The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-08-14
SUGAR and RECIPROCITY
MADE FOR PROSPERITY.
San Francisco Bulletin
Discusses the
Islands.
HaWlIPS KEEN Competitors.
COMPLETE AND INTERESTING
RECORD OF COMMERCIAL
PROGRESS OF ISLANDS.
Wonderful Increase of Exports and
Imports Since 1899 Brought
Down to the
Present.


ends as a part OF the United States
was formally and finally completed By
the operation of the act of Congress
which went into effect on June IA. This
new addition TO American territory
comprises a group OF eight Islands
within the limits of latitude 19 TO -
degrees Is minutes north and longitude
l54 to $50 degrees 20 minutes west
The total area is 6t49 square miles.
The latest census for 1896 gave these
Islands a population OF 10000. OF
which 31,019 were natives. % .329 Jap
anese. 1882 Chinese, 1898 native
born foreigners, siS5 part Hawaiians,
1922 Portuguese, 2266 Americans, 1888
British. Sl2 German and 1924 other for
eigners. OF the total, 30,20l were under
Is years of age. 1868 from Is TO 80,
&c. 1874 from As to 90, and 4150 over 90
years. The number OF natives has de-
creased from 70.036 in 1853 to 81 ,019 in
1896. The estimated population on June
30, 1899 was 134,95 We presume ii is
5000 now.
Sugar and American reciprocity have
made the new Territory a prosperous
section of the world. The reciprocity
treaty was signed by President Grant
on May 81, 1875. This treaty having
been formally exchanged was ratified
by the United States Congress on May
s, 1876, by a vote of 116 to 101. 1t
has proved a great benefit to the Isl
ands in the stimulation it has given 70
the cultivation of sugar. which is ai-
mitted free into the United States. In
this respect the Islands have enjoyed
advantages that have not been accord
ed to any other part of the world. SO
long as the United States continues TO
exact duty on sugar grown elsewhere,
this industry will thrive. But when
Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands
come in as American territories, Ha-
wall will have competitors both on the
Pacific and Atlantic coasts that may
materially affect the profits of sugar
raising. unless the consumption is
greatly increased.
Il is wonderful how a single staple
product can do so much for COM
paratively small population as the cui-
tivation of sugar cane has done for the
people of the Hawaiian Islands. This
Industry is the work of the last half
century 1t is only about sixty years
ago that the first sugar importations
were made from Honolulu. There Is
a close analogy between the discovery
of gold in California and the inaugu-
ration of sugar cultivation for export
at the Hawaiian Islands. California has
had this trade from the start, and Cali
fornia capital has been prominent
factor in its development. Oregon had
the opportunity before California, but
failed to grasp it. Refiners were es-
tablished in San Francisco, and our
people not only invited the Hawaiian
planters to send their sugar here to be
refined. but purchased it before arrival,
and large quantities of it were sold
and entered directly into consumption
just as it was shipped from Honolulu.
Capital was loaned and lands bought
for sugar cultivation by parties in this
city.
Fifty years ago the Hawaiian ISL
ands were little more than rendez-
vous for the New Bedford whaling fleet
in the Arctic, 1t was customary at
that time to ship sailors from Massa-
chusetts on whalers for three years
cruise A good portion OF that time
was spent in getting the vessels to the
whale fisheries and back home. The
custom was, at the close of the season,
to head them for the Hawaiian Islands
TO discharge and refit during the winter
season. As many as fifty of these
whalers have been grouped about Ho-
nolulu and Hilo during the closed sea-
son in the Arctic. Hardly one OF them
had sufficient oil and bone to justify the
| owners in sending her home, so the
catches of several of the vessels We're
punched TO make up full cargo, and
certain vessels were selected to take the
/ freight and make the voyage home
| The remainder were freshly supplied
| with provisions and water and started
| on on another cruise in the South Pa
cific and thence TO the north in the
spring.
What the commerce OF the Hawaiian
| Islands was sixty years ago we do no;
| know. beyond the fact that il was OF
| little Importance. Even in 1S43. say
| ffty-seven years ago. the imports Were
only s2a3. SSS. and the exports s66.6lS
Ten years later the imports were 81
400, sI5 and the exports $i72. 9s6- At the
end of another decade, say in 1868. the
imports were 81 lis. 4S5 and the exports
sl,oa5, $50 1t was during that decade
tina. the Hawaiians began TO show self
reliance As will be observed. the in
ports for 1868 were $s25 600 less than
for 1858. whereas the exports were moro
| than double II was at some perios
during that decade that the one-sidet
character OF American commerce fully
| adjusted itself and the exports bal
aneed the imports. whereas. preyiousl,
the imports had been largely in exees.
OF the exports Increased attention Il
the cultivation of sugar about that tins
is what turned the scale. and almos
Immediately afterwards the exports OK
eeeded the imports. and have so con
tinned TO the present time.
Since 1859 the commerce of the Ha
waiian Islands has been as follows;
Imports Exports
1850 an Sca .