Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-08-21

Cross by Hon. O. p. Austin, chief OF
the bureau of statistics. Department
Of Comm cree and Labor, before the
American Association for the Ad
vanCeDent Of Science and the Man
nfacIUreTs Club of Philadelphia
printed in the Congressional Record
July l.. 1912. It's references TO what
vail in the line Of tropical products
are calculated to make our business
men sit up and take notice:
In one great class of products we
nave been in the past absolutely de-
pendent on other countries. While it
Is true that we are the worlds great
est producer OF bread and meat and
coal and iron and steel manufactures,
We have been in the past entirely de-
pendent upon other parts of the
world for tropical products. And it
is in these articles that the chief
growth in our importations has oC
CURED. Year by year the people con
sumo increased quantities of tropical
productions for food and drink. Our
imports of sugar have grown from
little more than 1,000,000,000 pounds
in 1870 to five and one-half billions
at the present time, if we include that
from our own tropical islands: those
Of coffee from 235, 100000 pounds tG
nearly 1,O00OO0,00O; tea from 47,O0O,-
600 pounds 10 100,000,000; and cacao
from less than 100000 pounds to
150,0O0,00O.
But more important than this is
the fact that the great manufacturing
interests of the country. are making
greater and greater demands upon
the Tropics for their supplies of raw
materials. The imports of fibers;
chiefly tropical which in 1870
amounted to less than $4,000 tons,
were last year nearly, $4,000 tons;
time increased from less than 10000
600 pounds to over 100,000,00O pounds;
tobacco, from 100000 pounds to So
100000 pounds; silk, from half a mil
lion pounds to over 100000 pounds;
and cotton, from less than 100000
pounds to over 100,O00,000.
The result is that the value of
tropical and subtropical products i'm
ported has grown from $143,000,000
in 1870 to about $700,000,000, includ-
ing that from our own islands. The
value of our imports classified as
manufacturers raw materials" in
1890 was $160,080,000 and amounted
tG 20 per cent Of the total; in the
year just ended the value of manu-
facturers' materials imported was
about $3.50, 100000, and formed about
SO per cent of the grand total.
Our Growing Dependence Upon the
Tropics.
What does this mean? Clearly that
We are increasing our dependence up
On the Tropics.
What does it mean to the qpreduc-
ers and manufacturers and exporters
of the country? Clearly that they
should seek to pay in the products of
the field and factory for the increas-
ing millions Of tropical products
which they import and must continue
TO import, and that in the great un-
developed markets of South America
and Africa and Asia and Oceania,
which supply these tropical products,
We should seek to enlarge our sales
and encourage mutual interchange of
commodities.
What does it mean to this Nation
which has recently extended it's con-
troll over three great groups of trop-
ical islands with an area of 100000
square miles, population of 10000
600 people, and an unmeasured posi-
bllity for the production of the very
articles which we are now importing
In increased quantities and must con-
tlnue TO import in greater quantities?
Clearly that much of this great mass
of the necessities of life and manu-
facture which we are now importing
can be produced under the American
flag, with American capital, and by@
American citizens.
Amy one of these islands, Porto
REQ, Hawaii, Guam, Tutuila and tho
Philippines Islands. is capable of pro-
ducing part of the hemp, the jute,
the coffee, the cacao, the tropical
fruits, the sugar, the hgih-grade to-
bGcco, and probably the silk and the
tea and and india rubber for which
We are now sending hundreds of mil
lions of dollads to other countries |
would not see them take dollar from
the earnings of the American farmer,
but until he can produce at home the
sugar and the high grade tobacco and
silk and rice for which we are now
sending our millions abroad why
should We not eXpend that money in
cur own islands, and in so doing build
UP in them a splendid market for our
products of the farm and factory?
Looking to Hawaii.
The Hawaiian Islands have incraas-
ed their producing power more than
thirtyfold since We annexed them com
merCially bv the reciprocity treaty Of