The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-01-04
Resume Of BradStreet'S an Is
land Business.
CERTAINTY SINCE JULY a, 1894
Internal ImproVements-Th Rail
ways-Coming of Coffee
Sugar the Industry.

Sir:-The history of the business, as
distinct from the political side, of the
Hawaiian Islands for the past three or
four years has been one of quiet, peace
full and orderly material progress, along
lines having for their object the devel-
opment Of the many natural advantages
possessed by those islands, tempered,
of course, by their necessarily isolated
geographical position. While the stu
alton in 1893 and early in 1894 was I'M
growing out of the anomalous position
held by the Islands, the course of
events since July 4, 1894, when the Re-
publican form of government was pro-
who, confident of the richness of the
Islands, have looked for safe conserva
tive development of those riches along
lines already marked out.
The present government has carried
on considerable internal improvements
in the shape of road building, opening
up new lands to settlers, building
school houses, and in a number of 9TH
er ways preparing for the enlargement
and improvement of the opportunities
so freely offered to residents of those
fortunate islands," Among the more
immediate results of material progress
have been the expansion of the sugar
industry, due to the application of
scientific cultivating methods and i'm
proved machinery. A large increase in
production is confidently anticipated in
comparatively new product Of the
islands, though tried years ago with
out success, owing chiefly to lack of
knowledge of its culture, is now COM
ing rapidly to the front, and is expect
ed to become the main product of the
Islands after sugar. While the sugar
culture is almost mOnopolized by the
large corporations of the Islands, cof
ately well-to-do, and a fair amount of
capital invested in good coffee lands
promises good returns in from six to
seven years. Immigrants interested in
this culture are sought after for the
Islands, the possession of capital and
some knowledge of coffee culture be-
ing desiderata. Owing to his remote
ness from centers of supply, and the
saler in these Islands requires alb
normal capital for the volume of bust
ness done. Retail business is also con-
Quoted on longtime credits, and is
largely controlled by the Chinese Bus
mess morality is exceptionally high,
comparatively few failures occur, and
debts carried to profit and loss are gen.
orally small.
Sugar naturally cuts an important
figure in the trade of the Islands. OIL
the total exports in 1897, valued att
S16,021,775, sugar contributed $780,
442, rice, coffee, hides, bananas, wool
er named, but at a considerable dis |
lance from the staple export, as may
be gathered from the fact that the total
value of the rice exports was only $685.
groceries and provisions, the total
value of which was $6O9,6S2; machin-
cry, $685., 421, and hardware imple-
ments and tools, $405,567 Fertilizers,
flour and tobacco also constituted fair
ly important imports, the aggregate oil
which is in the neighborhood of s5,710,-
OOO
The past two CIR three years have seen
many improvements in Honolulu, the
principal city of the Islands, number
of handsome buildings having been
erected, and many are contemplated
Excellent building stone is found con-
venient to the city. Arrangements
have been made for an electric system
of street railways, the present horse
car lines being inadequate to the re-
ton of 10000 4 system of sewers for
the city is also under contemplation
There are three public railroads on the |
Islands-one on Maui, one on Hawaii
and one on Oahu. The latter is the |
one, running from Honolulu
along the coast around Pearl Harbor,
the proposed location Of the United
States government coaling station and
navy yard, to Kahuku, distance of
seventy miles. The recent extension
from Waialua to Kahuku will open up
an immense tract of new land, upon
which one of the largest sugar planta-
tons is now being begun. The next
largest city of the Islands is Hilo, sit
n az cd on tho N or 200 or Of |