Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-04-30
HAWAIIAN TREATY.
The Reports ON the Resolution Re-
commencing Abrogation.

WASHINGTON, April 2oth The re-
port Of the majority of the House
Ways and Means Committee on the
resolution to terminate the Hawaiian
Treaty begins with the statement that
the object of the treaty was to secure
closer commercial and political rela-
tions with the Government Of the Ha-
waiian Islands. The report makes a
comparison of the present with the
past commercial relations between the
two Governments, and says that it is
apparent from this that our exports
have not grown as fast as was antici-
pated by the friends of the treaty when
it was before Congress for adoption.
Instead Of increasing relatively faster
than the imports they have relatively
decreased. Of the entire trade for the
last fiscal year 76 per cent. represented
our imports from the Islands and "a
per cent. our exports to them, while in
1884 the relative values we're: I'm
ports, 81 per cent, and exports, 80 per
cent 1t was claimed for the treaty,
when it was pending in Congress in
1876, that it would greatly stimulate
onr exports of lumber, food product
and manufactures, but these predic-
tions do not seem to have been fully
realized. During the last fiscal year
we imported from the Hawaiian
Islands articles amounting to $685.
4o7, of which the value of sugar
was $8,2oo, 1913, while for the same
year we exported to them articles
amounting to $a,7o9573. The bal
ance 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 Ger
many Our aggregate export trade to
the Islands reached the highest point
in 1883, and has since that time been
falling off The exports of animals
and manufactures of IRON and steel
reached their highest point in 1882,
cotton goods and hemp in 1883, provi-
sions and lumber in 1884, and bread
stuffs in 1885.
THE PRICE OF SUGAR.
The argument that the treaty would
reduce the price of sugar on the Paci-
fc Coast has not been proven true.
At the time of the passage of the
treaty sugar was as cheap in San Fran
cisco as in New York, but it has been
dearer ever since, notwithstanding that
New York sugar paid duty and San
Francisco sugar was admitted duty
free 1t must be evident, the report
says, that we have gained nothing com
mercially by the treaty. The articles
imported from the United States will
continue to be imported whether the
treaty be abrogated or not, for the rea
son that no other country can supply
them as cheaply If the Hawaiian
Islands should make the articles sent
them by 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 impediment to the United States.
1t would only be a light tax i'm
posed upon their home consumers
They cannot afford to put prohibitory
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 con
tinue 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 Ha-
waiian planters has stimulated very
greatly the growth OF population and
wealth in the Islands, and it has
corespondingly enhanced the growth
of our export trade. But when it is
seen by the returns that we have re-
mitted more than $a3,ooo,ooo Of
revenue since the treaty went into ef-
feet when our exports for the same
time amount to a little over $2a,ooo,-
ooo-it would seem that we had paid
rather dearly TOR our bargain. The
sum that We have paid could have
purchased our entire exports and is