Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-27
OUR HAWAIIAN TRADE
Recent Commercial Growth Has Been
Phenomenal.
The EFFECT OF ANNEXATION
Records for the Last Ten Years
TabuIated.
ARE NOW TERMIN ATED

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 Congress
which extended to these islands practically
all Of the laws Of the United States Is con-
strued as rendering the commerce between
the United States and the islands coast
wise in its character. The laws with refer
ence to the gathering of statistics OF our
commerce require importers and export
ers to file with the collectors Of customs at
the ports at which goods enter or at which
they leave the country a specific statement
of the quality and value Of each article i'm
ported or exported The law does not re-
quire, however, this detailed information
with reference 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 Ha-
waian Islands are refusing to furnish to the
collector at that point regarding goods sent
to or from the Hawaiian Islands the gen
eral 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.
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 Hawaiian
Islands, 1t was one spot where the effect
Of annexation upon commerce with the ter
ritory annexed could be studied, since in
the other territories brought into close rela-
ton, vryttI h.
not In our 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 been
very great, it had been difficult to determine
what proportion Of the growth was due to
war conditions or what proportion to the new
relations thus established In the case Of the
Hawaiian Islands, however. no war condi-
tions existed, either previous or subsequent
to annexation, and the growth Of the COM
merce with the United States may be at
tributed chiefly, If not wholly, to the close
relations brought about by annexation and
the general business revival which followed
that event.
Growth of Our Commerce.
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 Is especial
ly interesting. in view Of the new relation
ship which has been established with the
Islands and the marked increase which ac-
companied the final determination Of that
event. In 1890 the exports of the United
States to the Hawaiian Islands were S4,-
711,417 and In 1897 were s., $50, O75 showing
no growth from 1890 to 1897 In 1890 tho
imports into the United States from the
Hawaiian Islands were 2312 O98 and in
1897 were $13, 6S7, 799, showing but a slight
growth.
The treaty of annexation was signed in
Washington June 16, 1897. SO that all the
| commerce of the fiscal year 1898 felt the
effect of that step in the process Of annex
alton. In that year the exports of the
United States to the Hawaiian Islands were
S5.907 ;155, an increase of 81 per cent over
1897, when they amounted to 81, $50 O75
The treaty was ratified July Z, 1898, and
sovereignty over the islands formally
transferred to the United States on August
r. 1893, thus bringing practically all Of
the fiscal year 1899 within the period fol-
lowing the complete annexation The ex-
ports to the Hawaiian Islands in the fiscal
year 1899 amounted to S9,305. 470, an in
crease of over 80 per cent On the import
side the year 1898 showed an increase of
three and half millions over 1897 and the
year 1900 showed another increase of three
and half millions over 1898 and 1899.
The following table shows the commerce
between the United States and the Hal
waian Islands in each year from 1890 to
1900:
Imports from Exports tc