Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-19

ing both the commercial advantages of
such union and, what is of really more i'm
portance, its great strategic value as the
halfway house of the Pacific in the event
of war with any of the Pacific coast, South
American States, or countries of the Orient
A Railroad Taking q Band.
England needs the island as a market for
its colonies-British Columbia and Austria
liza, in addition to its superb strategic posi-
tion, and the Dominion Government, at the
instigation of the Canadian Pacific Rail-
road, has already made some wary over
lures looking toward union. The United
States need them not whit less now, and
when the Nicaragua Canal shall have been
finished, their need in the event of war will
be a crying one. 1t then may be too late to
secure them.
The Hawaiian Archipelago comprises
group of eight inhabited islands, Q, 600 miles
southwest of San Francisco They have an
area of 6, $50 square miles, being about
equal to Connecticut, Rhode Island and
Delaware combined, and having a popula-
tion twice that of the least populous State
of the Union, Nevada, and considerably
more than the last admitted State of Idaho.
The chief city is Honolulu, the capital,
with a population of $4,000. The govern
ment is at present limited constitutional
monarchy with form as to its royal branch
specifically like that of England, but with
q constitution modelled after that of the
United States Executive power is vested
in four Ministers appointed by the SOW
ereign. The Legislature consists of two
bodies of "a members each, the Upper House
being composed of mobiles who are elected
by voters having an annual income of 5000,
and who are able to read and write. The
electors of the Lower House must be able
TO read and write, and pay at least S. an
nually in taxes.
Valuable for Its Commerce.
The value of imports during the year 1890
was nearly s., ,000 900, the exports for the
same period were valued at S13, ,2S2, 900,
making a total foreign commerce of over
S20, ,O0O, coo, or S225 for each inhabitant,
larger per capita than that of any other
country on earth. Over 80 per cent of this
trade was done with the United States, and
73 per cent of the carrying trade was done
by American ships. The principal in
dustry is the growth and manufacture of
sugar. The amount of capital invested in
sugar plantations is over $33 000, ,000 of
which about S25, 000, 900 belongs to Ameri-
cans, the balance being held by the British,
Germans and other nationalities The
other industries of the islands are the culti-
walton Of rice, coffee, bananas, pineapples
and live stock. The coffee is the finest on
earth, and the industry, though compare
lively undeveloped, is rapidly attracting
capital and promises to become second only
TO sugar.
The finances of the present government
are in healthy condition. 1t must be re-
membered, also that the state of industrial
development corresponds very closely with
that of our newer States, and the present is
but a tithe of the possibilities O. the future.
There are two causes which have led up to
the strong annexation sentiment of the
dominant classes aside from the reasons OF
sentiment and natural fitness. The islands
are now laboring under severe commercial
depression owing to the adverse workings
of the sugar clause of the present tariff law.
Mckinley and Annexation.
Before the enactment of the Mckinley
bill Hawaiian sugar was admitted duty free
under reciprocity treaty. They were then
on the same basis as Louisiana planters.
The duty of 2 cents per pound against West
India's product represented the Hawaii and
Louisiana margin Of profit. The removal of
this and the granting of the compensating
bounty to Louisiana planters left the
Hawaiians out in the cold. Except In
favored spots, sugar can no longer be raised
on the islands except at a loss. Four-ffths
of the owners of sugar plantation stocks are
Americans, mostly residing in the United
States, who want annexation and the same
terms OF protection that are granted their
Louisiana brethren. That is the first reason.
The second is that continual talk of revolu-
tion has impaired the credit of the country
TO the extent that its bonds rank with those
Of the turbulent South American Republics
in European markets in the face of con-
tinued and substantial peace. This exists
not through the efforts Of the Government,