The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-01-18
Since the United States BY
Treaty and Otherwise Be-
gan to Give Aid.


Islands under American guidance Is
illustrated by figures presented in a
document Just received by the Bu-
reau of Statistics, Department OF
Comerce and Labor. The document,
entitled THE Hawaiian Annual,
1872" is issued annually by Thomas
G. Thrum, of Honolulu, and pre-
sents statistics OF the production,
commerce, finance, population and
education in those islands during a
term OF years down to 1911.
The figures Of growth since the
annexation of Hawaii to the United
States and, indeed, since the reci-
procity treaty of 1876 between the
islands and the United States, by
which freedom OF commercial inter-
change with this country was estab-
lfshed and investments OF American
capital thus assured, are extremely
interesting. A table shows, for ex-
ample, the production of sugar, by
far the most important product of
the Hawaiian Islands, from 1875
down to and including 1911. The
production OF sugar in 1875, the
year Immediately prior to the adop-
tion of the reciprocity treaty, is
given at % million pounds: by 1881
it had grown to "a million pounds I;
in 1891, 275 million; in 1901, 691
million; in 1910. LII million; and
in 1911, 1,01l million pounds, or
forty times as much in 1911 as in
1875. The value, which was stated
at one and one-fourth million
dollars in 1875, was given at thirty
six and three-fourth million in 1871 l
or thirty times as much in 1911 as
in 1875. Thus the quantity of sugar
produced in 1911 is forty times as
great as in the year Immediately
prior to the beginning of reciprocity,
and the value thirty times as great,
the relative difference in increase
between quantity and value being
due. Of course, to reduction in tSe
price of sugar meantime.
OF this increase of practically one
billion pounds in the sugar produc.
tion of the Hawaiian Islands since
the adoption of the reciprocity
agreement with the United States,
more than one-half has developed
since annexation, which occurred in
the year 1898. The sugar produc-
ton of 1897, the year Immediately
prior to that of annexation, was, ac-
cording to the table in question: $50
million pounds, as against % million
in 1875, the year Immediately pre-
ceding the reciprocity treaty, I'LL
million pounds in 1910 and 1,0ll
million in In 1911. Thus the in
crease in sugar production in the
islands during the twenty-five years
of reciprocity, 1876 to 1898, was
495 million pounds, and during the
period since annexation. 1898 to
1910. was 500 million pounds.
Sugar. however, is not the only
product OF the Hawaiian islands,
The statement shows numerous
other articles or products of the
islands, indicating that the recent
attempt at Investigation of produ2-
ton has been at least moderately
successful. The value OF canned
pineapples sent to the United States
alone in the fiscal year 1911 was
over two million dollars; of rice, the
quantity shipped to this country
from Hawaii in that year was six
and two-third million pounds; Of
coffee, two and three-fourth million
pounds; Of hides and skins, one and
one-half million pounds; OF bananas,
1T1,00O lunches; while of manufac-
lures of wood the value of the
shipments in 1911 was about Sl4G,-
900, BY far the largest item of
shipment to the United States Is
sugar, valued in .he fiscal year.
1911, at &c ga million dollars, and
40 20 million in, 1910. against l
IA million in 1876, the year of the
reciprocity treaty.
Practically all the imports into
the Hawaiian Islands are from the
United States, except few articles,
required by local conditions, which
can not be obtained in this country
The imports OF foreign merchandise
amounted to about five million dol
lars, made UP chiefly of nitrates
from the western coast of South
America, and Japanes products inn
ported. from Japan to meet the de,
mands Of the 10000 persons OF
Japanese birth or parentage now