The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-11-20

in the States, did not inform himself re-
garding the Treaty, which is terlninable
upon twelve months notice being given.
and which notice he IS doing his utmost
to have given without delay His advice
to planters to use these three supposi-
tious years 10 advantage by negotiating
q treaty neutrality-suspicious. in Can
adds as silly az it certainly is mis-
chievous in its bearing upon our relations
With the United States.
Following is Mr. Armstrong; letter,
. which speaks for itself:
To the Editor Of the Times Sir. /
have read with much interest the able
article in The Times" Of September sd
regarding the Sandwich Isisnds arlrt s,qv-
! re rc,e1}7y 'IttIs1e5I noun 6ono.Jir,
am atIe, from figures collect ed there and
in san Francisco, to supplement up to the
sth of September, 1886, the important sta
tistics Of the sugar industry of the Islands,
which statistics you quote as relating to
the year 1885.
The imports OF Hawaiian sugar into San
Francisco, which is practically the only
existing market for this produce. during
the first eight months of this year
amounted to 96, 1872 tons. valued at 50 49,
081, and from the first to the 8th Of Sep
TENDER there were arrived and on the way
5000 tons, valued at $454, $50, making a
total import from January to the Sth of
Septem Der Of 1OI, 1872 tons, valued t 50 449,-
$50. This is the largest export of sugar
from the Hawaiian Islands that has ever
been recorded, and, although the season Is
practically over, there still remain some
hundreds of tons of sugar to be shipped
from the Islands, which will increase the
total export for the year to over 1O2, 900
tons, of value of 50, 4G9, O47.
Some estimate of the wonderful fertility
of the Sandwich or Hawaiian Islands may
be gathered from the fact that several
plantations yielded in the past crushing
season as much as six tons, and in a few
instances eight tons, of sugar per acre, and
this during a period of drought which has
been unexampled for the past 20 years
When it is remembered that one-third of
the value of the whole imports of San
Francisco comes from the Hawaiian King
dom, or nine times as much as is imported
from England and nearly ten times as
much as from France, the mercantile i'm
portance of the Islands to the United
States can be readily gagged, and this leads
me to refer to the mention made in the
article of September 23d of the probable
abrOgatiOn of the existing reciprocity
treaty between the countries.
L found during my stay in the Hawaiian
Islands that, so far from uneasiness being
felt as to the abrogatiOn of the treaty, the
spirit of independence breathed in Mr..
GibsOn's report is shared by the inhabi-
tants be they traders or planters; and the
confidence which the people have in the
capabilities of the country leads them to
receive calmly and without fear for the
future rumors of the abrogation OF a treaty
which, they maintain, has retarded the ex-
tension of their export trade. The con-
sideration by the United States Govern
ment of the renewal of the treaty with the
Hawaiian Kingdom is practically post
poned for three years, during which time
the terms of the expired treaty remain in
force, and this pOstpOnement of definite
action cannot fail to be of benefit to the
Hawaiian planters by giving them timely
warning that it may be advisable in their
own interests to make arrangements for
procuring from new markets terms as
favorable as those they have hitherto re
ceived from the United States.
In conclusion, 1 would only say that my"
personal experience bears out to the fullest
extent the opinions expressed in 1.-The
Times as to the advanced state of civiliza-
ton of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
l have the honor to remain, sir yours
obediently, H. r. ARMSTRONG.
3, Great Winchester street, London, f.
c., October 18th.