The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-01-09
Views of Senator J. G.,
Burrows.
THE TERRITORIAL FORM
Why Hawaii Should GO Into the
Union on Plan Of CuI-
Iom Bill,

The following is from the Dry Goods
Economist
hardly a question that will come be.
fore the 56th Congress is so important
or will receive such careful consider
alton as the disposition which the
United States must make OF the prob
lens presented in providing govern
ments for the islands which have re-
Gently come into our possession. From
a trade standpoint we must consider
how speedily we can make the neces-
sary arrangements to give American
manufacturers and exporters the great
est advantages in these new markets.
/ do not doubt that our new posses
sions have undeveloped resources of
boundless extent which the enterprise
and industry of the American people
will develop within a very few years.
Some time must pass, however, before
any immediate returns can be had
from this source, while there Is no
reason why Congress should not speed
lily enact the legislation necessary to
open some of these markets to Amer-
that will give our people an advantage
of the utmost Importance.
Our relations to Cuba, the Philip
pines, Puerto Rico and Hawaii are by
no means similar, and to some extent
the problems presented by the PROPOSE
ton to enlarge our markets in their
ports are entirely different. In trying
10 solve them We must bear in mind
that important questions of national
be kept in view, and it will be possible
10 take immediate steps with regard to
some of these islands that must be de-
layed for some time at least with re-
gard to others.
AS to Hawaii.
There seems to be nothing in the
way of the very early passage of the
legislation necessary to extend our
general statutes and custom laws to
the Hawaiian Islands. In the last Con-
gress comprehensive measures were
introduced in both houses by Senator
Cullom and Representative Hit pro-
yiding a territorial government for
hawaii, and the House passed a bill
providing that the laws of"the United
States relating TO commerce, naviga
tion and merchant seamen are hereby
fhlbHutu 10 anu over lue ISlduuS anu
waters of the islands ceded to the Unit
ed States by the government of Hawaii
and accepted by joint resolution of
Congress, approved July T. 1898 so far
as such laws may be applicable" This
measure was intended to extend our
tariff laws to the Hawaiian Islands,
and with some slight notifications it
w..s favorabiy reported to the Senate.
Owing to parliamentary complications
the bill did not become a law, bu. a
similar measure ought to pass at a
very early date.
In reporting fayorably upon this
measure and the one making Hawaii a
territory of the United States, the COM
m-ttee OF the two houses We're influence
ed by practical considerations relating
solely to Hawaii and its trade with the
United States, and questions of general
policy or precedent in the establish
ment of governments in the future for
other insular possessions of the United
States had no weight Neither the
fear nor the hope of the future state
hood of the islands had any place in
the discussion of the bill or the con
illusions reached There can be no
duobt of the present needs and fitness |
of the people of Hawaii for the gov
ernment proposed. nor of the advan- |
tages which American business men
will reap by reason of closer trade re-
lations with the islands. The high |
civilization prevailing in Hawai-, the
general diffusion of education, the law
abiding character of the people. their
general knowledge of the institutions |,
of the United States and long-cherish- |
ed desire to enjoy the blessings of these
inStitntinns fairly ont II 10 thnOn To tho |
representative government of terri |
tory, and promise to make them pat
rons of constantly increasing import |
ance of all lines of American trade, |
and especially of textiles. When the
tariff duties are eliminated American
manufacturers of cottons, woollens and |
even OF silk goods, ought to be able to
compete advantageously with the |
cheapest products of equal quality that
can be produced even by the ill-paid |
labor of the Orient. When it comes TO
manufactures of textile fabrics such as
wearing apparel, millinery, ETC., ii goes |
without saying that the United States |
will in a short time practically monop- |
olize the trade of the islands.
Puerto Ricos Importance.
We know less OF Puerto Rico than of
Hawaii, but We know enough TO ap-
preciate the importance of the islands
as market for American goods now
and hereafter. The people are doubt
less the most enlightened and most
highly educated of the inhabitants of
any of our insular possessions except
ing possibly Hawaii. The island is at
our doors and the cost of placing our
products in Porto Rican markets is
probably less, so far as Eastern factor
les are concerned, than the cost OF lay
ing down goods in the far Western
s.ates AT present the tariff duties are
not only high but they lack scientific
adjustment the present code being rec
ognized merely as a makeshift de-
signed to meet the demands of military
occupation. A measure similar to that
to be drafted in the case OF Hawaii will
probably be formulated for Porto Rico
before many months and territorial
hat ,tttll n