The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-07-15
The Honolulu Almanac and Direc.

tory.
The "Honolulu Almanac" for 1886
contains some interesting information,
based on official reports, as to the pres
ent state of the Hawaiian Kingdom. BY
the last census, taken in 1884, the pOpu-
lation numbered S0,578, of whom Al ,232
were native Hawaiians, or half-castes,
nearly half the remainder being Chinese.
OF the foreign nationalities, the POrtu-
guese come next to the Chinese in num-
bers. In 1928, or 63 years ago, the pop
ulation, mainly comprised of Hawaiian
natives, was estimated at 142, $50; but it
gradually decreased down to 81, 1897 in
1872 The last two census enumerations
have shown an upward tendency, but
the increase has been caused by immi-
grafton. The decrease in the native
population is accounted for partly by
leprosy, but is chiefly due to the dispro-
portion of the sexes, the excess of males
over females being nearly two to one.
A large proportion of the revenue Is de-
voted to the introduction of immigrants
under the auspices of the Bureau of I'm
migration, 9,415 Portuguese, 1907
South Sea Islanders and ,92l Japanese,
or Is, O43 in all. Japanese immigration
was only inaugurated last year. Chi
nese immigration is discouraged. With
regard to trade, this group Of Polynesian
islands has cast in its lot with the
United States of America. Between the
two countries there is a reciprocity treaty,
under which they receive, free of duty,
each others products, or, at all events,
a great number of them. For instance,
agricultural implements, animals, bread
stuffs, boots and shoes, dairy products,
machinery of all kinds, oats, and tobacco
in the leaf or manufactured, are, when
of American growth or manufacture, adj
mitted free into Hawaii; but, coming
from elsewhere, a number of imports,
free under that treaty, would be subject
to ad valorem duties of from 10 to Is per
cent. The Hawaiian trade is by no
means to be despised. During the four
years 1904, the average annual value
of the imports into the Kingdom was
e9S9, 612, and of the exports FL, 159, 1873.
During the first nine months of 1878, the
value of the exports was 81 500, O23, CT
G127 900 more than in the corresponding
period of 1884 The list of exports COM
prises, inter ALA, sugar, molasses, rice,
bananas, hides and wool OF the ex-
ports, sugar is by far the most important,
representing about six-sevenths of the
total amount. There is public debt OF
G217, 400, over half OF which has been
expended in the introduction of immi-
grants. 1t was estimated that the total
revenue for 1885 would be about $780,
900, of which a little more than half
is received through the Customs
Department, the remainder being de-
rived from direct taxes. Latterly bust
ness has been depressed, chiefly owing
to the fall in sugar, but the country has
evidently a great future before it. Its
history conveys a lesson to Australians.
America has, so to speak, euchred Aus
tralasia in connection with this Polyne-
sian State. If any other present or fu-
ture autonomous group OF islands in the
Pacific enters into a reciprocity treaty,
it is to be hoped that the other party to
it will be situated on this side OF the
OCEAN Melbourne argus