The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-02-23
T III Il
THE YEARS TRADE.

We are gratified in calling attention TO |
the very clear and instructive report |
upon the past years foreign trade, sub
mitted to the Minister of Finance by !
Hon. Colonel Iaukea, Collector General |
of Customs. Nearly every point is
covered by this report, which exhibits |
great care in its preparation and an in
telligent apprehension of the require
ments of such public document. The
report of the Collector General of Gus
toms is no longer mere introduction to |
an incomplete and RECONSTRUCTED set of
tables, but an elaborate analysis of the
foreign trade of the Kingdom, illustrated
by tables more or less comprehensive
and not a few of them entirely new.
The comparative element in the tables
accompanying the report is one of it's
best features. These tables are enumer+
ated in the report, and careful exam
nation of them warrants us making
these remarks.
The expansion of our foreign trade is
contingent upon the development of our
agricultural resources. Sugar is the
leading product, and the output of the
crop of 1884, which was marketed last
year, could not but be satisfactory. The
value Of the sugar export was $8,356,061
out of total export value of $9,069, $40.
This statement alone shows the immense
importance of the sugar industry to the
country. Anything which injuriously
affects it must seriously interfere with
every other interest. 1t is therefore with
satisfaction that we recognize the efforts
made by the Government to introduce
labor that viii not only be Immediately
effective, but will also help to build up
the country by the natural increase of an
industrial population.
The decline in the rice export is no
doubt accounted for by the increased
local demand, consequent upon the
accession of large body of Chinese and
Japs, and to the fact also that local mills
prepare the Island rice for home con-
sumption. But there is wide room for
expansion in this direction, and we an
ticipate that many hundreds of acres Of
land suit. BILE for rice growing will ere
long be brought under cultivation. ThesS
is an open market for all our SUE 5i,s rice
on the Coast. -..zSA'
.ee does not figure as an export to
IN considerable extent, and yet we
think that this crop should be grown
more extensively. There are sections OF
the country adapted for coffee which is
hardly fitted for anything else, and we
are certain that the returns would justify
the labor and outlay in raising it.
The fact that bananas stand fourth or
the list of exports is suggestive
At present we are simply sup
plvino the San Francisco market
hut there is nothing to hinder arrange
ments being made for shipments t.
points east of the Bay city, and ever
across the Rocky mountains. A little
business enterprise and perseverance
would remove every difficulty and create
an almost exhaustless demand for thi
kind of fruit. And these remarks apPl.
equally to every other variety OF frui
that can be raised here. The truth is
that with the exception OF sugar, ric
and bananas, we have taken no advan
tage of the special favors conferred uPol
these Islands by the Reciprocity Treaty
Instead OF utilizing it to the utmost tn
effort seems to have been to see how lit
tie use might be made OF it. And W
have succeeded fairly well in doing tn
least good to ourselves with our exceP
tional advantages.
1t should be mentioned, in reference
the export tables, that no account ha
been taken in the present returns OF SUP
plies to shipping We think this was
proper discrimination to make. Tn
amount in the aggregate was small, nc
exceeding 50 800, and it was an elemen
of uncertainty in the accounting for ez
ports by countries.
T,xr Can FranciscO EfCTrOcer and COuu