New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-13
HAWAIl'S RESOURCES LARGE.
COMMISSIONER TIiURSTON TELLS OF TIE
ISLANDS POSSIBILITIES.
ENTERPRISES. BOTH INDUSTRIAL AND A"Iil'
CULTURAL. THAT WOULD BE FOsTEEED
fey TELEGRAPH TO TIE TElBUSE.1

icy TELEGRAPH ~ iHt ihib'@''"i
Washington, Feb. 12.-Great and natural in
terest has been manifested in the eilects OIL
annexation upon certain features Of Iawaiis pres
cnt system Of government In discussing 'h''''
effects to-day, Mr.. Thuiston, the chairman oi ''e
Hawaiian commission, said
1T il well recognized at the Islands that an
nexation TO the United States means the end oil
the contract labor system. SO far as labnrfs
resident in the country concerned, II has been
practically dead letter for "A number OF years.
With few exceptions the only la5orcrs who have
recently worked under contract have been IN"
japanese who have come into the country under
contract 70 work for three years. The system Is
enc which has been dislikcd exceedingly by all
the planters and they would gladly have got rid
of il years ago if they had seen tier way cieaf
70 do 50, as free labor is much preferred. Inc
only reason that the contract system has been
continued is that the expense OF getting iapofeiS
from Honolulu TO Japan, about so each, has to
be advanced by the planter, and as the laborcr j.
q man of no responsibility there has bean no
method Of securing the return of the advance cN-
ccpt by making the contract penalty cniorclhle,
as without such contract the labOrrr would he
likely to leave the service of the planter who iai
made the advance within a week after his arrival.
What has pre-, cntcd planters from getting la
DOrorS without cOltTuct H'ltiuiOlV H"H wv" '''''
the Japanose Government has positively refused
10 allow any of its subjects To come 10 iiaWail
except under contract a treaty being in existence
between Hawaii and Japan by which every pos
siblc safeguard is provided for protection of the
Iaborcrs. Although nominaly this prohibition
still continues quite a number of free laboTrIs
have recently come from Japan at their own
eypersc The immigration has been continued for
so MANY ycirs now that do not anticipate there
is going 10 I've any serious difficulty in Getting
moro laborcrs if they are nnco essay, without tl"H
coming under contract after reai]lstmcHt has
been arrived at although undoubtedly one OF III"
immediate effects Of annexation will he TO ralS"
the price Of wages. caused by the impetus which
will he given to all business and the great demand
there will he for unskcd labor of every kind.
AS to Chinese coolies, with the exception OF
one lot Of 400 which was brought into the
country about eight years ago, there has been
no immigration of Chinese labor to the islands
since 1856. strict exclusion laws having been
passed in 1856 ard by subsequent Legislatures,
under which the number Of Chinese in the country
has been reduced from $4,000 in 1856 10 about
II, 900 now. With the exception Of portion
of the 400 Cinnamon just mentioned. none Of
the Chinese I'm the islands are cooli"s-that Is
TO say, none of them are under contract. The
question has been raised as to whether not
in case of annexation the Chirese At the island
will thereby obtain the privilege of coming e.
the United States. In reply TO this feel an
thorizcd 10 state that in ease a treaty If an
ncXation is NEGOTIATED, one of the conditions will
he that the Chinese shall no; he allowed by
virtue of the treaty 10 come to California"
Asked as to whether any international com
pications relating to contracts between Foreigners
on the islands and laborcrs might arise in car
of annexation, Mr.. Thurston said:
81 see no possible way in which any inter
national question could arise 10y reason Of any
claim for damages by subjects Of foreign conn
tries by reason Of abolition Of the contract system
Any person who is in the country is there sub
ject to its laws. and any amendment therein which
may I've legally made. No guarantee has bccn
given TO any other Government or the citizens
of any other Government that the Labor law or
any other law would remain unchanged any more
than the United States guaranteed that It's Tariff
law would remain the same prior TO the pas.ag"
IF the Mckinley bill so that. although in the
latter instance many people suffered enormous
losses by reason of the unexpected change in
tariff. no claim for damages accrued thereby
against the United States. Likewise NJ claim
for damages will accrue against either the
Hawaiian or United States Government by reason
Of any amendment or repeal Of any Hawaiian
law
In reply 10 the question as TO what Tie effect
Of the treaty upon the islands commercially viii
be, Mr.. Thurston said
Il would reply that think that il will civ"
such an impetus 10 industries in every direction
that within the next five wears every line Of
business there will he almost rcyolntioni2cd
Nv reasons for thinking so is that under the
reciprocity treaty of 1876 the only island "x-
ports Of any consequence which are admitted into
the United States free are sugar and rice. Under
the impetus given by that treaty the sugar bust
ness which up to that time had been languishing
and 1uctuating, increased from l2ooO tons III
1877 70 10000 tons in 1890. the export and
import trade increased from about S?,OOOOoO
in 1873 10 S20,O00, 900 III 1890. This enormous
increase OF business caused solely by the srchr
ing Of a free market for these two products.
| II has been achieved in spite Of, and not because
of. the Government under which it had To be
transacted Dy reason, more particularly during
tho last few years of the instability OF the Gov
orn,nont and the feeling Of insecurity, the natural
| ,miditv of capital has not only prevented foreign
| cani,al from coming into the country, but has
| actuallv driven away large amounts OF capitai
| already there The result has been that through
| lack Of capital for development OF the INTERNAL
r.sources coupled with high tarln on nearly all
other products besides rice and sugar, piacu"aliN
no development has taken place in any o'her line
- h,si,oss not even in thos, where there was
No duty charge in the United States
Without going exclusively into statement
q, the lines of business which will be developed,
I NAV say that one which will immediately feel
,be effects Of the treaty is railroad building
tberc being several lines which have Deem sur
veyed and already located through good pay
| inc districts, but which have been lett uhp"i''
through inability to obtain capital. Among Tue
| AGRICULTURAL industries which VIII iln'n'uia''iA
come 10 the front are the raising o. Il" N,''"S v,
tropical fruits more particularly p'h''Pp'', '"l
| the cultivation of coffee. Inc pineapple i."",''
hos aIreadv a GOOD start there being now pine
-, ,,.pt,tions within a radius of twelve miles
PIP .,o;r;uc hatyacn 800. 900 and