Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-10-06
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The Sugar Commission, appointed
to investigate the allegations ot fraud
in the working OF the treaty, have made
their rcport to the treasury department
at Washington AZ hr,, glanoe. to the
majority of readers, u Is a favorable
one This impression IS obtained from
the acknowledgement that nu ground,
existed fot the charges OF importations
into these islands Of sugars and rice
exported ia the United States as
Hawaiian, and the further acknowlcdg
mCri that sugars now produced here
are not different from those intended
OF covered hy the text ct the treaty.
So Tar. So good. hut in this they could
not do otherwise II was because We
knew the injustice that was being done
Us that We couucd official investigation
in treaty matters as well as labor
troubles. Ofthe several alleged charges
of fraud Hawaii now stands before the
world fully vindicated of any attempt
thereat The commiSsinnerS.f that
NC hay. kept in faith the spin; and
letter OF the treaty. This then ought
TO he an etiecmal olinchcr to the
calumnies that have been presented
against us by the eastern refinery inter
ests and other enemies OF the treaty
But when congress next meets We have
reason 10 believe that the fight will be
renewed and will bc severe, and this
official report Of personal investigation
on the Pacific coast and at these
islands, it is feared, will have no little
part TO bear in the matter For this
reason We exceedingly regret to see
mischief lurking in this report, which,
on its face, purpor,s to be favorable
While the commissioners have been
frank and fair TO strike the base changes
of fraud to the earth, they have not
been fair As TO several important points
brought out or ascertained indirectly
through their investigations II is an
injustice to make the assertion that
with few exceptions, the business .
referring to sugar planting is in
the hands of German and English citi-
sens or HawaiianS" Ii would not have
been a difficult task for the commits
sIoners TO have ascertained the exact
member of Americans Interested, and
the amount OF their investments in the
sugar industry OF these Islands The
result would in all probability have
shown that instead OF their being the
few exceptions" sugar would show as
large II not larger proportion of
Americans than any other enterprise
here except, perhaps, the coasiing trade
Even though number of planters are
Hawaiian, born of American parents
the laws OF the United States recognise
the majority of them as her subjects
In the statement that "ihe benefit OF
the duty rcmitted on rice goes almost
entirely To the Chinese, who, either by
purchase or lease of lands, have secured
control OF rice cultivation" no allusion
IS made Of the important fact that the
advances made and the shipments of
the rice products of the islands, passes
almost entirely through American
houses, and that but a small proportion
is exported by Chinese to get the full
benefit OF the duty remiited 1t is
10 be hoped that race prejudice will not
work an injustice to Hawaii in the
consideration of this subject, for there
is no one thing in the treaty that is more
to the direct benefit OF the natives of
these islands than rice culture. from the
fact that rice lands are almost wholly
leased from the natives at high rates.
The figures generally given, relative to
the growth of trade since the treaty
went into operation, do not tell the
whole story, 1t is half truth that our
opponents take and gladly twist to suit
their purposes. The treaty is not taking
out from Uncle Sans Golfers the
difference between his trade and ours.
or the difference OF the respective
duties, but what difference does come
here largely finds It's way back in the
various channels OF ship building, insur-
ance, commissions, freighis, travel, etc.
Those are few items not obiainable
from custom house statistics, but which
are important to the trade considera-
lions OF many houses in San Francisco,
New York, Boston and Philadelphia.