The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-03-30


THE political economists Of the 4Ir,rtissr have
been examining the effects produced by the Treaty
Of Reciprocity upon different classes Of the people
OF these islands, and are apparently little de
r1snted over the sad revelations they have discov-
ered. We can picture and sympathize with the
officially which 0ur contemporary must have ex-
perienced in having 70 reconcile the two principal
results arrived at BY this examination. namely 4
large addition 70 the aggregate material wealth
Of the country on tie one hand. and no improve
u1snt whatever In the position Of anybody In It on
the other-except the fs= Who are referred 70 as
middle men and capitalists And It Is necessary 10
make an even further limitation than this for the
rate 0f interest has dropped 50 much during four
years past that the capitalist cannot be realizing
very much more ont Of his capital than he did
before. unless he purchase sugar plantations, and
the 1f-sriser finds that the sugar planter Is pre-
cisaly the person who rs not making anything At all
Then the persons who pocket the large addition
to tas material wealth Of the country are these
middle men whoever they may be. If this
term Is used by our contemporary 70 designate
anyone Who Is not either the planter OF the sugar
OF the eFentlal retail purchaser IN some Califor-
nizn village, We can understand that there Is room
for much material wealth 10 ditfuse itself through
the land for the class Of middle men would
iaclz5s the whole Iaboring population engaged IL
sugar agriculture, with all persons dependent upon
them. all those Who manufacture the cane into su-
gar. with the large number Of mechanics engaged
II constructions and repairs connected with the
1nzuufaccure, schooaer-0Eners and sailors. and
many others who are inhabitants Of this country:
and II such case It would be hard indsedif these
large classes Of people were TO be Iaborng for the
sole benefit Of thc comparatively few who might
be strictly termed s1Sar-pllatsrs. Surely the
.izrsytissr cannot desire this.
We are told Of the advantage In price which
would accrue could sugar be sold directly BY the
producer to the cJlszmzr; and this statement car
res with an air Of much pausibility. We believe,
however, that the experiments which have been
msds II dirscs Transactions Of the kind have not
been relatively So satisfactory as to cause any
great discomfort with respect 10 the usual employ
rrs1t Of an agent IN Honolulu good maHufac-
t1rar Is not necessarily an experienced salesman
or practical man Of business: and probably
tloss various calliugs would seldom be combined
in one person Even IN journalistic matters It Is
found that the originator Of the most brilliant
thoughts cannot always earn his bread By them
41-ll-LllLA1 tue EtllA-
sinners payments, deductious which 20 to pay
oompositors, printers, and even sometimes bust
ness agents We understand, too, that the Homo
lula agents Of the planter are not always employed
merely for the sale Of sugar, but that the almost
iuvsrable advance Of money which is necessary
for the establishment Of a plantation, and the
selection and purchasing Of the various require
ne1ts Of the plantation 50 established operations
requiring much labor and no little risk, are
amongst the services for which payment is usually
made IN the form Of commission upon sugar
when produced
In remarkable paragraph upon foreign me
chauics, our Contemporary contends that the
Treaty has been unfortunate for them, because,
amongst other competing advantages and dis
advantages, II has brought 50 large a number into
the country. What would the 4drsrfissr suggest
TO meet this hardships Should admittance into
the country be refused to all beyond a limited
number Of mechanics, 50 that wages should rise
This might assist the limited number Of mechanics
50 admitted. but could hardly be said to benefit
either % the foreign working class beyond these
few, or the much pitied planter OF anyone else Is
no; the influx Of mechanics into any country
siga Of the weIl-doing Of their class And does
mechanics With their comfortable homes prove
that there Is so=ue mistake IN the arguments
advanced What boon our contemporary
expected the Treaty might bring to the working
nan We cannot say; bat the boon" vas evi-
IDENTIFY intended to BE- accompanied by the e1clu-
SION from our shores Of all skilled laborers not
already here when the Treaty came into operation
But TIE surprise with which We hsve read Of
these Disappointing results Of the Treaty Is
b-o1ght to climax when we find that, although
wages are said 70 be tEiee Is nigh for plantation
labor as they we're before the Treaty came into
operstion- the laborer = not amongst those who
N the Adrelfisss opil-ign- have shared IN Treaty
advantages In fact be Is not even mentioned (:
the humble tiier Of the soil Is left in the cold and
not a word Il said about hun
Our contemporary states that the subject has
grown II The handling; 50 has doubtless the
Gstonishrneut Of every thoughtful reader of H. We
snail aEzit Nth much interest the half-proIuised
future refertuce 70 TINS topic