Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-08
FACTS ABOUT HAWAII
COMMERCE FOR 1908 AMOUNTED
TO $40, 100000.
Largest Sugar Crop in the History of
the Islands-Natives Decrease,
japanese Increase.

Some interesting facts about present con-
ditions in Hawaii are presented by the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor, through
its bureau of statistics
Commerce of the Islands.
The commerce of the islands for 1903 is
given as $4,000 900 OF exports and $1,000
600 of imports. OF the imports over $40
100000 came from the United States, half
million from Great Britain, three fourths
of a million from British colonies, and near
" n million from Japan. OF the exports,
practically all are to the United States
The larger items Of imports are breadstufs
nearly a million and a half dollars in value;
cotton manufactu about SIWo,0oo IN
value; iron and steel manufactures also
about 81 100000, in round terms mineral
oils. over half million: provisions, about
$500 coo; tobacco, $4,000; lumber, SJUo.-
GCO and wines, malt liquors, and spirits
nearly $4,000.
The Largest Sugar Crop.
The sugar crop of 1898 is the largest ever
produced. aggregating I75,0o0,0oo pounds
against 800 0Oo. 900 pounds in 1898, 114,ooo,-
OcO hounds in 1883 and d, 100000 pounds In
1915 The growth of sugar production III
the islands from the date of the reciprocity
treaty in 1876 has been rapid, but the great
est growth has occurred In more recent
years. The total sugar production OF me
islands In 1879, the year prior TO the recl-
procity treaty. was in round terms %
OC0O0o pounds. by 1880 it was 63oVt,Uoo
pounds in 1890 it amounted to 26o,ooo'o
pounds and in 1903 above indicated,
IA S25 42O. The development of sugar pro-
duction since annexation has been very
rapid and the annual crop has ranged very
high, the total value of sugar exported
from the Hawaiian Islands in the five years
since annexation, 1S99-1903, was. in round
figures, $112 600 900; in the preceding five
years. Is94-1s9S, S63, O0O,0 600, and in the five
years 1SS9-1SG3, $i9OOo,OoO.
Land Reclaimed.
Another especially interesting fact de-
veloped in connection with the sugar pro-
duction of the islands is that in recent years
large tracts of land, formerly considered
valueless, have been brought under cultlVa-
ton by irrigation and made even more pro-
ductive than that upon which sugar was
produced without irrigation. Nearly one
half of the area now devoted to sugar IN
the Hawaiian Islands Is irrigated and more
than one-half of the sugar produced IS
grown upon irrigated lands, the average
production per acre on irrigated land being
more than twice as great as that upon land
which depends solely upon the rainfall.
japanese Increase, Natives Decrease.
Regarding population. the figures show
steady decrease in the number natives ana
a steady increase In the number of persons
of foreign birth, especially Japanese and
Chinese. In 1872 the number of natives
was, in round terms, 5000. and in lso"'
8OC0O. In 1872 the number of Chinese was,
in round terms, ZOO, and in 1900, 2o.oVo.
The record of japanese among the popula-
items begins only with 1881, when the num-
her was 116 persons but in 1900 the number
was over 81 600. The total population of
1872 Is given at SO, Sy7, and in 1900 at 154,-
col.
The relation OF nationality to plantation
labor shows the number of japanese to be
81 O29 out of a total of all nationalities of
42,242, these figures being for the year 1902.
The Japanese plantation laborers increased
from 1854 in 1894 to 81 ,029 in 1902; while
the Chinese laborers on sugar plantations
fell In number from STA in 1897 to 1881 in
1902. Portuguese are next in rank In the
number of sugar plantation laborers, the
number of Portuguese being 9, 500. the next
following this is Porto Ricans. 2,o36, while
native Hawaiians are only ,493 in number.