The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-19
HAWAII TRADE WORTH HAVING.
GROWING AND THIS
COUNTRY GETS MOST or IT.


Ninety Per Cent. the Proportion Con-
trOIIed by the United states-The
Total Value of the Hawaiian Ex-
ports and Imports For 1890 ST.
57S, SS2-TwO-T Thirds of the Amount
Represented by ExpOrts-OnlY
About Thrce-FOurths of the Inn
ports of Hawaii Come From the
United States.
Washington. July 18-Hawaian com
merce during the last ten years is the
subject OF a circular just issued by the
department Of agriculture.
The paper was prepared by F. H. Hitch
cock, chief Of the division Of foreign mar
kets under the direction of Secretary VII
son.
The facts set forth bear directly upon
the current discussion of the annexation
of the Hawaiian Islands to the United
States. and are follows: The comparison
OF statistics shows that the United States
control 80 per cent. Of the entire trade of
the islands. The total value of the ex-
ports and imports of Hawaii for 1896 was.
$2l, 57S,Ss of which about two-thirds. 49,,
jl5, go, was the value of the goods ex-
ported.
1.-The average Of exports of the ten
years 1887 to 1896. was s1lO52, al, and of
imports $5422 49, leaving an average bal
ance of $500 63l in favor of exports.
"Of this traffic 9l.20 per cent was with
the United States during the first five
years of the decade, and in the second
five years this lead of this country over
cent.
Another impression of the situation
may be gained from the statement that
our trade with the island in 1896, accord
ing to Hawaiian statistics, reached go
92i306, the largest amount ever recorded,
while the highest figures previously were
for 1890. when a total OF 1882, 631 was re-
ported.
THE United States however, does not
yet hold so high a position in furnishing
goods for Hawaii as in taking the pro-
ducts of the islands OF the average Of
exports for the ten years. nearly $11OOO,000
a year, the United States has brought
practically all. Only one-half of l per
cent. has been sold to other countries. OF
the goods purchased by Hawaii on the
other hand. the United States furnishes
only about three-fourths.
However, 1t is chiefly in our sales to
the island that the trade is growing. The
annual average of these sales for the five
years, 1887 to 1891, was 1876, 312, but for 1891
to 1896, & 496, 275, while the exports to Ha-
wall for last year amounted to s., 464, 20S
nearly $1,000, 600 more than for any previous
year The goods coming from Hawaii to
the United States are mainly agricultural
products, while the shipments in other di-
recuons, except breadstuffs, are chiefly
manufactures
our imports of sugar make the largest
item in the trade, while our imports of
rice come next. Next in order are our ex-
ports of breadstuffs. cotton goods, fertili-
ger, machinery, lumber, tobacco, wire and
chemicals.
1T is noticeable that shipments of Amer
lean live stock, meats, apples and corn
amount to very little.
Prior to 1876, when the first reciprocity
treaty was made between the United
States and Hawaii, their total commerce
averaged only Sl.950. ass. Since the date a
comparatively steady growth has brought
the total to more than five times that
amount.
Figures are furnished for the first ten
months of the fiscal year of 1897, as COM
pared with the same period in 1896 They
show large increases in the important
items of trade. The other countries whose
trade with Hawaii appears to be growing
are China and Japan, taken together, and
Canada"