The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-02-25
MINISTER DAN(NREPIRTS
INCREASE or REVENUE IN DIFF
FERENT DEPARTMENTS.
Over 76 Per Cent Of Imports Come
ENports-Desirc to Reciprocate.

About two weeks ago Minister
Damon read his report for the year
ending December 81, 1896. 1t made a
favorable impression on President
Dole and Cabinet, and IT was decided
10 have the report printed. Copies
were distributed today.
/ The report is a credit TO Minister
/ Damon and his assistants in the Iii
nance Office. 1t is brief and ON that
account is made more valuable. Var
/ ious tables are printed, showing the
/ business transacted under the differ
ent Offices directed by Minister Da
mon. Other matter Of an interesting
nature appears in the book.
/ In his report Mir. Damon says:
The past year has been one of cN-
/ ceptional and increased revenue; and
/ the expenditures from the appropra-
| tons have been kept within due pro-
! portion for the period lapsed.
The very large amount Of Sl,o75.-
BLISS stands ii the credit of Current
Receipts for the year. The current
expenditures for the year, amounting
| in all to $l,0O4. l90.92, cover every
claim that has been presented to the
Treasury during the year past; and in
/ addition thereto there has been
/ charged to Current Revenue the sum
Of S29,539.H for interest due the
/ Postal Savings Bang in 1894, which
was credited i'm error to Current Re
ccipts in the year 1895.
The principal scources of revenue
! for the support of the Government
wherein an increase has been recorded
are the Customs Bureau, the Honolulu
Water Works, the Postal Bureau.
Taxes and Land Revenue.
THE total revenue from the GUS
toms for 1896 is $GjG, ,So5.S2. showing
an increase Of >10o,74G.7s over the pre-
vious year. This Department has been
at an expense of SGG,0l2.16.
THE financial considerations of the
question of proposed closer relations
with the United States bear so init
the customs, that it seems wise to 90
into the subject at greater length than
in previous reports.
at will he seen that imports of mcr-
chandisc during the past year were
considerably in excess of the previous
year and that the other items in near
ly every cas- show Il substantial in
crease.
"mrludcd in the imports of Spirits
are lG2,S13 gallons of California Wines,
as against l32,35G gallons imported in
1895, or an increase of 3t,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 1888 gallons inn
ported last year was $2i,571.95.
"On the other hand imports of Jap
anese Wine or Sake during the year
under review amounted TO 224,953 gal
Ions as against 146,G3O gallons in 1895,
an increase of 1928 gallons. On the
amount of Sake imported last year
$33. 1895 was received in customs
duties. Under Act 70 of the Laws of
1896 provision is made for an increase
in duty on all liquors imported, made
from material other than the juice of
the grape, which will take effect on
July list, 1897. Under this Act the
duty on Sake will be increased to 81
per gallon which, even under large
: decreas in the importation of this bev-
eragc, will more than offset the loss
of duty on California wines.
''In regard to the probable effect of
the new law when it goes into opera
tion | am reliably informed that lead
, ing japanese merchants will to a large
extent substitute California wines for
Sake, for the reason it will net them
better profits.
During 1896 our imports from all
countries amounted to the value ot
! P' P',loi,obl.fU VI lnlS uHlDulJ No,@oO,-
1887, or 73.OS per cent of the whole
. came from the United States Pacific
ports, and S22S S,470.23, or $40 per cent
of all imports, came from the United
States Atlantic ports, making the tota
per ccrtage of imports from the
United States for the year 1927 PEI
{ cent of all good, manufactures ant
, merchandise received in this country
"The countries from which we OBJ
tanned our next largest imports were
Great Britain, 1854 per cent; China
Az per cent; Japan, $50 per cent;
Germany, 200 per cent; Australia ant
New Zealand, LIS per cent, the bal
ance, which is in fractions of less thar