Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-09-08
HAWAlT'S TRADE
SINCE ANNEXATION
With MAINLAND


Washington. Aug. "a. - Commerce
between the United States and its
non-contiguous territory amounted to
more than $1OO.O0O,OOO in the fiscal
year Just ended. This figure Of $780,.
100000 includes about $5.00O,OOO
worth of gold bullion produced in
Alaska and brought into the United
States. Even excluding this, however.
and including only merchandise in the
calculation, the total amounts to $685..
$4,000.
This is the first opportunity which
has been offered for an accurate meas.
urement and analysis Of the commerce
between the United states and its non.
contiguous territory since the anncXa.
| ton Of the Hawaiian Islands and Por'
to Rico. The Hawaiian Islands were
made customs district Of the United
| States when they were annexed, and
as the law did not require the collec.
/ ton of statistics Of commerce be-
/ tween the customs districts. part Of
I the people engaged in that commerce
refused to supply such information to
the Bureau OF Statistics. When Porto
Rico became customs district Of the
United States a similar condition de-
vcloped. except that the information
was voluntarily supplied for publica.
ton by the steamship companies en-.
gagged IN that trade. As a result a
special law was enacted which applied
to the commerce between the various
ports Of the United States and the
non.contiguous territory, the regula-
lions which were applied to foreign
commerce. as far as relates to statis-
tics of such commerce. This law
went into effect at the beginning Of
the last fiscal year, and therefore the
result of the fiscal years operation is
Is Just available. The law, when en-.
acted, was made broad enough to in.
cludc all non.contiguous territory be.
longing TO She United States. As re.
suit Il gives the statistics of the com.
merce between Alaska and the ports
Of the United States, as well as that OF
Hawaii, Porto Rico, Philippines, Guam,
the Samoan Islands. etc. This record
has been completed for the fiscal year
under the new law, and the result is
indicated by the Department of Com.
merce and Labor through its Bureau
OF Statistics. as follows:
Shipments from the United
States to its non.contig-
uous territory, 1903. IS 3G.722,94l
Receipts Of merchandise
from non-Contiguous ter
rltory. 1903 ........... 5S,S9i,7l7
Gold bullion received from
Alaska domestic produc-
tom ................. 4,7l9,579
Total .............Sl 500, 1871 23I
While these annual figures are the
first of any official nature which the
country has had of the commerce with
Porto Rico and the Hawaiian Islands
since their annexation, It Is practicable
to compare these with the figures of
the commerce with these islands in
any year prior TO annexation because
of the fact that commerce with them
was always measured and reported
when they were foreign territory,
This Is true also with the Philippines
, In regard to Alaska no accurate stats
tics Of the commerce were gathered
, prior to the last year, but estimates
were made for former years, which
give fair basis for comparison. It Is
practicable, then, TO compare the com
merce Of 1908 with that of 1898, fol
/ all of this territory which has now be
come a part of the United States. This
: comparison shows that the imports
| from these various territories aggre
4 gated, in round numbers, $29,O0O,00
= in 1898, and $59,O00,O0O in 1903 ant
. that exports to that territory amount
I ed to less than sS,0Oo,O0O in 1898, ant
= more than s36,OOO,OOO in 1908.
d The following table shows the valu,
Of merchandise passing between tn
ports Of the United States and its non
= contiguous territory in the fiscal yea
g 1908, compared with that of 1893:
( Imports from 1898, 1903
y Porto Rico IS 4,OOS,G 23 s11,O5I, 10