The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-06

years prior to the annexation of Hawaii
United States Consul General at Homo
lulu, and upon the extension of American
laws to the Islands, was appointed Col
lector of Internal Revenue. / resigned
this position last winter to come to
Washington as the resident attorney of
the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Associa-
ton.
Mr.. Atkins. made several references
last week to a delegation from the
Sandwich Islands. L am that delegation.
Hawaii being, as it were, the infant of
the American family, is naturally diff
dent in making suggestions regarding
legislation of national Importance. She
is not opposed to Cuba being assisted if
Congress in its wisdom decides that the
United States is morally responsible for
Cuba's welfare. When Hawaii sought and
obtained the blessing of American citi-
zenship she expected, and was willing.
to bear her share of the burdens of cit
izenship. She is perfectly willing to
stand her share of the expense of help
ing Cuba, but with her limited means
and small population she naturally OBJ
jects to being plunged into bankruptcy
that Cuba's absentee sugar planters may
be put on a more favorable footing than
she. From all that 1 can gather about
so per cent of those who Will profit by
a lowering of the duties on Cuban SUI
CARS are Spanish and Americans. To
give to Cuba a free market for her SUI
gar will be to give an alien people just
as much advantage as American citizen
ship gives to Hawaiians and the extra
advantage of not being obliged to con-
form to our stringent laws regarding
labor and immigration. With annexation
Hawaii lost her best source of labor sup
ply-China. The Islands are so isolated
that labor does not naturally come TO
Hawaii but must be sought. Prior to
annexation she could assist immigration
and protect herself by making a con-
tract All those advantages she gave UP
for annexation and free protected mar
ket. The prohibition against importing
Chinese and the laws against assisted
and contract labor has added greatly to
the cost of producing her one and 1
might say only staple. 1t must be borne
in mind that Hawaii produces practical
ly nothing that she uses. All her food,
clothing, machinery and in fact every
thing but a few vegetables, come from
the States and the only thing she has to
pay with is sugar.
Hawaii, with an area, approximately,
of 10000 acres of land suitable for the
cultivation of sugar cane, produced last
year and sold in American market, 360,038
tons of raw sugar valued at $27,O93, 923.i1,
which was &c q per cent of her total ex-
ports of every description (S2s, O54. 430. 43).
1t is impossible to state exactly what
she purchased from the mainland last
year. because since June 18th, 1900, al
which time Hawaii was ushered in as
Territory under American rule, no entry
of goods has been required when ship
ped to or from the mainland. but fairly
accurate estimate based on the official |
figures for 1929 places the imports in
round numbers at $50, 000,o
From the above figures it viii be seen
that our little territory is good GUS
toner of the mainland, and that she re-
lies entirely on the proceeds from her
sugar TO pay her bills.
Hawaii bought last year from the
States s142.75 worth of goods for each |
man, woman and child on the Islands |
Cuba to do well, would have to pur- |
chase S225, 600 900 from us.
All my adult life has been spent in the !
consular service of the government. l !
nave done my share working for addi- |!
.ional foreign markets for American |
goods, and I appreciate how important it |
s, but in working to that end it is not /
good policy to sacrifice a sure home mar |
Iet. With annexation came a big boom |
n sugar. The people believed that a |
market was assured, and were |
willing to invest large sums of money in !,