The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-09-08
TIE PACIFIC
COMMERCIAL 0bert1ser
SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 8.

An ACT . to increase the import duties upon
certain goods was approved by the King on
the 9th of September, 1876. This Act in
cluded two Sections, whereof Section l imposed
a duty of twenty-five per cent. ad Ualorem on
various articles of trade, most of which may
be generally described as articles of primary
necessity. An article of general consumption.
tea, is included in this category. Every des-
cription of dress goods as well as silks, satins,
velvets, and millinery goods are brought under
Section 1 of this Act. 1t is not easy to find a
single article, not of the commonest use, which
is not subjected to this increased duty. Fire
arms and ammunition, perhaps, afford a soli-
tary exception, to which may be added paint
ings. But if people can do without a shotgun
and pictures, they certainly can not get on well
without tea and clothes, soap and candles, some
furniture, a watch or clock, a teapot, or even
a pipe or cigarette, and least of all, candies and
toys for their children, with fre-crackers on
birthday celebrations. In fact, Section 1 of
this Act makes a sweeping inroad upon what
people most want in ordinary life, and claps on
a duty amounting to one fourth of their value
on all those articles of primary necessity almost
without exception. Section 2 of the Act i'm
poses specific duties on certain articles, in
Guiding wines and liquors, kid gloves, cigars
and matches, and a few other articles, whose
specified taxation does not challenge criticism
SO imperatively as those included under the
foregoing Section ! already mentioned.
OF course it is natural to look for an equlva-
lent somewhere for this increased system of
taxation. To explain how the duty has jumped
up from five, ten or even fifteen per cent, ad
UalOrem on imported goods to a sum equal to
one fourth of their value, it is only necessary
to recall that the Reciprocity Treaty has thrown
the Hawaiian import trade Utmost exclusively
into the hands Of the people of the United States.
The advantages conferred upon this country by
the Reciprocity Treaty have been universally
acknowledged. The increased duties imposed
upon SO many articles of primary necessity does not
really affect our social condition. Those articles
are imported under the Reciprocity Treaty from
the United States, and are sold here at fair
prices it is only the importers of other coun-
tries who suffer by the high duties which here
fall upon their goods, before they can enter
our market. 1t might naturally be expected
that no complaints could be raised upon this
head, at least, in this country. We are not
prepared to say that any general dissatisfaction
prevails on the score of the provisions of the
Act above referred to-; and perhaps we may best
express the tone of public opinion by stating
that there is a tendency to think some reduction
might be made in the twenty-five per cent dd
Ualorem duty imposed upon some of the specified
articles-as, for instance, silks, s%atins, and vel
vets, a matter upon which the ladies have SO
much to say. There can be no doubt, that the
ofoot of tho PaniproniFu Traofu mill ho 70
enhance the price of those articles in the Hawai-
ian market, for the very obvious reason that
the producers can not trade with us direct.
Our fair friends can not buy their Indian silks
or Lyons YelVets at first cost. We merely
specify one or two articles, whose prices the
Reciprocity Treaty, with all its advantages,
will have piled up, and in the cases specified,
the blow falls upon the fair sex mostly, which
is not very gallant on the part of our legislators.
But, seriously, there is another very impor-
tant fact connected with our present system
of duties imposed by the Act to which we refer
on foreign imports. 1t seems that the existing
treaty of mme with Great Britain has been
completely overlooked by the two last cabinets
which preceded the one now in power. In the
reign of Kaniehameha Ill a &c Treaty of Friend
ship, Commerce and Navigation" was concluded
between that King and Her Majesty Queen Vic
toria. This Treaty was ratified by the King
on May 9th, 1852, and is still in force, never
having been IS denounced" by this government
as to be brought to a close after the term of
twelve months from the date of the notice to
that effect. The two late administrations lost
sight of this Treaty altogether. The matter
is not without O laughable side. We would
like to ask the present government whether or
not this Treaty is still in force And, if stil. in
force, can Great Britain trade with this country
under the provisions of this treaty? We believe
that we are not mistaken in supposing that the
adjustment of this matter of Kamehameha lids
Treaty with Queen Victoria will form part of
the work of the Hon. Mr.. Carter's mission to
the Court of st. James. Probably, the British
Cabinet will dispense with the ~formality of the
twelve months notice stipulated. This is the
more likely, as our Hawaiian diplomatist is
charged, we understand, with the duty of nego-
tiating a new commercial treaty between this
country and Great Britain, as also with Ger
many.
Before concluding these remarks, we venture
to express a general opinion, that, in the long
run, there is nothing like Free Trade. Protec-
ton may benefit trade in certain peculiar cir
cumstances, but eventually it is always sure to
pinch somewhere, and is open to the policy of
retaliation. 1t provokes hostility from other
countries. 1t is generally adopted in favor of
some staple, which benefits a class, but really
causes loss to others. With free trade, people
have every thing at first cost. Producers ship
their goods to US direct the trader pays the
price of production, and lets us have the article
with the trade profit only added. Besides, Free
Trade helps to keep down trade profits, and to
moderate the greed of the trader, by increased
competition. In our case, for the present per-
haps, it may be useful to adopt a protection
sytem of trade, but, ere long we think that the
country will begin to feel the desirability of
turning round to the Free Trade principle.
Even with Free Trade for our motto, our posi-
ton will always secure for cur staple product,
sugar, a favorable position in the California
Market. This country has got an exclusive