Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-02-03

quests tDt ITchl1cUt 10 take steps 10 Dflng
about revision Of the treaty to the end that
the clause relative to the introduction Of IIa.
waan muscovado, brown and unrefined sugars
free Of duty, may be changed to permit the
character and grades of such duty-free sugars
TO be determined by their percentage Of ALSO
lutte hneness OF Qualification, instead Of the
coor.test standard, not, however, to impair
the spirit Of reciprocity.
The following is the communication from
the Secretary Of the Treasury at Washington,
ID. c., which was laid before the House
Foreign Affairs Committee January 10Th:
TREAsuN DErAETNrNr,
WAsHisCTosi January r..
Hon. Charter G. WIlia,gI, Home IF ReSyeftata.
fpesSiR Your letter Of the Ieth ultirno duly
eeyed in which you state that you have been instructed
by the Committee on Foreign Affairs Of the House of
Representatives to request my views the effect
commercially Of the abrogaton Of the treaty with the
Hawaiian Islands In reply enclose a set Of tables
prepared in the Bureau Of Statistics Of this Department
showing in detail the importation Of merchandise into
the United States from the Hawaiian Islands and the
expectation Of meschandise from the United States
these Islands, also table showing the quantity Of sugar
and molasses produced in the State Of Louisiana and
the United States. The value Of exports the
Hawaiian iaands for the fiscal year ending June 90
1884, was SJ3so77s and the value Of imports for
that period was s7,6l6,2af These tables give you all
the statistical facts upon the subject that my
mand. Had the sugar imported from those islands into
tins country for the period mentioned been subject
duty that duty, according to our tariff laws, would
in your letter. you refer to the pecunry interest Of the
United States, as government it is plain that i has
suffered loss in its revenues to the amount o. that
duty, for think il may be reasoned that the consump
ton and Importation Of sugar would have been less
had the Hawaiian sugar been importable only pay
ment Of duty. The amount Of the mporta,ion above
mentioned has been taken up and consumed chiefly by
the people the Western Slope Of the continent,
scale Of prices, assured higher than that Of
like quantity grade Of the article on the Eastern
slope Ii Is probable, then, that the demand for
sumption was one OF need and would have been made
had maid In. rvrFaa alsts1
enhanced, and that had duty been exacted no less
would have been imported there would have been
responding enhancement Of the II by the
term commercially refer to the general business
interests Of the country the offer Of the treaty is
easily shaken of. It is true that the islands do not take
from Us amounts OF our products great that which
take of theirs and that have pay the balance
against US in money II that balance went into the
hands Of the resident islanders the immediate effect
would be 10 our cost. | am Informed, however, that
much Of the producing industry Of the island IS under
the direction and ngres to the profit Of citizens resi-
dents Of the United States. II this be 50, may be
queried whether the gain, much Of it, from the sugar
trade, Is not the very best, diused among
people, and 50 that the commerce Of the countries
becomes analogous to that between the States Of the
Union Moreover it alleged that the population of the
islands is increasing and their Industries growing,
hat the demand Tor merchandise such produce
SELL will naturally grow, and that the effect OF the
treaty has been 10 keep up amcable relations of all
kinds the keeping Of the treaty alive will tend to secure
the United States that increase Of trade, and deter
mine the ultimate commercial effect Of the treaty If
the sense OF the word Commercial IS as il takes only
sugar land is in connection with this that there is
the most complaint that has reached this Department.
would be this: The price Of sugar is greater the
side OF the continent than the eastern though
the former is much readily accessible from the IS
lands and naturally receives the bulk Of the sugar that
imported from them and receives it without the pay
Of duties yet, while the price greater the
West than at the East the Eastern merchant Of
fer his wares to consumers the West low rates
as his Western rival At first sight, is apt to say
that the ability import free Of duty has something
do with this or though he the East may import from
the Islands free OF duty, his transportation being around
the Cape the Isthmus, the continent
costs him than does tina, Of his Western oompeti
tor, directly the waters OF the Pacific While on
that sugar which he may perhaps import and receive
its low cost, he mus pay duty 50 that superb
cal that by much or by barely much IS the duty
sugar. by that much the Western importer has an
advantage the Eastern. Bu, here I must state
what has been lately given fact. |; is this;
To buyer from the United States the price Of sugar in
the Islands j. made by adding the value OF it there
sum equal TO what would be the duty !, at Of
ports where sugar is subject tariff II
this Is So the Western shore importer gets advantage
over the Eastern one by his freedom from duty The
duty he would have paid TO the government he pays in
effect the seller the Islands, that the fact that
the Hawaiian sugar pays duty importation, II this
information be true, gives advantage importer
OF il the importers Of the article from other places
Of product, the consumer in the United States.
have this Information from accredited representa-.
tive of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Another great advan-
tage which the Western has Is represented to the