The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-02-03
THE PACIFIC
GOmnlertiaiA


- @CIS
THROUGH the courtesy Of His Excellency
the Minister of Finance we are able to pre-
sent to our readers to-day the Custom
house statistics Of these Islands for the year
1882. The Report by Mr.. Hendry, the
Deputy COllectoT-General, which accom-
panies them, contains a concise account Of
the contents Of the various tables and of
the results they show. The Information to
be found in this Report presents many
points of great interest. but the most prom
inent feature disclosed by It is progress
increasing an1 constantly accelerated ma
terfal progress. All the difficulties which
our chief productive industries rest under
from lack OF an abundant supply of labor
at reasonable Tutes-all the auxieties natur-
ally awakened by the uncertainty hanging
over the future Of the Reciprocity Treaty,
and by the resOlute and INSCRIPTIONS
attacks from certain quarters ON this main
stay Of our commercial prosperity-alI these
things combined have not stayed our pro-
gress, or retarded its pace. THIS is IA great
thing to say. 1t shows that there, how solid
is the confidence in the future Of the Islands
and in the p-rOductiveness of their soil
which possesses tile minds of those whose
money is invested in the development Of
both.
The first figures that attract tine eve
in these statistics are the totals represent
ing our import and export trade. These
together show an aggregate of more than
thirteen millions of dollars, or about 500 n
head for every man, woman, and child Of
whatsoever race that is to be found within
the bounds of the Kingdom. The manner
in which this great total is divided between
imports and exports is also a very notable
feature Of our trade. The exports exceed
thei imports by 1924, SOC. SO; that is TO say
for every 800 worth of exports we have dur
Ing the last year only imported $50 worth
of goods from other countries. This excess
of exports over imports has been going on
for some time, and was more marked than
ever during the year which has just passed.
In 1881 il amounted to 81, 307, 457. 90 and the
proportion between exports and imports was
as 500 to S66.50 The difference between
the two years is probably owing to the fact
that importations of 1880 were somewhat i'm
excess of our requirements. and that year
closing with a market overstOcked on many
important lines, a temporary check to i'm
portatiOn was given. This fact will no
doubt account for the considerable falling
off in the importation of liquids-mani-
tested in 1882 as compared with 1881. The
figures in regard to this branch of trade are
rather surprising and would convey the i'm
preston that there had been a marked fall
ing off in the consumption of all classes OF
intoxicating liquors. The imports of Beer
fell from S62, 1873 in 1881 to S36,414. 90 in
1882 similarly those of Vim Qight) fell
from SIS, 921.5 SO to 12,925.O7 and those of
sDiFits under which head the heavier
wines are included) fell from S145, 5000 to
Ss1, 40. 50, figures to be found in other
tables, however, d oaway with the idea that
the actual consumption of liquors has
fallen off, the deliveries for home con-
sumption showing an increase-m wine
and spirits chiefly occurring during tn
earlier Shaif of the year, and fully compen
stated for by the falling off in the sale
beer. In the Customs revenue of the coun
try there was an increase of $50, 1857 equa
to about 20 per cent. In 1891 the inoreas
was only 81, O1O.3s being a small fractio
more than 5 per cent The passenger sta
tistics shoY the excess of arrivals over d'
partures to nave been 2;S77. The numbe
of passengers calling here OH their way t
other ports shows a marked increase durin
the year. The additions to our populatio
by immigration were much less than i
1881, and much less than was good for
to country in which "laboF, more labor"
III still the cry of its producing classes. I'll
falling off is entirely owing to the c~essatic
of Chinese immigration.
n The tables before us present many mo
" points for remarks, uroOmments on whic
we reserve for a future occasion.
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