relief for the planters of sugar,
and that can be given without going beyond the
raw sugar. We publish the petition III another
column, and commend it to the attention of the
Cabinet at Washington.
TIn~, - 80 raocnn ,phu rno should E,ar q, mos,
ton the word " annexation =" here. The Hawai-
ians are opposed to the surrender of their political
independence, and no great public interest of the
United States demands the acquisition of their
islands. They could add little to our revenue, or
to our naval or military strength, and might cost
us much for defence. National pride might be
gratifed by having them under the Stars and
Stripes, and their acquisition would be hailed
with pleasure by many OF our citizens. But it
would be a great mistake on our part to show
any anxiety for annexation, or even to consent to
it, if offered by the Hawaiian Government, unless
we knew that it was acceptable to the majority
Of the Hawaiian people. When they solicit
annexation as a favor, and not till then, should
we seriously entertain any proposition in refer
ence to the matter. 1t should be our policy to
treat Canada, Mexico, and the islands near us on
the Atlantic and Pacific, with such justice and
generosity that they will beg the privilege of
coming under our flag, and that they will even
change their laws, if we see fit to make the
change a condition of our consent. Such a feel
ing among our n~eighbors might be cultivated by
kindness-never by the present checks on trade
Daily Alta.