The Hawaiian gazette., 1892-01-05

FINANCE; and W. a. WnltlnS, dt-
torney General. His Excellency the
Minister Of Finance was obliged by
ill-health to resign his portfolio six
months later. when he was succeeded
by the Hon. J. Mott Smith, the other
Ministers still remain in their respec-
tive posts.
Unquestionsbly the most import
ant event, commercially, of the year
was the taking effect on the first of
April Of the Mckinley Tariff Act in
the United States, which by remov-
ing the duties from the produce OF
all sugar growing countries, destroy
ed at blow the advantages, hitherto
exceptional, enjoyed by Hawaiian
planters. Every nerve was strained
throughout the Islands to hurry for
ward the first grinding OF tine year,
that the old prices might be realized
before the fatal LIST. An unprece-
dented quantity Of sugar was sent to
San Francisco during the first three
months of the year, three English
steamers taking in one week $4,000
tons, while the export for the quar-
ter amounted up to $4,000 tons.
The effect of this new tariff though
stripping Hawaii of something like
two fifths Of the benefits conferred
by the Reciprocity Treaty, has not
deferred some Of our most energetic
citizens from embsrking in new un-
dertakings, some on scale of almost
unprecedented magnitude. The first
of these to be completed is the Eva
Plantation on this island. Thanks to
the facilities offered by the Oahu
Railway & Land Co., already HOO
acres of cane are planted, of which
$50 are to be taken off this season,
with prospect of 1900 or more for
the next crop. The plantation COM
pany have the advantages Of virgin
soil of unsurpassed richness. They
have supplied themselves with arte-
sian wells and reservoirs which
assure them of q practically un-
limited supply Of water, the most
complete diffusion plant ever erected
in this country, and the railway will
take their produce from the mill to
the ship without re handling.
On still larger scale is the great
plantation of Msksweli, in Kauai.
This is not yet advanced to compile
ton, except as to its water supply,
but blowing, planting. building and
rail laying are being pushed for.
ward.
Another important undertaking al
ready beginning to bear fruit is the
new hotel on the brink Of the great
active crater of Kilsues. Here, in a
delightful and health giving climate,
the traveller may, with all the COM
forts and conveniences of a first
class house, contemplate from the
windows. or, descending into the
crater itself, view the most wonder
full scene OF volcanic action to be
found in the world.
The Oahu Railway, under liberal
and enlightened management, has
proved a boon to the citizens OF
Honolulu and to the inhabitants of
these islands in general. The sales
of building lots on the site of the
soon-to-be Pearl City have realized
good prices, and especially on the
beautiful peninsula, which juts out
into the still, deep waters of Pearl
Harbor. The ground has been eager
ly bought up and building operations
commenced
In the city of Honolulu several
high-clsss business buildings have
been completed and occupied, nota-
bly, on the Robinson property, on
Hotel street, and the Brewer and the
Cummins lots, on Fort street. The
widening of the Waikiki bridge, now
nearing completion, will render &C.
cess to the park and to the numerous
beautiful seaside residences OF Wal
kiki at once more safe and facile,
and will doubtless lead to the build
| ing Of many more such villas and
the laying out of lovely gardens.
Besides the large blocks named
above there are a number of pretty
residences in and about the city.
Somewhere near q hundred have
sprung up, most of them with some
pretence to an artistic exterior. The
construction and opening Of the
Punchbowl road and the new dis
trict in the direction of Mt. Tsntalus
have given great impetus to this
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