The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-06-14

4 4 LETTER received by the Minister of the
~Interior from Mr.. j. Hutchinson, immigration
Agent of this government at Madeira, dated April
Doth, states that on the 22d of that month the
British ship RaUenscrdig sailed from Madeira
with 4l9 people on board for Honolulu. OF
these 243 were adults, a large proportion being
women 132 children over two years and under
twelve years of age and Al children under two
years of age. This will prove, without doubt,
a valuable addition to our population and the
Industrial and productive force of the country,
and the children especially will become to all
inten:s and purposes Hawaiian. The Agent
writes however that the emigration laws of Por-
tugal are : singularly vexatiOus,'' hedging the
business around with many difficulties, and as
Stunning the right to revise the contract, and
suggest new clauses. Owing to these difficulties
the Agent had decided that the documents signed
by the immigrants were to be considered as mem
oIandums Of agreements, under which they were
to sign contracts On arrival at Honolulu. We
understand however that the Board of I~mmigra-
ton will insist upon the contract itself being here
after signed at Madeira
We learn from the Agents letter that the
Brazilian government also was about to com
mence the business Of recruiting immigrants at
Madeira, and with prospects Of good success,
having in their favor the shortness of the voyage
and the fact that the language spoken in Brazil
is the same as that of Madeira.
The FACT that bulls of exchange on San Fran
cisco were not to be had at the bank on Monday
last steamer day has again directed public
attention to the condition of trade. The consid-
Grafton Of this matter is inevitably forced upon
the man who owes q debt abroad upon the
prompt payment OF which depends the mainten-
ance of his credit and consequently the stability
of his business, but which, in the present cOndi-
ton of the exchange market, he finds himself
unable to do, and is therefore compelled to face
the unpleasant consequences. For the man also
vino desires to go abroad on business or for
pleasure, the situation is anything but agreeable.
Neither exchange nor gold coin is to be had
although it is understood that a large amount of
the latter is locked up in the vaults of the Gov
eminent Treasury, presumably as a precaution
against possible emergencies-and, aside from its
inconvenient bulk, the kinds Of silver IN circula-
ton here would be subjected to a heavy discount
in California. AS a matter of favor to a friend,
private parties might probably afford ccommo
dation to travellers, but through the wonted chan
nels the general public have been unable to tran
saes business with San Francisco.
The cause which has brought about this un-
pleasant and damaging condition of things, may
be explained in two words-eIcessive inporta-
ti0HS. Not Of machinery and labor with which
to develOpe our resources, but of dry goods, gen.
eral merchandise and luxuries. 1t is true that
our exports of domestic produce last year exceeded
our imports by the sum OF $500, 1O2; but we are
not quite half through the year 1879 and it is
already apparent that the tables will be Yery
much reversed, and that our imports will be
found to have exceeded our exports-large though
the latter will undoubtedly be-by over half a
million OF dollars. In proof of this it NAV be
stated that our exports OF sugar (nOt to mention
rice) to San Francisco since the first Of January
of the present year, amounted in value to about
81 Cyl ,OOO-and this will no doubt reach to over
81 ,00O, 900 by the end of the year-yet there
was apparently nothing to draw against by the
steamer. During the first ten days of the
present month we sent to San Francisco over
$500, 900 worth Of sugar-but still we had only
limited credit there. Have all these heavy ex-
ports been devoted to the payment of Indebtedness
previously incurred?
No one can dispute the proposition that the
nan who constantly spends more than his actual
income must sooner or later come to grief; and
his is just as true of a community as Of an indi-
Tidual. If our people continue to import goods
rom abroad at the present reckless rate, (there
ire now some fifteen or twenty eargoes of various
Iinds on the way here from foreign ports) there
will sooner or later be a crash somewhere, in spite
our large and increasing production of sugar. a
q Is high time that ALL should economist.