No. 384.
Mr. Comly
to Mr. Evarts.
Honolulu, March 15, 1880. (Received April 1.)
Sir: I have the honor of transmitting copies of Hawaiian customhouse statistics, covering the year 1879.
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It will be observed that this year the imports of rice into the Hawaiian Islands do not appear separately, but are covered under some general heading. It is probable that they are smaller than last year.
The imports of “machinery” are reported as follows:
| 1. Value of goods paying duty | $342,979 98 |
| 2. Value of goods free by treaty | 199,477 18 |
I have confidentially verified a conjecture which struck me in examining these statistics, that “machinery paying duty” consists almost entirely of sugar “plants” and parts of plants from Great Britain; and that that “free by treaty” consists chiefly of steam-tpowers, sewing-machines, and other patented articles which cannot be bought elsewhere than in the United States. I learn from the same source that there is not one sugar plant from the United States during the entire year, and very little sugar machinery of any kind.
During the year there were seven full plants and two nearly full plants, besides other machinery, from Great Britain.
Again, the values, as stated, are misleading. The British sugar plants are invoiced by the manufacturer at Glasgow at net cost in the manufactory. They are sold here, after going through the custom-house, with all profits, costs, expenses, commissions, freights, tariffs, &c., added to the manufacturer’s invoice.
The value, as reported, is therefore not more than 50 per centum of the real value of British machinery imported to these islands.
For example, four or five of the sugar plants from Glasgow, Scotland, are invoiced at a uniform figure, a fraction over $32,000. One only is put at about $50,000.
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Now, I am told that the planters have paid for these plants all the way along from $42,000 to $80,000. A glance at the table giving valuations of cargoes of merchant vessels will be suggestive, as nearly the whole cargo of all vessels from Glasgow would show sugar machinery.
The Secretary of State will see that these facts arid statistics confirm all I have said in former dispatches as to the bulk of the trade in sugar machinery having been absorbed by British manufacturers. The planters are not wholly or only to blame. An enterprising Scotch manufacturer has been here taking orders for his machinery and exploiting its merits. All the sugar plants received this year have been from his manufactory. Our manufacturers have neglected to work up a trade in sugar machinery until the best of it is already gone for years. The manufacturers on the Pacific Coast have lucrative business in mining machinery, and Eastern manufacturers seem to have ignored the business altogether.
As to most other items, there is a very gratifying showing for the United States. Our trade here is increasing considerably, and about 70 per cent. of the tonnage covers American bottoms.
I have, &c.,