The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-08-16
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Anbertiser
SATURDAY. AUGUST I6.
From the Weekly Alta California. July ISL
The Hawaiian Treaty of Reciprocity and
Chinese Planters.

Another exemplifcation of the shrewdness and
tact OF the Chin-se IL tn be found in the fact that
chmPanirs OF them own and work the rice pIanta.
tion~ on the Hawaiian Islands. a considerable part
OF the late importations Of Chinese laborers going
directly TO thrsr plantations. Chinese rice now
pays an import duty here Of "a 4 cents per pound
but rice raised On the Islands by Chinese. owned.
exported and controlled here by the same Chinrse.
dors not pay any duty. Verify the benefits Of the
Reciprocity TTraty in this respect are being grad
ualiy diverted from their proper channel. In ex-
change from this rice OF Chinrse production Ameri-
can coin ana Cbinese provisions are returned. A
little freight money il obiainPd as a partial recon-
p-nse for the abolition OF the duty. and that is all.
With the prrspnt Influx Of Chinese into the Islands.
aud the privileges accorded them there. with capital
OF their own to back up their indomitabls energy
and perseverance. We may find at no distant day
that they will have attained such q foothOld in the
Islands that the sugar and rice interests will be con-
trOllrd by them. Should they obtain such control.
and present Indications favor the belief that they
will. il would then be advisable tn inquire into the
sOundnese at further continuing our present COM
mercial relations with the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Perhaps a little inquiry a. this time on the subject
would not be out of place. From simply supplying
the present planters with labor, to the complete
exclusion Of foreign white or native laborers. the
Islanders will eventually see the Chinese themselves
installed AS master planters. nor will the capital Of
one or more enterprisinR San Francisco men. now
being largely isyested in developing the Hawaiian
plantations. form 4 formidable barrier against the
encroaehmrnts of the indOmitable Orientals. AS In
many OF tho industries OF the State the Chinese
have step by step risen from the cheapest OF cheap
laborrrs and displaced their former masters. so will
they do on the Hawaiian plantations. Whether they
do or not really concerns US only IN one respect, and
that u whether our Government shall iorego its rev
enues from Hawaiian products for the benefit OF
ChinPse producers. who by way of exchange. i'm
port almost exclusively OF Chinese goods from the
Chinese merchants OF San Francisco. Nearly all Of
the vessels which now depart from here to Honolulu
take out large quantities OF Chinese merchandise
for the Islands, and IL these were deducted from the
values credited 10 our export trade the apparent
benefits OF the Reciprocity Treaty would be maieri-
ally curLailed. We were with the first to advocate
the passage OF the present treaty. aud strongly urged
IL az a MEASURE that would benefit the merchants Of
California, and we know from careful observations
that nc little benefit has been derived therefrom.
Facts which we have presented from time to time
prove this point conclusively. Il Is only when we
bDd hat the generosity OF our Government is pos
ably TO be abused in the manner already pointed
out that we speak a word Of caution. The Honolulu
advertiser Of June % says The cry H.. still
they come ]" and then remarks that $50 Chinese
arrived at that port during the week to date. with
three more vessels reported to arrive. The AdUer-
hseT observes: E" At this rate OF Chinese immigra-
ton from China itself. together with the sWarms
that the Krarney policy will eject from California.
our estimate OF last week OF between two and three
thousand per annum will prove considerably below
the numbers that may be expected. and we shall
beeome n Chinese colony before we are aware Of
It." And now comes the particular point to which
we have called attention: The agricultural portion
of the commuuity-by which we mean those direct
ly Interested in su-gar-growing-have regarded this
Chinese immigration with favor, as it signided
more labor and increased production of our prin-
cipal staple and being OF the opinion that a num-
erous immigration Of Chinese would tend to cheap
en- labor. they were prepared to expect q decline in
wages. But we are informed that the new arrivals
generally decline to work on sugar plantations.
hdUing previously engaged Ioith rice planters their
0bcn countrymen." We exact a duty on rice import
ed from China direct. and the Chinese have gone
to the Hawaiian Islands for the express purpose
OF circumventing US After rice comes sugar, and
what tbesI