The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-10-03
TRADE WITH
UNCLE SAM
The Record of Hawaii's
Commerce.
FIGURES NOT ODTM NABLE
San Francisco Merchants, Consider
ing It Coastwise Business,
Refuse Statistics.

Bradstreet's has the following regard
ing Hawaii in its September number:
According to late advices the peo-
pie OF the United States are likely to
be deprived OF some much desired in
formation regarding the commerce of
the United States with the Hawaiian
Islands. The recent act OF Congress,
which extended To these Islands prac
tically ali of the laws OF the United
states, Is construed as rendering the
commerce between the United States
and the Islands '.coastwise" in its
character. The laws with reference TO
the gathering Of statistics of our COM
merce require importers and exporters
To file with the collectors of customs
at the ports at which their goods enter.
or at which they leave the country. a
specific statement Of the quantity and
value OF each article imported or ex-
ported. The law does not require. how
ever. this detailed information with
reference to goods passing from one
port OF the United States TO another
port of the United States. Taking adj
vantage OF this condition, merchants of
san Francisco who are engaged in trade
with the Hawaiian Islands are. accord
ing To- the chief of The Bureau of Sta
tistics. refusing to furnish to the col
lectOr at that point, regarding goods
sent TO or from the Hawaiian Islands,
the general class of Information which
they have for years been furnishing,
but from which they claim they are
now exempt under the new conditions.
The effect of this will be to deprive
the Bureau Of Statistics and the people
Of the United States at present, at
least. of all Information regarding the
commerce with the Hawaiian Islands.
This is To be regretted, because these
Islands were places where the effect of
annexation upon commerce with the
territory annexed could be studied,
since i'm the other territories brought
into close relations with the United
states conditions were not in our favor
by reason of the war which had existed
previous TO or Immediately following
the new relationship. While the growth
of our commerce with Porto Rico, Cuba
and the Philippine Islands has been
considerable. II has been difficult to de-
termine what proportion Of the growth
/ was due TO war conditions and what
proportion 10 the new relations thus eS-
tablished. In the case OF the Hawaiian
! Islands. however, no war conditions ex-
listed. either previous or subsequent to
annexation. and the growth of the COM
merce with the United States may be
attributed chiefly. If not wholly, TO the
close relations brought about by an
/ nexation. and the general business re-
vival which followed that event.
The growth Of our commerce with
| the Hawaiian Islands in the last few
years. especially in the years 1899 and
1900 has been phenomenal. This growth
IL especially interesting in view of the
new relationship which has been estab-
Il
increase which accompanied the final
| determination Of that event. In 1890
the exports OF the United States TO the
/ Hawaiian Islands were H,11 Az, and
i'm 1897 were $4690,015. showing no
growth from 1880 TO 1897. In 1890 the
imports into the United States from the
Hawaiian Islands were 4.911,417, AMI
in 1897 were $i3,6s7 100. showing but a
slight growth.
The treaty of annexation was sign
ed at Washington June Is, 1897. so that
all the commerce of the fiscal year 1885
; felt the effect OF that step in the pro-
cess of annexation. In that year the
exports OF the United States to the Ha-
waiian Islands were $500, 155. an in
crease OF q per cent over 1897, when
they amounted to s4.690,075. The treaty
was ratified July Z, 1898, and sovereign
ty over the Islands was formally trans
ferred to the United States on Angus
II, lSyS. thus bringing pTdcucdiy al VI
the fiscal year 1899 within the period
following the complete annexation. The
exports to the Hawaiian Islands in th'
fiscal year 1899 amounted to 1906, 40
an Increase Of over so per cent. On the
import side the year 1898 showed an In
crease of 1880, 900 over 1897. and the
year 1900 showed another increase o.
50, 500. 900 over 1898 and 1899.
The following table shows the com
merce between the United States anC
the Hawaiian Islands in the clever
years from 1890 to 1900:
IMPORTS INTO UNITED STATES
: FROM HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
Year ending June 80