The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-12-23

THE subject of the re-imposition of duty
upon Hawaiian rice is mooted and it is
considered that this is one of the &" modifi-
cations," or concessions, that will be called
for on the American side of the treaty in
the discussion of the continuance but we
| think that if rice cultivation in this king
dom is carefully observed and considered,
its maintenance will be deemed important
to Hawaiian interests. We feel that the
popular impression, that this cultivation is
exclusively in the lands of the Chinese,
and promotive only of their welfare, ope-
rates adversely To q favorable consideration
of rice tilIage as an important Hawaiian
industry. But this is ind, ed, the case.
Now the value of the sugar product as COM
pared with the production of rice is, of
course, immensely in favor of the first
great staple; but when we consider the
number of IaborerS of small means, which
include a good many natiolalities besides
Chinese, it may be said that there are a
larger number of independent operators en-
gagged in rice-cultivatiOn than in that of
sugar. OF course we do not intend one
word of reflection against the great and
paramount interest of the cOuntry-sugar-
cane cultivation; but we wish that rice
cultivation should receive a more favorable
consideration than is generally accorded to
it in considering our industrial and political
condition. disqualification is not Only
improving the waste and unsightly places
of the Islands, but actually Identifying the
landscape = to an extent that must be
highly gratifying to any
of this country. 1t is wide of the mark to
say that only the Chinese are benefited.
Consider what an amount of rent, and even
very high rents, larger than that paid for
sugar lands has been and is now paid by
Chinese for waste tarO patches and the
production and export of this grain is add
ing substantially to the general interests of
the whole Kingdom, No one would dream
of sacrificing or even endangerlng sugar for
rice in this Kingdom, but there ought to
lao No -n1nGfInn nf nnnHInf a unnn fhnan
two PRODUCTS, both so eminently adapted to
promote the interests of the Islands, and
we doubt not that friends of Hawaiian
prosperity and independence in Anne
lea who may have to consider
the question of our treaty rela-
ions with that country will, if the subject
be properly represented, feel assured that
rice cultivation, which has made such a
notable advance in the industrial
development of these Islands should be
maintained and encouraged.
MR.. ATKINSON draws a comparison be-
tween the appropriations for the Board of
Health for 1880 and 1882. He says that
when his friends, Armstrong, Carter & Co.,
were in power, they had only STA 500 APP
propriated for health imposes, whereas the
present Board had S237 500. Atkinson for
gets, in his usual bungling way, the 800, 900
voted to his friends by the Privy Council,
which would make their health fund
amount to S274,500, or S37, 600 more han
the present Board have of, and
this amOant the late Board spent with lit
tie to show for it, except the graves on the
reef; whereas the bulk of the appropriation
for 1882 or about, 100000 is yet in hand or
coming to hand, so you had better wait At
kinson until the preset Board have spent
their funds before you fire your shot.
TIE message of President Arthur to Con-
gress is made especially interesting to us
here both by the allusion it contains to the
Reciprocity Treaty and by its distinct adj
vocacy of changes in the tariff of the /
United States, which will materially modify |
Cn an unfavorable sense) the benefits which
we should enjoy under the Treaty if it were
continued in its present f RIM. There is
every reason to believe in each of these
passages the message foreshadows what is
really about to happen. Believing this,
we find more reason for generalization than
anything else, because we find in President
Arthur's words a good augury for the re-
newal of the Treaty in some form or other,
a matter upon which some people here
have been disposed to take very respondent
views-a matter, too, as to which some of
the enemies of the Treaty in the United
States were very confident some months
ago, or professed to be so. We have never
taken an alarmist view of our Treaty pros
poets. and the assurances on the subject, |
which we have from time to time received
from well-informed quarters, nave led us
to maintain the belief that the Treaty
would be renewed for some definite period,
although probably in a modified form. !
None the less is it a relief to read these
words of the President; to find him acknow-
Lodging explicitly that "it is important to
preserve" the existing commercial rela-
ions with this country, and also that those
relations have been fOstered ~ by the
Reciprocity Treaty. The remainder of what
he has to say indicates nothing as to the
notifications which he and his Cabinet
desire to see made in the Treaty. We are
left to guess at these by the aid of the pre-
vious words, 'scertain provisions of that !