The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1886-04-13
AFriend to the Treaty.

The Springfield Republican argues the Treaty
cause IN pretty lively manner, and shuts up Mr..
John Z Searles, Jr., in very neat way. under the
heading " Wanted-more chances TO lose revenue
1t saws:
The annual attack is being made on the Ha-
walian treaty, the ground being the old and famil
iar one thst the United States have lost" vast
sum IN duties, which would have been collected on
the sugars imported but for the treaty The
answer Is atsO familar-namely, that if the duties
had been collected the sugars would not have been
imported moreover, they would not have been
grown on the islands. They would not have paid
freight to American shipping and the Hawaiian
sugar interest would not have become substantially
an American possession.
There is always a substantial fallacy involved in
talking about a tax being lost which has never
been paid if il is waived in a voluntary and legi-
mate way. such tax, 50 far from being lost, :"
Is saved 70 the people to whom it is remitted In
the United States tremendous tax Is placed on
imported sugar, which affords nine .tenths of our
whole supply. This burden is such that for every
dollars worth of sugar imported, an average tar
of Is cents was paid last year. John E. Searles
Jr, who has Just been TO the Sandwich islands for
tue treasury department, reports that since the
treaty vent into operation nine wears ago the
custom house has noted the expectations to those
Islands of American goods TO the value of S22-
$1,000, and has reunited duties amounting to $22
$1,000. In other words" says the astute Searies,
" II We had made ths Islands q present of every
dollars worth Of goods thsy bought from this
country and collected duties on their sugars we
should have made 10 loss"
Searles has the old mercantile idea of the last
century that country gains only by what it sells
Inc fact is, that we entered into reciprocity with
the Sandwich islands, not because we expected TO
sell vast amount of products to a small commu
nifty of Pacific islanders and Chinese but because
we did expect to develop certain industries in
those islands and import their products cheap
This policy has been imminently successful One
does not need to go there 10 establish this fact
and If Mr.. Searle had consulted one OF the latest
common publications of the treasury departmeut
be would have seen that since 1876 our Imports
from the islands have risen from 81 $1,000 to S.
$4,000 In short, our imports of Hawaiian pro-
ducts have amounted TO over Sol .OOOOOO in nine
years, nearly all Of which has afforded euuloy-
ment 10 American ships and saloIs. In fact this
Is the only quarter Of the world that the American
marine holds IFS own. Moreover the amount of
exports from this country to the Hawaiian islands
Is not to be despised, having nearly quadrupled in
the same period, the increase being from S769OOO
in ls76 to S2,TSI0oO in 1855 This last named sum
exceeds our exports to all the Central Ameriran
states, to Austria, TO Greece, to Chilli 10 Peru. 10
NeneZnela, and to some other countries
1t would be happy thing for American manu-
faciures and commerce If We could Z" lose some
more revenue on as favorable terms as We have
81 lost " that which have never been collected on
Sandwich island products. n
Before the Hawaiian treaty was negotiated there
had been complaint that the Pacific refinery had a
monopoly Of the sugar business on the coast ana
had an arrangement with the Central Pacific by
which the latter kept up she rate on eastern sucars
and prevented competition. The same arrange
ment continued for some years under the treaty. |
but since has been abandoned by the railroad and
now rival refinery with SI.5O0OO0 caIitai has
been started Ii is claimed that sugar has fallen
three cents pound at san Francisco in conse. |
quenee. At all events, California opinion. while
much irritated by the course of the Spreckels |
monopoly, Is heavily IN favor of the treaty Ii Is
said that Morrison Is opposed to the treaty which
would be about be about on par with his usual |
Judgment In viewing practical questions While
the Spreckels monopoly has been an unfortunate
feature OF the situation 1t has not been entirely an
evil, for Spreckels and others have invested great
and prontable plant IL sugar-farmng in ships aud
sugar rehneries. These results were IN the main
what the treaty was intended to secure, and II |
would be petty and short-sighted policy to throw
the treaty. overheard .