The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-01

should annexation not be obtained,
and the products of these Islands dis
eliminated against, the merchants of
the Pacific slope, especially, would
lose.
At the close of 1895 il was found that
the total trade between the United
States and the Hawaiian Islands was
little over $l2,900,000. In the year 1896
the total trade of the Islands amount
ed to $22,679,70t.53. Of this amount
$2O,924, 306.35 was transacted with the
Pacific and Atlantic ports. This is
1926 per cent of the whole trade of the
Islands. Last year the United States
got 81 per ceI t.
Another view TO look at the COM
mercial matter is the shipping. The
custom house report says "of the total
value of exports and imports for 1896,
$1S,717, 543.S5, or 1888 per cent of the
whole was carried in American bot
toms; $1,797 $4,000 in British vessels,
or 1893 per cent" Hawaiian vessels,
which, under anneXation,w would become
American vessels, carried 5.26 per cent,
2.9S per cent were carried in German
bottoms and the remaining 100 per
cent, was carried by other nations.
This is dealing with the matter from
the point of the commercial value of
cargo.
Taking the question of tonnage, it
will be found that 1856 vessels entered
the various ports of the Islands and
373 cleared. OF those entering PAT were
American, or 60 per cent of the whole,
but if we add 20 Hawaiian ships which
entered and which under annexation
would come under the Amer can flag,
the percentage would be much higher
Of British ships, So ships entered and
many of these were under charter to
american firms or American Steam
ship Companies" The same story is
true of the vessels cleared. American
vessels clearing, 243, British SO, Ha-
waiian 26, and only 10 of all other
nationalities.
Take actual tonnage again, 51.04 per
cent is American, 1868 British and 524
Hawaiian, entering, while 51.21 per
cent is American, 1898 per cent Brit
ish and $50 per cent Hawaiian, clear
ing.
From whatever point of view the
commerce of these Islands is reached
it is evidently of great advantage to a
large number of the citizens of the
United States and large number
would feel great diminution in their
yearly returns were anything to divert
the trade of the islands or ruin the
planters and destroy the products.
Moreover there is nothing the cit
liens of the United States desire so
much as the increase of their mercan-
tile marine, and The Star will venture
to say there are no set of ports in the
world where, for their size and the
business done, where there is so over
whelming a proportion of American
ships entered and cleared.
Another point which The Star has
not seen made is this. The exports
of the islands are all raw material.
Therefore besides employing large
numbers of Americans, and a large
amount of American capital here, and
chartering hundreds of thousands of
tons of American vessels, and consum-
ing an enormous amount of American
goods, the raw material supplied from
here gives employment to thousands of
American artiZans, who have to work
up the raw material into the manu-
featured article.
There are other views which might
be set forth, but The Star has put the
question of the pocket. Commercially
the Islands are of great value. To keep
that value annexation must come
Without annexation they may go else
where at any time. Thus from an
American point of view, and not from
an Hawaiian, Annexation is a neces-
sity.
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EMMA SQUAPL.