Evening star., 1899-02-02
TARIFF FOR HAWAII
Difficulty in the Way of Extending
Customs Duties to Islands.
some OBJECTION In THE SENATE
Hawaii Fears the Entering Wedge
Of Discrimination.
MIR. kENNEY'S STATEMENT

The representatives of Hawaii who are in
this city looking after the political or busi-
ness interests of the islands much per-
turbed by a new development in the posi-
BILE congressional policy toward our new
possessions The people interested in Ha-
waii, it is said have just learned with a
shock that there is some difficulty in the
Senate over the passage of the bill extend
ing to Hawaii the customs duties of this
country
This bill was introduced in the House by
the late Representative Dingley, with the
full approval of the Treasury Department.
and was passed by that body without dis
sent. 1t was expected that the Senate
would be equally prompt, but the Hawaiian
commission has just been informed that
there is feeling among some senators
that the entire customs duties should not
be extended to the islands, but that this
country should protect itself against possi-
BILE cheap manufacturing in that country.
This intimation, opening up a wide vista
of delay and possible discrimination in one
thing or another, has alarmed the repre-
sentatives here and it is thought will have
a bad effect in Hawaii as unsettling every
thing that was believed to be settled.
MIR. Kenney's Statement
Mr.. VIM. A. Kenney of Honolulu, who
IS here representing the chamber of COM
nerce and the Planters Association, speak
ing today to a representative of The Star,
was earnest in calling attention to the dis
couragement which would be felt in Ha-
waii at the news of the possible delay. He
with others who were spoken to We're sat
isfied that the administration had not
changed its mind. but was still sincere in
desiring the extension of American Gus
toms to American Hawaii
News is being taken by the steamer
leaving San Francisco today said Mr..
kenney, that will startle and discourage
Hawaii throughout its length and breadth,
namely, that influential members of Con-
gress are seriously considering the advisa-
biltty of giving to Hawaii only limited free
trade with the United States, which means
in plain English a colonial status, and that
this sentiment is sufficiently strong, prob
ably, to postpone Hawaiian legislation for
this session.
This became apparent yesterday when
members of the Hawaiian commission ap-
pointed by the President to recommend .c2-
islation for Hawaii waited uDon Senator
Aldrich, the new chairman of the Senate
finance committee, to urge action this ses-
sion upon the House bill now in the hands
of that committee extending United States
customs laws as a whole to Hawaii, which
was introduced by Representative Dingley
in the House shortly before his last illness
upon the recommendation of the Treasury
Department and passed by that body.
Senator Aldrich stated that, while neith-
er he nor the committee had decided def
nitely what to do. that there seemed to
be sentiment among some of the republi
can senators in favor of restricting free
trade between Hawaii and the United
States to the agricultural or natural pro-
ducts of Hawaii as to shut out of the
United States manufactures made by cheap
labor, and that this sentiment was appar-
emily sufficiently strong to result in delay
ing action on the bill in question until next
session.
This will be news to Hawaii, except
perhaps she has paid heed to hints of
such sentiment thrown out in the public
press during the past thirty days.
When Hawaii was annexed the theory
that the United States should have perma-
nent possessions occupying "a third estate
essentially lower than that of state or
territory was not even upon the horizon,
and until the semi-official utterances of
Senator Aldrich reach Hawaii it is safe to
say that her citizens will not even have
considered any such fate as within the pos
sibilities
"Hawaiians here do not believe that any
such proposition will prevail. They feel
that the American people will not approve
Of it, and that ii has not received the sane
ton of the administration is apparent from
the fact that the House bill in question, ex-
tending United States customs laws with
out discrimination to Hawaii, has the eX-
press approval of the administration
Hawaii has the best of grounds also for
claiming that such proposition would be
in conflict with letter as well as the spirit
of the joint resolution of annexation upon
the faith OF which Hawaii has surrendered
her sovereignty.
But regardless of the final result the
presence of such an issue will in itself have
the immediate effect of creating permanent
unrest and alarm throughout Hawaii where
confidence in Congress even to the extent
Of carelessness has hitherto prevailed. 1t
will discourage desirable immigration, pre-
vent influx of capital and the starting of
hew enterprises, and generally bring about
the undesirable results coming from uncer-
tainty and delay.
"The amount of trade discrimination sug-
gested is not the vital point with Hawaii; it
Is that there should be any discrimination
at all. A policy of discrimination once es-
tabished and entrenched could be extended
any time by any Congress to any products
Shut off from representation and means of
self-defense the preservation intact of the
fundamental rights of American citizen
ship, including the right to produce wealth
of all kinds and to market the same at any
point within the confines of the Union upon
equal terms with all other citizens, becomes
all the more important to Hawaii
"As a matter of fact the proposition that
Hawaii could be made manufacturing
sidered absolutely groundless by those
familiar with conditions in Hawaii. She
has neither coal, lumber nor minerals, and
as matter of fact cannot and does not
raise even agricultural products in competi-
ton with the Pacific coast.
Ihat Hawaii. with a record of seventy
llVe years OF absolute fidelity to the mother
country should in the very hour of expected
rest and fruition of hope be confronted with
such contest is certainly discouraging'
The Senate Committee.
The bill was passed by the House on the
18th of last December, providing for an ex-
tension of the laws relating to customs and
internal revenue over the Hawaiian Islands.
The Senate referred this bill to the COM
mittee on finance, but up to the present
time it has not been considered by the
committee at any meeting. A number of
things have combined to prevent any con-
sideration of the bill. The illness and death
or Senator Morrill,, the chairman, and the
engrossing character of legislation and ex-
ecutive business before the Senate have
combined to prevent any action on this bill.
which is proving of intense interest to per
sons concerned in the development of the
Hawaiian Islands
The attention of Senator Aldrich who has
succeeded the late Senator Morrill, as chair
man or the committee was today called to
this matter He said it was his purpose
to have hearing on the bill in question at
an early day. An important matter to be
decided. he said, was In relation to goods