The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-04-22
WEDNESDAY APRIL 22d
HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS.

An important letter on Hawaiian
affairs appeared in BrddstreeFs jour
nal, April 4th. This is a leading
financial and economic newspaper of
New York, and the prominence it
has given to Hawaiian affairs in the
past is proof Of its friendliness to
this country. Indeed, BradstreeFS
has from time to time published very
powerful articles in favor of the Reel
procity treaty with this Kingdom.
The letter in question covers the
entire field of Hawaiian affairs-in-
dustrial, commercial, social and vi
tal-and presents the statistics of the
Kingdom in a concise form, COM
parative statement showing "the
drift of Hawaiian trade before and
after the Reciprocity treaty With the
United States,'' being copied from
the PACIFIC COMMERCIAL ADvER-
TTsER. Speaking of this drift of
trade, BraolstreetS correspondent
states:
It will be observed that the increase of
trade with Great Britain kept pace with its
increase with the Uuited States, which is
about fve-fold since the treaty. This fact
10 explained by the Hawaiian importers.
The agent of Scotch engineering and ma
chinery house visited the islands about the
time the treaty was coming into operation,
and contracted to supply planters with
engines, boilers, mills, etc., and put them
up on their plantations on exceedingly lib
eral terms of payment. Furthermore, there
is a difference of $1,000 in a $4,000 iron
boiler in favor of Scotch-made one, after
paying 10 per cent ad valorem duty, as
against similar boiler made at San Fran
cisco and imported duty free. In other
words, an iron or steel boiler made in Scot
land can be imported direct to Honolulu
and sold. after paying duty, for SO per cent
less than a precisely similar boiler could be
landed from California, duty free. This is
solely owing to the policy of protection in
America. As business proposition, there
fore, Hawaiian plante will naturally prefer
the cheapest wares. Nevertheless, very
considerable quantity of machinery of all
kinds. including iron boilers, is imported
from the United States.
The letter in question also discusses
the labor problem in it's social and
industrial aspects, and after tracing
the immigration policy up to date,
makes the following comments upon
population and settlement:
The industrial statistics give a return of
g. s19 mechanics, 1868 agriculturists, 49,
351 contract IaboIers and IL, 800 at other in-
dustrial employments. OF the entire popu-
lation, 5,729 are freeholders. The bulk Of
the land is held in large areas by private in
dividuals, which is a great, and may prove
10 be fatal bar to progress. The Portu-
euese, when their contracts expire, seek to
obtain small farms to themselves, and if
these are not obtainable they will drift away
to the Pacific Coast, where there is album |
dance of cheap land available, and unllm- |
tied possibilities for small farm settlements
near the centers of population. Already
complaint is being made that the Portu- |
ouese cannot obtain land upon reasonable |
terms. Should this turn out to be the case, |
Hawaii will lose the collateral advantage OF
introducing the Portuguese, and similarly |
also in the case of the Japanese, many OF |
whom would settle permanently, no doubt, |
vere the conditions favorable. There is q |
0ood deal of Government land, and home
stead law was passed by the last Legislature
but as yet it has not been acted upon or if
20. only to an inappreciable extent. Public
on;nion will soon compel Governmental
action but the traditions of individual
ovnership of large blocks of land, and profits
made from raising stock to supply the
pacific whaling feet, still linger and in
suenee landowners.
After sketching the progress of de-
7elopment up to the ratification OF
he Reciprocity treaty, and briefly