The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1895-10-22
COLLECTOR GENERALS REPORT.

year ending December 81, 1894
presents interesting, and, indeed
startling figures regarding the trad
OF these islands. 1t may be said
generally, that no country exhibit
such general prosperity, and nearl,
all countries, not excepting Grea
Britain, fall below il in apparen
prosperity.
The total imports of goods amour
TO S5,l04, 4Sl.4S, while the export,
amount TO S9,l40,794.56, leaving s
balance of trade" in our favor o
$4,036.Sl313. What becomes o
this vast, for us, balance of trade
1t does not come 10 us in coin, fol-
our imports of coin amounted &c
only $60S,000. Who gets it ? All
our machinery, provisions, dry
goods, and other articles of con-
sumption are paid for, and there is
this balance left over. 1t amounts
to ) per cent. on SS0,OOO,000, or 10
per cent. on 100000. Some of
it is paid out to the holdes of pri-
vate and public securities. Some of
it is invested by those to whom it
is credited, in foreign securities.
What becomes Of it?
1t may be claimed that this was
the national profit of the year 1894.
But a mere balance of trade is not
the exact profit. There would be
profit here if we had no trade, if we
only traded among ourselves. There
were great profits" in Japan when
that country was barricaded against
foreign commerce.
Taking the total inhabitants of
the islands at 100000, which is
above the correct number, it APP
pears that the imports amount to
$50 per head. If the people OF
the United States were to
import at the same rate, the value
OF the imports would reach annu-
ally the sum OF S3,250,OO0,OOO,
while as a matter of fact in 1894
they only reached S654,944,622.
If the people of the United States
were to export at the same rate as
the Hawaiian people export, which
is S91 per head, the total foreign
exports Of the United States would
reach s5,915,OOO,OOO. Such figures
would be startling. The actual
OF the United States for the
year 1894 were valued at 1855, 204,-
937, or about $13 per head OF the
The people of these ISL
inds have, therefore, an apparent
balance OF over 100000, appear
ng in the balance OF trade" which |
5 balance greater in proportion
han that which any mercantile
nation of the world has. This |
must be reduced, however, by vari-
,us payments made to the foreign
account, but of which we can find
10 official returns, important as
hey are.
The par value of the stock of our
sugar companies is $27,964, go.
This with the value of the unincor-
1orated. cane planting companies.
nay amount to 100000. An !
average dividend of 6 per cent. on
he entire amount, less the S1O.-
100000 Of stock of the Hawaiian
commercial Company, would re-
luire 100000. There still re-
mains, if these dividends were sent
broad a credit to the islands of
2, $4,000. Out OF this. freight.
insurance and money RENTED to
ther countries must be deducted.
luch OF the money RENTED to
nina and Japan by the merchants
nd laborers Is RENTED by drafts
n this balance, but We can find no
ecord OF it. Probably a sum
pproaching half a million is an
ually expended by our people in
raveling. t
The figures show a strong ten
ency to send money out of the l
which does not look well
II our own prosperity If the isl Z
nds are TO become simply a source q
revenue to absentees, they are
ldeed on the downward grade, and 9
would finally involve CONNER
al and moral decadence. A close '