The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-01-06
RssuEs Of DratsIssl's On Is
land BuNlsSs.
CERTAINTY SINCE JULY 4, 1894
Internal improsements-T Ran
~sys-Comins OF Coffee
Suss, the Industry

distinct from the political side, OF the
Hawaiian Islands for the past tire. or
four years has been one OF quiet, peace
ful and orderly material progress, along
lines having for their object the devsl-
0pment OF the many natural advantages
Possessed by those islands, tempered
OF course, by their necessarily Isolated
geographical position. While the stu
alton in 1898 and early In 1894 was I'M
favorably affected by the uncertainties
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-
claimed has given comfort to those
who. confident OF the richness of the
Islands, have looked for safe conserya-
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 20 settlers, building
school houses, and in number OF 9th
err 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
lproved machinery. A large increase in
production is confidently anticipated in
this particular industry. Coffee, a
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 thu
large corporations of the Islands, cot
= fee offers an inducement to the moder
ately well-to-do, and a fair amount o.
: capital invested in good coffee lands
promises good returns in from six tC
seven years Immigrants interested in
this culture are sought after for ths
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
long-credit system in vogue. the whole
saler in these Islands requires alb.
/ normal capital for the volume of busi-
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. OF
the total exports in 1897, valued at
$l6,02l ,77j, sugar contributed SIS $780,
4i2, rice, coffee, hides, bananas, wool
and pineapples coming next, in the ord
er named, but at considerable dis
lance from the staple export. as may
be gathered from the fact that the total
value OF the rice exports was only s225,-
SIS. The principal imports in 1897 were
|. groceries and provisions, the total
value OF which was 5000, $50; machin-
cry, $595,42I, and hardware imple-
ments and tools, s+O5.567. Fertilizers
: clothing, grain, cotton goods, lumber
-four and tobacco also constituted fair,
ly important imports, the aggregate Of
which Is in the neighborhood OF s.. no.
600.
The past two or three years have seer
many improvements in Honolulu, tn.
|, principal city OF the Islands, a number
, of handsome buildings having beeI
/ erected, and many are contempla ted
: Excellent building stone is found con
venient to the city. Arrangement.
have been made for an electric system
of street railways, the present horse
car lines being inadequate TO the re
quirements OF the progressive popula
, ton of 10000 A system of sewers FOL
, the city is also under contemplation
/, There are three public railroads on thu
Islands-one on Maui, one on Hawai-
and one on Oahu. The latter is tn,
principal one, running from Honolulu,
, along the coast around Pearl Harbor
n the proposed location OF the Unitet
I Estates government coaling station an,
} navy yard, to Kahuku, a distance o
/. seventy miles, The recent extension
from Waialua to Kahuku will open VI
z an immense tract OF new land. upoi
Q which one of the largest sugar planta
= lions is now being begun. The mex
h largest city OF the Islands is Hilo. sit
luated on the northeast coast Of Hawaii