The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-06
AN OPULENT TRADE.

49, y 80 - 's''@"'
1t has been shown by the Custom
House report that the trade of the Ha-
waiian Islands for the year 1896
amounted to 500 ,679, 1918. This is not
bad for these Fly specks" in the Pa
cifc this cluster of volcanoes" with
a population of 100000. Indeed, it is
showing that makes Hawaii easily
the richest country in the world rela-
lively to size and number of inhab-
itants. The United States had 1926
per cent of the Hawaiian trade of last
year. Vessels of United States reg
istry conducted $3.50 per cent of that
trade
This if far and away beyond the pro-
portion that American vessels enjoy in
the foreign trade of the United States.
The fact bears out the frequent asser-
ton that is never challenged, that the
grandest distinct feet of the American
mercantile marine is that which is en-
ployed in commerce with the Hawaii
an Islands. To borrow a term from
current diplomatic talk in Europe the
American hotilla in the Hawaiian
/1raut stands out in splendid isola-
ton" The vessels therein are not old
hulks bought up under condemnation
at underwriters sales, but most noble
craft, built especially for their pres
built in American shipyards, of Amer
lean material, by American workmen.
Of the total imports into the Hawaii
an Islands for 1896, amounting to
$7,164, SCI 40, there came from United
States Pacific ports $5,23572S.97, and
from Atlantic ports of the same coun-
try 22S,470.23. or a grand total of
S5464 .20S.20 value of merchandise i'm
ported from the United States. Large
as this proportion of purchases made
by our people I'm the American mar
kets is, it would be greatly increased
by the action of even closer CONNER
cial relations which, next TO closer po-
litical relations, the Republic of Ha-
waii is DESTROYS of obtaining.
AS an earnest of Hawaii's anxiety to
give the greatest possible return for
the free admission of its sugar and rice
to the American market, there is the
virtual remission of duty ON California
wines made by special enactment of
the Legislature of 1896. This may be
best shown by a quotation from the
report of the Minister of Finance, just
issued. 1t is as follows:
Included in the imports of spirits
are 1888 gallons of California wines,
as against 1922 1856 gallons imported in
1895, or an increase of 31,457 gallons.
Up to the 1st of January, of the pres
ent year, California wines, in common
with all other wines of similar alco-
holic strength, paid a duty of fifteen
cents per gallon, consequently the
duty paid on the 163,S13 gallons i'm
ported last year was. $24 ,571.95.
''As provided by an act passed at the
last session of the Legislature the pay
ment of import duties on wines made
from the juice of the grape and less
than IS per cent alcoholic strength
was suspended on the LIST of January
such suspension to continue in force
for period of five years. AS about
all the California wines imported into
this country contain less than 10 per
cent of alcoholic strength, our revenue
from this source in future will be en-
tirely removed"
There is "A larger consideration for
the people of the United States, how
ever, than any relating to the balance
of trade between the two countries. II
is whether the Hawaiian Islands, as
capable of local self-government as
almost any state in the Union, would
not with their trade of round TWEEN
ty-three million dollars year be g
rather rich addition to the United
States. What other country is ever
mentioned as a possible acquisition t.
the Union, which is anything like Sc
wealthy proportionally? Under the
Stars and Stripes the wealth of thes,
islands would rapidly increase, ant
the United States would hold the mos
convenient station for universal com
merce, as well as the most valuabl,
naval point of vantage, in all the Pa
cific ocean.