The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-03-04
OUR AUSTRALASIA TRADE.

OUR AUSTRALASIA TRADE.
1t has been the habit to look too
lightly upon our trade with the Aus
tralasian Colonies. Although the
cash value of our merchandise ex-
changes with the South Pacific set
Elements of Great Britain is not very
large, the trade is susceptible of great
expansion. Australia is a continent
of unlimited possibilities; and New
Zealand, which is about the size of
the United Kingdom, is a complete
epitOme of the temperate zone. In
soil, variety and range of climate,
vegetable and animal products and
mine rails, it is, acre for acre, the rich
est and most compact country on the
earth's surface. It is therefore Of the
utmost Importance that direct trading
and mail comm unicatiou should be
kept open between Hawaii and the
Greater Britain of the South Seas.
Last year we imported, free and
su bject to duty, merchandise worth
5 co. 58 from Australia and New
Zealand. Our export was trifling in
1884, consisting of 10000 pounds of
rice, so pounds coffee, and 107, 254
pounds of wool. Australasia was,
however, next to the United States,
the largest consumer of our domestic
products. It took rather more than
One-third of our total wool export.
There is no reason, however, why
coffee should not be more largely eX-
ported to the Australasian group, in
asmuch as the Reciprocity treaty
with the United States gives us no
advantage in that market. Coffee is
on the American free list. Java
sends the Colonies the bulk of their
coffee; and sugar is imported by
them for refining from Mauritius,
Java and China. Of late the colonies
of Queensland, New South Wales
and Fiji have become sugar pro-
ducing countries, and In few years
they will be able to supply the
colonial market, which. will thus
release an equal quantity of raws at
the present points of supply, to COM
pete in the old established markets OF
Great Britain and the United States.
We are thus indirectly interested in
the development of sugar making in
the Australasian Colonies.
In former years, our colonial trade
was much more valuable than it is
now. During 1873 Hawaiian exports
to Australia and New Zealand aggre-
gated 7,013,946 pounds sugar, 6,6O9
gallons molasses, 5000 pounds rice
and 123, O22 pounds pulu. Our imports
were valued at S45, $50. In 1876 our
American and British Columbian
trade increased, while the Austria
Iasian trade fell off. The exports OF
domestic products to the latter in
1876, the year the treaty went into eff
feet, w&s-sngar, $3.50 pounds; mo-
lasses, 2,215 gallons; rice, 3S,O56
pounds; coffee, 6, 351 pounds; and pull,
155, 1863 pounds. The import value was
| $43, 500.
But we derive other advantages
from direct steamer communication
with Australasia of very substantial
character. Every steamer to and from
the Colonies brings a large number
of passengers, all of whom come
ashore and spend in the aggregate a
good deal of money, thus benefiting
local trade. Last year this travel be-
tween the Colonies and San Fran
cisco numbered 2,OS1 persons. In 1888
the Australasian passengers in transit
numbered 1913; in 1882, 1881; in
1876, 1926. The Colonial travel in
the intervening years differed little
from the figures quoted. Store-keep-
ers in Honolulu can readily appre-
ciate the Importance of this trade,
and would doubtless rejoice to learn
that it is to be continued, of which,
however, there is some doubt.