The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-07-31


the Stars and Stripes are seen more fire.
quently than the flags OF OF her nations.
That port is Honolulu.
There is to be found the extraordinary
spectacle extraordinary in these days, |
mean when Old Glory is flying from the
peaks of more ships in the harbor than
it is in any other port OF the world. 1t
is the one foreign spot where our tlag is
not belittled into insignifcance and
where the Yankee sailor can go ashore
without being crowded into Il corner by
the superintendent tars of other nations.
hailed the star-spangled banner
when | went to Honolulu, because it
took me back to my boyhood days
when | went to foreign ports and saw in
the ports Of Liverpool, Havre, Bremen,
and other European ports the old Stars
and Stripes waving at the peak of our
vessels there, transporting the COM
merce of the world. But that is in the
past. England has superseded us and
she stands ready to do so to-day in the
Hawaiian Islands, and would have done
so, in my opinion, if it had not been for
the wise commercial treaty that was
made with these Islands; and / will
demonstrate by figures that it has been
to our advantage.
Mr.. President, the Hawaiian Annual,
published in Honolulu, of unquestion-
able statistical authority, states that the
total tonnage of vessels which entered
the Hawaiian Islands during the cal
endar year 1891 was 2Si, 155 to- of
which 224 vessels, of 1913 1g1 tons car
ried the American flag; 81 vessels of
"a ,36l tons carried the British flag, and
the balance was distributed among
other nations.
There seems to be proneness to for
get or at any rate to overlook the fact
that in the comfy of nations mutual
commercial integrity should hold first
place. When we made the treaty.
with the Hawaiian Islands it was be-
cause of our then appreciation OF the
advantages that would accrue to us from
more intimate and friendly relations
with these islands.
As | understand it, in the original
treaty and in the amendments thereto
we were not actuated by any philan-
thropic impulse; we were not granting a
boon to Il beggar; the proceedings were
carried out on the basis OF reciprocity
we got what we asked for, and did not
scruple to press our claims. 1t was a
clear case OF quid pro quo. The treaty
was formed with the plain understands
ing that it was to be to the mutual bene'
fit OF both nations. Nor has this an.
ticipation mscarried.
1t has been the custom to say, and il
has been repeated here to-day by the
Senator from Nebraska and the Senator
from South Dakota and others, that in
our so-called reciprocal trade with the
Hawaiian Islands it has been mostly
take with very little give, or rather that
we have added to our stock OF purchased
material without correspOndingly dis
posing OF our home products; but, like
many other things which it has been the
custom to say, the facts do not altogetheI
bear out the assertion. Taking the com
merCc OF the Hawaiian Islands with thi
country by periods Of nine years, we Sc,
a very remarkable condition of things.
We see that in the nine years imme-
diately preceding the treaty year-that
is, from 1867 to 1875, inclusive-the
exports from this country to the
Islands were valued at 6,732, 40, Will,
the imports to this country from the
Islands We're valued at $l0,626, 44O. II
the next nine years-that is, from 1877
to 1884 inclusive-our exports to the
Islands were valued at S2l ,66S, O63
while our imports from there wer'
: valued at $43,Sl3, 94S. In the mex
nine years a still more wonderful in
l crease is shown, and from 1884 to 1898
; inclusive, our exports to the Island
were of value of $50, 49l ,433, whil
: their exports to us amounted to 800,
925 ,552.
5 1t is true that during the twenty
seven years, whose figures | have jus
quoted, the Islands took from thi
country goods amounting in value t.
$60, S9l ,675, while they found a marke
in our country for goods valued a
$3.50 1855 $40. There is undoubtedly
4 Al & L..
they sent us and what we sent them
} but this discrepancy is due entirely t
the laws OF supply and demand. Flo
while it is true that their exports t
this country have risen from an averag
l annual amount OF 81 $50, 7l6 in the ante
treaty days to a present average annua
5 amount OF $lO,65S, 1876, it is also tru
that our exports to the Islands hav
: risen from an annual average of $74S, 02
? to an annual average of $3.50, l59.
j That the increase of our exports t
the Hawaiian Islands does not kee
pace with the increase of our import
form the Hawaiian Islands is due t.
this simple fact: That in the one cas-
the purchasers number s., 900, 600, Will
in the other case the purchasers mum
Der 80, l60. 1t almost seems to M
shabby to talk of the Hawaiian Island
: having the best of the bargain. | cal
not help quoting here an eX
tremely pertinent and valuable state
ment to which | call the special atten
ton of those Senators who look upol
this treaty as such a bad bargain, beinl
all as they claim upon one side.
That while the total value of all i'm
ports from every where into the Hawa
iian Islands during the calendar yea
1892, as reported in their Statistical
statement, was $7,439, 4s3, of thi
amount $5994, $40, came from tn