Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-03-28
THE IMPORTS OF TWO YEARS
Things That Hawaiian Merchants Have
Brought Into The Country.


Inc ptincipai eAporb VI 'ne
Hawaiian Islands are 80 few that
nearly everyone could tell what
they are when called on, but II
asked what our principal imports
we're il would be different mat
ter. Still there are many who.
know all about such things and
have facts and figures at their
fingers ends. Collector - General
McSiocker is one of these, and in
one of the many useful tables he
has compiled and inserted in his
biennial report will be found one
containing an itemized list of I'm
ports for the two years, together
with the figures showing whether
The importation of the several ar
ticles has increased or diminished
as compared with the figures of
the former period. The figures
used below are taken from this
table.
We imported in the last two
years ale, beer, cider and porter to
the value of Sl65,5l6, or over $40,
600 more than in the preceding
period. 1t would be interesting
to know the exact cause of this
large increase. 1t cannot all be as
cribed to increase of population,
though much of it is probably due
to increased consumption of keg
beer, which is now imported in
large quantities on ice. The i'm
portation of spirits fell off some
81, 900, but even with that we
consumed $136,442 worth.
The importation of animals
nearly doubled. Horses, pigs
and cattle to the value Of
sl57,199 being imp ,rted, an
increase of nearly $4,000 over
the last period. These figures
should set people to thinking, and
naturally give rise to the question,
why don't we raise our own live,
stock ?"
Building materials show an in
crease of Sl08,000 over the last
period, the value of the importa-
tions in that line being $500, ,49G.
One has only to look at the differ
ence in Honolulu and Hilo today
to what they were two years ago
to discover where these materials
have gone.
1t took S662,994 to pay for the
clothing, boots and hats brought
into the country the last two years
and that was nearly S136, 1000 more
than the preceding period. This
excess can only be sscribed to
rapid increase of population and
consequent increased demand.
One would not imagine that we
imported 1912, ll6 worth of coal in
two years but we did, and what
is more we imported S26,572 more
than in the previous two years.
The coal was mostly for foreign
mail steamers, naval vessels and
plantation uses, very little being
used for household purposes:
Whether Chinese and Japanese
servants break more crockery and
glassware than white servitors in
tother countries Mr.. McStocke er
does not say, but he tells US
counting in lamps and lamp
fixtures, that we imported these
articles to the value OF 500, ,812
which was just S27,636 more than
in the preceding period.
This is healthy climate, but
still we are all the time dosing
ourselves for real or fancied all
ments, mostly the latter, and to dc
this we imported drugs, surgical
material and dental goods to the
amount of $l44,133, an increase
of $26,527 over the former period
and it was not all for dental ma
terisl either, though that doel
come high after one leaves tn,
chair of torture.
Dry goods always were a mys-
terry to the male mind and they
will still be after reading thes,
figures. In climate where over
coats are not worn we imported
cotton goods TO the amount O
$653,3l2; linens, $33,869; silks
$45, 1886; woolens, $l50,853, snt
mixtures, $38,445, all showing al
increase varying from 10 TO 130pe
cent.