The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-04-05

endu IHc idCo Ina1 ~ TelueTeu pOSSl-
BILE such an unequal contest, which
was in the nature of blow at one
of the most important of industries,
and likewise menace to one of the
largest sources of revenue to the
Government. Certainly the con-
sumers of sugar derive no direct
benefit from the operation of this
treaty, for, Notwithstanding that the
bulk of the raw material worked up
on the Pacific coast pays no duty,
the market price of refined sugar is
uniformly above this market, and
yet the cost of manufacture there is
no greater than it is here.
The San Francisco Merchant has
another able article, showing that
the commercial interests of Cali
fornia are entirely with the treaty,
and that the opposition to it is
dictated by Eastern monopolists
who desire to control the trade of
the Pacific Coast as well as that of
the rest of the country.
A Washington despatch Of March
10 gives an account of the matter
before the Ways and Means Com
mittee, as follows:-
The Committee on Ways and
Means took up the Hawaiian Recip-
rocity Treaty this morning for con-
sideration. Mills of Texas read the
report of the subcommittee, which
took strong ground in favor of the
resolution to abrogate the treaty.
He reviewed the discussion of 1876,
when the treaty was under consider
alton. He stated that the argu-
ments in favor of the adoption of
the treaty at that time were, first,
that it would stimulate exports from
this country to the islands and thus
greatly help our trade, and, Sec
ondly, that it would give this country
a political advantage over other
countries with reference to the
islands.
The report states that for the six
years previous to the adoption of
the treaty 65 per cent. of the trade
between this country and the islands
consisted of imports and 35 per
cent. of exports. For the nine years
from 1877 to 1885, inclusive, the
imports were 60 per cent. and the
exports were 81 per cent. 1t is
apparent from this statement that
our side of the trade has not grown
so fast as was anticipated by the
friends Of the measure when it was
before Congress for adoption. The
exports relatively have steadily de-
creased, and for the last fiscal year
ending June 80, 1885, the trade
stands still worse against the United
States, the imports being 76 per
cent. of the trade and the exports "a
per cent. This enormous balance of
trade against us is paid by this
country in money to the sugar
planters, some of whom live on the
islands and others in the United
States, England and Germany.
The claim was made, the report
adds, by friends of the treaty in
1875 that the people on the Pacific
Coast would get their sugar cheaper
under it. For a number of years
before the treaty the price of granu-
lated sugar was practically the same
in New York and San Francisco,
but since the treaty was made, in
stead of being cheaper in San Fran
cisco, as predicted, it has been from
| to 2 cents higher. 1t is evident,
the report says, that we gain nothing
commercially from the treaty. The
articles which the islands import
from us they will continue to import
whether the treaty is abrogated Or
continued. They cannot obtain
lumber, cattle and breadstuffs SC
cheap in England as they can in
this country, and they will continue
to buy in the cheapest market. They
cannot afford to put prohibitory
duty on such necessary articles
which they cannot produce. The
bounty given by our Government
out of the public Treasury of the
Hawaiian sugar producers has stimu
lated very greatly the growth o.
population and wealth in the islands
and of course has stimulated con
siderably our export trade; bu
when we see by the returns that W.
have remitted revenues amounting
to more than S22, 100000 since tn,
treaty went into effect, while oul
exports for the same time amount t,
about the same sum, it would seen
that we had paid rather dearly fol
our bargain.
The report further says that mucl
stress was laid on the argument o
1876 that this country would gail
much under the treaty in the even
of war between this country and an,
European or Asiatic power. 1t wa
then claimed that we would have tn