The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-04-30
TIE HAWAIIAN TREATY.
AbrogRtIOn Recommended by the ways
and Means COMMITTEES.

and Means Committee.
Mills, of Texas, reported joint resolu-
| ton to the House from the Committee on
Ways and Means, to give notice to the
| Hawaiian Government to terminate the con-
vention of June 3rd, 1875. As the Com
mittee on Ways and Means has the right of
way at all times, it is believed that this
resolution will be brought up at an early
| day for action. The report accompanying
J the resolution, which was agreed to by all
! the members of the committee but two. be-
! gins with the statement that the object of
| the treaty was to secure closer commercial
| and political relations with the Government
| of the Hawaiian Islands The report
| makes a comparison of the present with the
! past commercial relations between the two
Governments, and says
at is apparent from this that our ex
ports have not grown as fast as was antici-
pated by the friends of this treaty when il
was before Congress for adoption Instead
of increasing relatively faster than the i'm
ports, they have been relatively decreased.
OF the entire trade for the last fiscal wear.
20 per cent represented our imports from
the islands, and "a per cent our exports to
them, while in 1894 the relative values were
imports 81 per cent and exports 80 per cent.
1t was claimed for this treaty when il was
pending IN Congress in 1876 that it would
greatly stimulate our exports of lumber.
food produce and manufactures. but these
predictions do not seem to have been fully
realized.
During the last fiscal year we imported
from the Hawaiian Islands articles amount
ing to So, 1897, 497, Of which the value of
sugar was So, 207, 1913, while for the same
year we exported to them articles amount.
ing to $2,7O9,573. The balance of this
trade we pay in money to the planters on
the Islands, some of whom reside in the
United States, some in England and some
IN Germany. Our aggregate export trade
to the Islands reached the highest point in
1883, and has since that time been falling
of. The exports of animals and manufac-
lures OF iron and steel reached their highest
point IN 1882, OF cotton goods and hemp in
1888, of provisions and lumber in 1884 and
of breadstuffs in 1885. Argument that the
would reduce the price of sugar on the
Pacific Coast has not been proven true. At
the time of the passage of the treaty sugar
was as cheap in San Francisco as in New
York, but it has been dearer ever since.
Notwithstanding New York sugar has paid
duty and San Francisco sugar has been
admitted free of duty
1t must be evident the report con.
tinues, "that we have gained nothing COM
mercially by the treaty The articles i'm.
ported from the United States will continue
to be imported whether the treaty be abro-
gated or not, for the reason that no other
country can supply them as cheaply. If
the Hawaiian Islands should make the arti-
Giles sent them 10y the United States subject
to the duty paid by the same articles i'm
ported from other countries, which is about
10 per cent, that would be no impeachment
to the United States 1t would only be a
light tax imposed upon their home con-
sumers. They cannot afford to put a pro-
hlbitory duty on articles so necessary to
them, and which they cannot produce at
home, and cannot so advantageously obtain
from any other country. Under moderate
duty our exports would continue to increase
in proportion to the demands of the people
of the Islands.
The bounty given by our Government
out of the public treasury to the Hawaiian
planters. has stimulated very greatly the
growth of population and wealth in the
islands, and 1t has correspondence enhanc-
ed the growth of our export trade, but when
1T is seen by the returns that we have re-
mitted more than $23, 0OO, 900 of revenue
since the treaty went into effect-when our
exports for the same time amounted to lit
tie over $4,000, 000--it would seem that we
had paid rather dearly for our bargain.
The sum that we have paid could have pur-
chased our entire exports, and is equivalent
to gift to the people of the Hawaiian
Islands. This large bounty has gone into
the pockets of the owners of estates on the
islands, while our people have been COM
PEELED to pay for their dutiable sugar on
the Atlantic seaboard.''
The majority close their report with the
statement thrt they recommend the adop-
ton of the resolution the more readily that
it does not prevent the Administration from
negotiating for such modification of the
existing treaty as will more nearly equalize
the benefits to be derived by the two Gov
ernments from their commercial relations.
The report of the minority, which is
signed by Messrs. Breckenridge kentucky
and Browne of Indiana, says: '"The under
signed, regretting that they are unable to
unite either in the recommendations or re-
port of the majority, content themselves by
expressing their dissent from each. They
are not prepared to say that the treaty with
the King of the Hawaiian islands is COM
mercially good bargain, and they would
be glad to see it modified. Yet there are
geographical and international reasons
which are conclusive with them that the
treaty ought not to be abrogated. They are
not willing to surrender any advantage that
may be given by that treaty to this Govern
ment to the possible future control of those
islands. The relation which this Govern
ment necessarily bears to the Pacific Ocean
and to the people bordering thereon or
owning colonies in or upon said ocean rem
ders them unwilling to take any steps that
may weaken our position or possibly
strengthen that of any other Government.
1t may be that new and various complica-
tons with European and Asiatic nations
may arise if the question of the relations
to and control of those islands be reopened,
and they are willing at present to have it
reopened.'
IRELANDS INTERESTS.