The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-21
The Committee Reports on Its
AbrogatiOn. 's-s ,
HEAVY FLOODS IN CANADA
miscellaneous kilograms OF Interest
From Various Quarters OF
the Globe.
The HAWAIIAN Treaty.

the majority of the House ways and
means committee on the report to
terminate the Hawaiian treaty begins
with the statement that the object of
the treaty was to secure closer COM
mercial and political relations with the
government of the Hawaiian Islands.
The report makes a comparison
of the present with the past COM
mercial relations between the TWO
governments and says Il at IL IS appar-
emit from this that our exports have
not grown as fast as was anticipated by
the friends Of the treaty when II was
before Congress for adoption. In
stead of increasing relatively faster
than the imports they have rela-
lively deceased. OF the entire trade
for the last fiscal year. 20 per cent. re-
presented our imports from the Islands
and from "a per cent. our exports 10
them, while in 1884 the relative values
were imports 81 per cent, and exports
IS per cent. It was claimed for
the treaty, when it was pending in
Congress in 1876, that 1t would
greatly stimulate our exports OF lum-
Der, food products, and manufactures.
hut these predictions do not seem to
have been fully realized. During the last
fiscal year weimported from Hawaiian
Islands articles amounting 10 IS S5T ,49T,
of which value sugar was $500, 1875,
while for the same year we exported TO
them articles amounting in value TO
s.. zoe. 573. The balance of this trade we
nav in money to planters on theislands,
some of whom reside in the United
States, some in England and some in
Germany. Our aggregate export trade
to the island reached the highest point
in 1888, and has since that time been
falling of. The exports Of animals and
manufactures of iron and steel reached
their highest point in 1882, cotton goods
and hemp in 1888, provisions and lum-
Der in 1884, and brcadstuffs in 1885.
The argument that the treaty would
reduce the price of sugar on the Pacific
Coast has not proved true. At the time
of the passage of the treaty. sugar wa:
as cheap in San Francisco as in New
York, but IL has been dear ever since
notwithstanding the New York sugar
laid a duty and the San Francisco sugar
was admitted free OF duty It mast be
evident, the report says, that we have
gained nothing commercially by the
treaty. The articles imported from the
United States will continue to be i'm
ported whether the treaty be abrogated
or not, for the reason that no other
country can supply them as cheaply. III
the Hawaiian Islands should make the
articles sent them by the United States
subject to duty paid by the same articles
imported from.other countries which
Is about 10 per cent, that would be nc
impeachment to the United States II
would only be hight tar imposed upon
their home consumers. They cannot
afford to put the prohibitory duty on
articles so necessary to them ano
/ ~ ~ nrNnc
and cannot so advantageously obtain
from any other country. Under q
moderate duty on our exports they
would continue to increase in proper
ton to the demands OF the people Of the
Islands. The bounty given by onr gov
eminent out Of the public. treasury
to Hawaiian planters has stimulated
very greatly the growth, population
and wealth in the Islands and it has
correspondingly enhanced the growth
of our export trade. But when it IS
seen by returns that we have RENTED
more than $23 .000, 900 of revenue since
the treaty went into effect, when our
exports for the same time amounted 70
that we had paid rather dearly for orl
bargain. The sum that we have paid
would have purchased our entire
exports, and is equivalent TO q
gift to the people of the Hawaiian
islands. This large bounty has gone
into the pockets of owners Of estates on
the Islanos. while our people
have been compelled to pay higher
for their free sugar on the Pa
cific slope than their kinsmen have
had to pay for their dutiable sugar on
the Atlantic seaboard.
The majority close their report with
the statement that they recommend the
adoption Of theresolution more readily
ton from negotiating for such modif-
cation of the existing treaty as will
more nearly equalize the benefits to be
derived by the two governments from
their commercial relations.
The report Of the minority. which !:
signed by Messrs. Breckenridge, oil
Kentucky, and Browne, Of Indiana
says:
The undersigned. regretting that
they are unable to unite either
in the recommendations. or the
report OF the majority, content
themselves by expressing theii
dissent from each. They are not pre-
pared to say that the treaty with the
mercially a good bargain. and-they
would be glad to see it modified. yet
there are geographical and inter
national reasons. which are conclusive
with them. that the treaty ought
not to be abrogated. They are
not willing to surrender any
advantage that may be given by that
treaty to this government to the pos
} sible future control of those relations.
These relations which this government
necessarily bears to the Pacific Ocean
and to the peoples bordering thereon,
or owning colonies in or upon said ocean
render them unwilling TO take any
steps that may weaken our position
or possibly strengthen that OF any Other
government. Ii may be that new and
vexations complications with European
and Asiatic nations may arise II the ques
ton Of relations to the control OF these