The times., 1898-07-11
OLD GLORY's LATEST STAR
Interesting Information Relative
10 the Hawaiian Islands.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAVEL
The Bulk of the Steam Passenger
and Freight Traffic Retween San
troiIed by One Company-Amcri-
can Currency in Circulation.


can Currency in Circulation.
The latest and fullest information rela-
tive to the newly acquired territory OF
the United States, the Hawaiian Islands.
has Just been given to the public in
special publication by the Bureau of Sta
tistics Ii consists of a series of state
ments relative to the people of the ISL
ands. their number. nativity, occupations,
productions expectations purchases
from other parts of he world. the share
which the United States has in their
commerce the methods of raising rev.
enue, and the amount annually collected
and disbursed the indebtedness, currency.
pos.al system. railroads and shipping.
freight and passenger rates to and from
the United States wages paid in various
employments, and prices of provisions
and other necessaries of life.
part of this information is in the
form OF statistical statements of tn
commerce Of the islands during a long per-
iod Of years portion from the Hawaiian
Year Book and other publications of that
character, and a part from a late report
to the Safe Department by Consul Cen
eral Haywood, and which. taken to
gether, present the latest and most COM
plete sta ,ement OF the conditions and
business prospects in our new territory
that has been given TO the public.
Hawaii, it is shown by this statement.
at present imports almost everything she
uses. aside, of course. from sugar, coffee
and fruits. attention having been almost
exclusively given TO the raising of sugar
! all Of which aside from shat consumed in
4 the islands. is exported to the United
/ States. Indeed, The United States in 1896
4 took S9.64 per cent of the entire exports of
the islands and supplied 1927 per cent OF
: all imports. and Consul General Hay
wood, in his report expresses the opinion
/ that in case of annexation over 80 per
cent of the imports into the islands would
! be the growth, product or manufacture
/ of the United States, and adds that if the
! American tariff were in force in the ISL
/ ands about $599.OD0 worth of imports which
now enter free of duty, and are bought in
countries other than the United States
would be bought from this country. the
free importation OF fertilizers and coal
alone in 1895 amounting to $466.Sl9.
The opportunities for travel between
the United States and Hawaii are de-
scribed by Consul General Haywood. who
says that the bulk of the steam passen-
ger and freight traffic between San Fran
cisco and Honolulu is controlled by the
Oceanic Steamship Company, their rates
being S75 for cabin passage and SO for
I steerage, though d number of fine sail
ing vesse-s which make regular trips be-
tween Port Townsend and San Francisco
and Honolulu with limited passenger ac-
commodatiOns charge $40 for cabin pass
1 age. The time for passage between San
! Francisco and Honolulu by steamer is
from six TO seven days. Freight rates
from San Francisco are: BY steamer s.
per ton and per cent primage. by sail
ing vessels, s. per ton and per cent
primage while the rates to Atlantic ports
are from s. TO 81 per ton, with per cent
primage, and the duration of the voyage
between Honolulu and New York from
SO TO I3i days. On the islands there are
three railroads. which. however. are used
principally in carrying the products of the
plantations to the various points of ship
ment. and which are about seventy miles
in length
The currency of the islands is Of the
same unit of value as that of the United
States. The gold is all of American mint
age and United States silver and paper
money is in circulation and passes at par
The Hawaiian money is paper, the paper
being secured by silver held in reserve
Banks keep two accounts with their de-
positors. silver and gold, and checks are
so worded that the depositor may specify
the account from which the check is to be
paid. though in case the checks does not
state in what currency il is to be paid the
law provides that the holder may demand
gold if the amount is over so The Ha-
waiian silver money amounts to 81 900, 600
/ Of which S300, 900 is held by the govern
ment to secure a like amount of paper
The total money in circulation is esti-
mated at s. 900, 900. The rate of exchange
is IA per cent on Eastern cities of the
United States and ! per cent on the Pa
cific Coast. Gold is at premium of ! pei
cent. The annual internal taxes average
Sc. IS per capita: the total revenue from
all sources, s2,2S3. 070 lin 1886; eXpendi
/ lures, 81 l37. 103. and the public debt, 81,
/ 10l, ia. bearing interest at ) and 6 per cent
1 Commercial travellers are, under the law:
now in force. required to take out &
license for each of the islands traded in
/ The statement is not such as to encour-
age those desiring to seek employment il
Hawaii. The market for all kinds of la.
bOr it says, is overstocked. and it would
I be very unWise, in the opinion of the con
I sui general, for anyone to visit the island:
with no capital on the mere chance of OBJ
tanning employment, many of those who
have so arrived being compelled to return
disappointed. Wages on the plantations
including house and firewood, or room ant
board. range from S125 TO $175 per month
for engineers and sugar boilers, $50 to so
. per month for blacksmItns and carpen
tiers, $40 to S75 per month for locomotive
drivers 500 to S175 per month for book
keepers. $50 TO $40 per month for team
. sters. In Honolulu the rates are s. to s
. per day for bricklayers and maSons S25
. to s. per day for carpenters and painter
. and g 10 s. per day for machinists
. Cooks receive from s. to Sc per week
: nurses, house servants and gardeners.
to sl2 per month. Retail prices of pro
. | visions are as follows: Hams is to 3
! cents per pound; bacon, 16 to 20 cents
-four S2.50 to s. per 100 pounds; rice, S9.2
1 / to s. per 100 pounds; butter, 25 to so cent
per pound; eggs, % to 50 cents per dozer
. and ice, ID cents per pound.
. Curiously, the productions of the is
. lands are almost entirely a class of arti
I cles for which the people Of the Unite
States have in the past been compelle
to send money outside of their own Dor
. ders. Sugar. coffee. tropical fruits an
| rice for which this country send
| abroad more than $500. .0000 600 annually
!. are the chief productions of the islands
!. ! and while the quantity so produce