The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-31
PHYSICAL FEATURES.

For practical purposes there are
eight islands in the Hawaiian group.
These are Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, IIolo-
kai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Ha-
wall. They vary In area, Kahoolawe
being the smallest with 6S square miles,
and Hawaii, with 4,210 square miles,
the largest. Their total area is $40
square miles. Hawaii, Maui, Oahu
and Kauai are the islands on which
coffee, fruits, potatoes, corn and vege-
tables can be raised. Hawaii has nu-
merous sugar plantations, ranging from
those with 100000 trees to those of but
an acre or so. Honolulu, the capital,
is on Oahu. 1t is a city of 80, 900 inhabi-
tants, with 'electric lights, telephones
and street cars. There are three even
ing daily papers, one daily morning
paper and two weeklies published in
English, together with newspapers in.
the Hawaiian, Portuguese, japanese
and Chinese languages. A line of rail
road has been constructed along the
coast to distance of 80 miles from
the city, and it is proposed to continue
it completely around the island.
The mainstay of the Hawaiian ISL
ands has for the last 35 years been the
sugar industry. The production in
1896 was 221, 900 tons. Rice yields two
crops per year. 1t requires working in
marshy lands, and none but the Chin
amen can raise 1T successfully The
main staple after sugar and rice is
coffee. Hundreds and thousands of
trees have been planted within the last
five years. This is essentially the crop
of the future and bids fadr to become
as important a staple as sugar. Cof-
fee does not require the amount of cap
ital that sugar does, and can be worked
renumeratively upon a snail area. 1t
is estimated that in four years a 75-
acre coffee plantation will more than
pay the running expenses while after
that a return Of $4,000 to $4,000 per
year may be realized.
Bananas, lines and oranges can be
cultivated to advantage. At present
the banana trade amounts to over
| 100000 punches per annum. Corn is
also raised for feed on the plantations.
| Cattle and swine are profitably raised,
and green and sweet corn, Irish and
sweet potatoes, cabbages, tomatoes,
beans, lettuce, radishes and other vege-
tables, all of the finest quality and in
the greatest profusion, together with
strawberries and raspberries, can he
had every day in the year.
| The population of the island by the
| census of 1890 was 1891. A census is
now being taken, the estimate of which
is 100000. These are decided as fol-
lows: Hawaiians, 81 900; part Ha-
waiians, 10000; Chinese, $4,000; Japan
ese, $4,000; Portuguese. 5000; Ameri-
can and European, $4,000.
| Fifty-two vessels, aggregating 21,
67S tons burden, fly the Hawaiian flag
OF these 23 are steamers, barks, 8
ships, and q schooners and sloops. The
exports in 1895 amounted to $S474, ,13S,
and the imports TO $5,339,7S5. OF the
exports 1875, 500 were eaccredited tosu-
gar. OF the imports 81, 4,121 92O came from
the Pacific ports of the United States
and 1894, 1893 from the Atlantic ports, a
total Of &,5l6,S19 leaving but $1,l91, SOS
for every other nation that the coun-
try has commercial relations with.
In point of fact, taking exports and
| imports, the business done by the Ha-
watian Islands in 1895 with all it's COM
mercial relations, amounted to $14,-
lSS, 1856; of this sum $l2, ,90S, sos was done
with the United States, which amounts
to 81 per cent of the whole business
of the Islands. What other country In
the world has 81 per cent. of it's COM
mercial relations with its nelghbors.
The public debt of january /, 1896
was s3,764,SS5 or about $34 per capita
All males between the ages of 20 and
80 pay an annual poll tax of 81, road
tax OF 50 and school tax OF 80, a tota
OF So. Land and personal property pay
a tax of l per cent on the cash value
The direct taxes yielded in 1895 s592,-
SOL; customes revenues, $547, ,14s, and H.
censes, etc, $6OO,244, a total OF Sl.74O.'
For four years, in spite OF hostile in
fluences from without and enemies a.
home the little republic OF Hawaii, thC
latest addition to the family of nations
has maintained peace and order, ad
mintstered Justice, carried on exten
sive internal improvements, advanced
education and kept it's financial credi
above par In the markets of the world
1t may be said to be really the off