The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-03-10

FROM information laid before the Gov
inner by importing merchants it APP
pears that an unusual quantity of kerosene
oil is likely to be entered for storage in the
Government warehouse within the next few
weeks. Something like Ia, 1000 cases are
known to be OIL the way and the whole
quantity may arrive within the next three
or four weeks. The Government store
which is calculated to hold 1000 cases is al
ready taxed almost to the extent of its
capacity to provide room for existing stocks
so that it IS pretty certain that within q
few weeks from the present time there will
be about 10000 cases in the market. For
tuuat-ly the necessity for charging the
accommodation for this import the storage
of which ia ordinary warehouse is not
permitted by law was fOreseen some time
ago and provision was made in the ApprO-
priatiOnS of last session for extending the
Kerosene Bond. The extension will be
proceeded with promptly and the Govern
ment will have arrangements completed
before the expected importations can be
landed to meet the unusual demand for
room.
The facts just narrated awaken reflection
as to the changed habits of the native popu-
latiOn of these Islands, by whose c%onsump-
ton of the article the constantly and
rapidly increasing importation of kerosene
oil is mainly caused. Every one who can
remember the state of things which existed
in this country only twenty years ago, is
aware that at that time almost the sole
light used by the native Hawaiian was his
talIow lamp. y stone in which by beating
he had worn a hole, the ipukukui, was
made the receptacle for a lump of tallOw, or
some fish oil, and a rag dipped in this
served for the wick of this rustic lamp.
How great the change III that COMPARE
lively short interval. Even ten years ago
not ten per cent. of the native population
used n kerosene lamp, whilst now scarcely
any one is without that convenience, even
if it be only an article that costs but a
dollar. Enthusiastically this change is one
of the results of the Reciprocity Treaty
with the United States, by whose provisions
both Kerosene and the lamps in which it is
used have been so greatly reduced in price
as to be within the reach of every one.
This is the direct influence of the Treaty in
the matter. It's indirect influence in raising
the rate of wages throughout the country
has of course tended in the same direction,
by enabling the Hawaiian working man to
acquire for himself this ~cheapened luxury
whic has now become one of his necessi-
ties. The great increase in the number of
| carr iages in use here is often spoken of as
an index to the effect which the Treaty has
had on the customs and expenditure of the
we'll to do. But this example appears to us
to be still more striking, touching as it
! does all classes, and amounting, so far as
the native Hawaiian is concerned, to an
entire change in one of the necessary items
| of his household gear. Nor is this all i'll
stead of the single flaring light of former
days, every native house is now to be found
! provided with from two to half n dozen
lamps, a fancy to be we'll provided with
his convenience seeming to be almost
] universal.