The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-09-19
THE TRADE
Of HAWAII
Late Growth Has Been
Phenomenal.
EFFECT OF ANNEXATION
Records for the Last Ten Years
Tabulated and Reviewed
BY the Press.

The Washington Star of August 9th
contains the following of local interest:
The people of the United States are
likely to be deprived of some much to be
desired information regarding the COM
merce of the United States with the Ha-
waiian Islands. The recent act of Con-
gress which extended to these islands
practically all of the laws of the United
States is construed as rendering the COM
merce between the United States and the
islands "coastwise in it's character" The
statistics of our commerce require i'm
pcrters and exporters to file with the col
lectors of customs at the ports at which
goods enter or at which they leave the
country specific statement of the quail
'ity and value of each article imported or
exported. The law does not require, how
ever, this detailed information with refer
ence to goods passing from one port of the
United States to another port of the
United States. Taking advantage of this
condition, merchants of San Francisco
who are engaged in the trade with the
Hawaiian Islands are refusing to furnish
to the collector at that point regarding
goods sent to or from the Hawaiian ISL
ands the general class of information
which they have for years been furnish
ing, but from which they claim they are
row 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.
AN OBJECT OF ATTENTION.
No feature of our import and export
trade has attracted so much attention
during the past year as that with the Ha-
waiian Islands. 1t was one spot where
the effect of annexation upon commerce
with the territory annexed could be
studied, since in the other territories
brought into close relation with the
United States conditions were not in oul
favor by reason of the war which had
existed previous to or Immediately FOL
lowing the new relationship. While the
growth of our commerce with Porto Rico
Cuba and the Philippine Islands had beer
very great, 1t had been difficult to de-
termine what proportion of the growth
was due to war conditions or what pro
portion to the new relations thus estab-
lished. In the case of the Hawaiian Isl
1
either previous or subsequent to annex
alton, and the growth of the commerce,
with the United States may be attributed
chiefly, if not wholly, to the close rela
ticns brought about by annexation an
the general business revival which fol
lowed that event.
GROWTH OF OUR COMMERCE.
The growth of our commerce with tn
Hawaiian Islands in the last few years
Especially in the years 1899 and 1900, ha
been phenomenal. This growth is espe
lcially interesting, in view of the new rela
ltionship which has been established wit
the islands and the marked increase whic
accompanied the final determination Q
that event. In 1890 the exports of tn
UNITED States to the Hawaiian Island
were S4,711,417 and in 1897 were $780, on
showing no growth from 1890 to 1897. /
1890 the imports into the United State
from the Hawaiian Islands were s12, 3l2, o!
and in 1897 were $13,6s7,799, showing but
slight growth.
The treaty of annexation was signed
Washington June 16, 1897, so that all tn
commerce of the fiscal year 1898 felt til
effect of that step in the process of ar
nexation. In that year the exports of I'll
United States to the Hawaiian Island
were s5,907. 1855 an increase of q per cen
over 1897, when they amounted to St,6S0,01
The treaty was ratified July z, 1885, an
sovereignty over the islands formal
transferred to the United States o
August II, 1898. thus bringing practical
all of the fiscal year 1899 within the perio
following the complete annexation. TT
exports to the Hawaiian Islands in II
fiscal year 1889 amounted to S9,305, 40, a
increase of over so per cent. On the in
port side the year 1895 showed an increai
of three and a half millions over 1897 an
the year 1900 showed another increase
three and a half millions over 1898 an
1899
The following table shows the con
merce between the United States and II
Hawaiian Islands in each year from is
t" 1900: