The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-01-01
THE YEAR 1880

80 49, ~ IL u III
it has been a busy and prosperous year, and one
IN which great progress has been made through
out the Kingdom. The prosperity of 1878 and
1879, stood out in marked contrast to the COM
paratIVe stagnation of preceding years. 1t was
accompanied by a great influx of new capital
which has always the effect of making money
plentiful and all branches of mercantile and
manufacturing business brisk. During 1880.
some branches of industry have been slack in COM
parison with the rush of work there was for them
during the two preceding years. But if the
condition of these Industries were compared with
that of the time before the current of investment
IN sugar planting commenced to flow SO freely,
we should have to confess that even 1880 has
been a good year. For instance the Honglulu
Iron Works, during the year just closed, have
just done a lair share of work, but nothing like
the amount of the two preceding years. There
has been furnished a new plant for Kipahulu
Plantation, Maui, new machinery for Ahuimanu,
and there il nearly completed a plant for Laie.
ON this island ; alterations to several new sets of
machinery, new boiler for tug Pele, general Job
ing and repairs have been executed, but there
has been nothing like the work of 1889. as NAV
be seen from the fact that the average number of
hands employed during the year. has been little
over half of that employed in those years. When
it is considered that the works could comfortably
employ from 500 to 800 men, and make and
repair all the machinery required in the islands,
there Is no doubt but that the shareholders after
building up an enterprise, second to none of the
Wanted establishments on the Pacific Coast.
think them comparatively idle. So it has
necessarily been also in certain departments of
business. which like the manufacture of
machinery were specially affected by the sudden
anxiety to invest in sugar plantations and SMEAR
mills which characterized the previous period.
but where this special influence has not been
feit' business has been, if not expanding.
certainly steady, and if there has been any fall
ing on OF the returns of individual establish
ments, increased competition, the inevitable Sc
quence OF prosperous times, has been the cause of
IT, not any falling off in the purchasing power of
the community.
Inc available statistics of production are en-
bodied In the statistical tables compiled by Col.
ALLEN, Collector of Customs, which appear in
our commercial column. These confirm the
opinion just expressed that the condition of
things here is by no means II stationary one. Our
main exports, sugar and rice, exhibit large in
JNNAC" Lit U |
molasses, bananas, goatskins, tallow, whaIeoiI,
Whalebone and sheepskins have also increased.
That we import many articles of food which we
ought to produce is due to the concentration of
effort on our two great industries. This, how
ever, Is an inevitable result in any country of n
rapid influx of population, and experience shows
that the anomaly only needs a short period to
rectify itself. The only item of Importance
among our exports which shows a marked falling
oh is wool and from the increased export of
sheepsklns, it seems probable that we are con-
Stunning sheep as mutton, faster than they are
produced. Of pulu We say nothing-like the
sandai-woodr this export appears to have had it's
day and to be about to cease. That the gross
export of the year exceeds that of the prosperous
1879 by S842, O68. 60, is proof positive that CAPT.
tai has not been imported into these islands in
vain. 1t is estimated that of sugar alone we
shall be able to export &C, 1000 tons during 1881.
There can be no doubt that our exports would
have been larger and that the profit on capital
invested in plantations would have been greater,
had labor been more plentiful. The demand for
labor took large dimensions SO suddenly that
many persons have been in straits for lack of it.
and wages have risen beyond the figure which
the sugar planter can afford to pay. This has
been severely felt during the year, especially in
the few calls of it. During the first half months,
over l400 Chinese, laborers arrived. and about
400 South Sea Islanders. This has somewhat
relieved matters, and it seems probable that
the Chinese, Germans, Portuguese and South
Sea Islanders, who are on the way or to
be expected during the next few months, will
provide q supply equal to the demand.
The disproportIon of the sexes, already so great
IN Hawaii Mel, is increased by every importation
Of male laborers. The Chinese especially, bring
scarcely any women with them-of the 1923 who
arrived during 1880, only SO were females. This
subject exercises the minds of the community and
has engaged the attention of the Government
who have determined to conine future efforts to
promote immigration almost entirely to the in
PRODUCTION Of married people and females.
Arrangements have been made to endeavor to
to bring Chinese females here. But the feeling
Of the community, generally, is that India and
Indonesia are the fields from which the most
desirable married. laborers and female immigrants !
can be procured.
The biennial session of our Legislature took
place during the year when a great many useful
were passed and liberal appropriations
iOt All puohC "oIAeo H1poElauce unu Hlthhn TIE
means of the Kingdom were made. In another
column We give an abstract of the Acts passed. 9
There has been too much disposition to decry our J
Legislature and to speak of its sessions as mainly !
occupied by windy talk. a glance at this alb .
tract will refute any such idea better than any
thing we can say.
Provided for or promoted by the appropriations I
Of the Legislature, many public works of much !
have been taken in hand. A railway
which is ultimately to run through the length Of -
The Kohala, Hamakua, and Hilo districts on Hawaii =
will shortly be commenced; the Government n
'ubsidizing the enterprise to the extent of $500 a
per mile. A marine railway or patent slip for :"
is projected. Other important works v
been completed during the year. some by o.
he Government, but most by private enterprise. n
The water supply 70 Honolulu has been greatly g