But a change of facts and circumstances in recent years is bringing
near the time when this well-sustained power must be strongly
reinforced. In a large and increasing degree other influences have
come in to counterbalance and relatively to decrease the American
missionary influences. The native population of sixty years ago is
reduced to
[Page 316]
less than a
third it then was, and is continually growing less. The chiefs, who
were formerly the supports of monarchy and mainly controlled the
affairs of the islands and who for many years were largely
influenced by the teachings of the American pastors, no longer
exist. The grave has closed over them forever. The native pastors,
who now hold the places once occupied by the American missionaries,
have not the strong American sympathies of their predecessors, and
if they had they possess not the strength of character to hold their
parishes by any effective influence relative to affairs of
government. Of the ninety thousand population now on these islands
less than one-half is of the original Hawaiian race, and but a small
proportion of the lands and other property are in their
possession.
The following is believed to be very nearly the present make-up of
the population: Natives, 37,500; half-cast, 5,000; Chinese, 19,000;
American, 3,000; Hawaiian, born of foreign parents, 3,000; Britons,
1,250; Portuguese, 12,000; Germans, 1,500; French, 150; Japanese,
8,400; Norwegian, 250; other foreigners, 500; Polynesian, 500;
total, 92,050. It is not necessary for me to elaborate the argument
to show that a population thus composed has not the inherent
tendencies and unity of force to hold them to American interests. It
is doubtless true that more than one-half of the property of the
country to-day is possessed by those of American birth or of
American blood. But wealthy men of other nationalities are becoming
numerous here, and the number of adventurers and of those of
cosmopolitan ideas, caring little for any country, is always
considerable in lands peopled as this now is, with commercial and
political circumstances as they are.
To thwart and hold in check the increasing influences here hostile to
the United States some effective measures are absolutely necessary.
In view of the facts as they existed for half a century a drifting
policy was safe enough. Rapidly changing circumstances demand a
prompt abandonment of the drifting policy of the past. Left to
themselves, the prevailing logical force of things would ultimately
drive out the best American elements and swamp these islands with
adverse influences. To hold an assimilating control of the largely
preponderating Asiatic and native Hawaiian population there must be
maintained an American policy, strong, conservative, but not costly,
if adopted in time. The longer this is postponed the more difficult
and expensive it will be in the end to secure the desired result.
The laying of an ocean cable from San Francisco to Honolulu, with
the aid of the United States Government, and the expenditure of a
sufficient sum of money to make a fair commencement of the
improvement of Pearl Harbor would be of immediate benefit to
American commerce, would be a salutary notice to foreign powers of
our intentions in these waters, and operate as a powerful incentive
to retain and to increase an enterprising and influential American
population in these islands.
As monarchy and feudalism, formally so strong here, have no longer
any solid foundation, and government has become constitutional, and
largely by the ballot, the moral pressure of the United States is
absolutely necessary to enable the Americans and other intelligent
citizens of the country to withstand the Asiatic and other
influences adverse to Christian civilization, its laws, and
agencies. Fairly governed and retained under auspicious American
influences, these islands are capable of supporting a population of
250,000, possessing financial resources ample to pay all the taxes
necessary for the support of their institutions and the ordinary
means of defense. The vital question, one that can not be possibly
ignored or held in abeyance, is: Shall Asiatic or
[Page 317]
American civilization ultimately
prevail here? The near future is to show conclusively that only the
strong pressure and continual vigilance of the United States can
enable American men and American ideas to hold ascendency here and
make these islands as prosperous and valuable to American commerce
and to American marine supremacy in the North Pacific as the isles
of the Mediterranean have been and are to its adjacent nations. The
data in possession of the Department of the Navy, and doubtless well
known to the Department of State, show how valuable Pearl Harbor
easily can be made as a commercial marine and naval station, and the
great and pressing importance of an ocean cable, under American
control, is so plainly obvious as to require no elaborate argument
for its clearer demonstration.
The most careful study of the situation here leads me to urge a
limited appropriation for Pearl harbor, financial aid to the ocean
cable, and such modification of the existing treaty as shall
increase the American population here and permanently strengthen the
bonds between Hawaii and the United States. The sooner this is done
the less difficult and expensive it will be in the end. It is
certain that time and events will not wait for us, and that a
drifting and waiting policy is now the most hazardous.
Honolulu, H. I., March 13, 1890.
His Excellency S. M.
Damon,
His Majesty’s Minister of
Finance:
Sir: In conformity with the provisions
of section 553 of the Civil Code, I have the honor to submit to
your excellency the annual report of the business of this bureau
for the year ended December 31, 1889.
I beg to call your excellency’s attention to the reports with
each table, which, I think, will give more information than in
former years. Your attention in particular is called to tables
numbers 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.
The exports have increased from $4,875,694 in 1880 to $13,874,341
in 1889, and the imports from $3,673,268 in 1880 to $5,438,790
in 1889.
The trade with the United States has increased 5.78 per cent
during the past year, and is now 79.10 per cent of our entire
imports.
Our exports, virtually, all go to the United States. The exports
of our principal product, sugar, has increased over the exports
of previous years, as follows: 1889, 242,165,825 pounds,
against—
| Year. |
Quantity. |
Increase. |
|
Pounds. |
Pounds. |
| 1877 |
25,575,965 |
216,589,879 |
| 1878 |
38,431,458 |
203,734,377 |
| 1879 |
49,020,972 |
193,144,863 |
| 1880 |
63,584,471 |
178,581,364 |
| 1881 |
93,789,483 |
148,376,352 |
| 1882 |
114,177,938 |
127,987,897 |
| 1883 |
114,107,155 |
128,058,680 |
| 1884 |
142,654,923 |
99,510,912 |
| 1885 |
171,350,314 |
70,815,521 |
| 1886 |
216,223,615 |
25,942,220 |
| 1887 |
212,763,647 |
29,402,188 |
| 1888 |
235,888,346 |
6,277,489 |
An average increase of 119,035,144 pounds per year.
Rice has fallen off from the output of 1888, 3,208,704 pounds; a
large amount of this shortage is due to the number of Japanese
laborers having been introduced. The true amount of rice
produced in this Kingdom can never be ascertained from the
records of this Bureau for the reason that this article is used
to a greater or less, extent by our own population.
[Page 318]
Wool has decreased to 241,925 pounds. The export of this article
reached its highest point in 1882 and its lowest in 1887.
Bananas have increased in the number of bunches exported from
1876 to the present year, when it reached 105,630 bunches.
Tallow has decreased from the amount exported last year.
Molasses has increased slightly.
The manifested value of sugar for the past year was 5.45 cents
per pound.
It will be seen by reference to the table that the United States
received practically all of our domestic products.
Japan imported 92 head of Hawaiian cattle.
China did not import anything. In former years a large amount of
betel leaves and tallow have been exported there.
Our import trade with the various countries of the world has
increased to a considerable extent. The aggregate of our imports
for 1888 was $4,540,887, while for 1889, $5,438,790, an increase
of $897,903. Reviewing our trade with each country, we find that
we imported from the United States 79.10 per cent, an increase
of 5.78 per cent over the previous year, or more particularly an
increase of $976,108 from that country alone; from Great Britian
12.38 per cent, a falling off from the previous year; from China
and Japan 3.68 per cent, also a slight falling off; and from
other countries a similar falling off. The relation which our
imports from the United States of free by treaty and goods
paying duty bear to each other is as 4 of the former to 1 of the
latter. The class of goods which compose the duty-paying class
are to a great extent of foreign origin, and American beer and
wines.
The United States received the bulk of our trade, both in exports
and imports; Great Britain received 3.45 per cent, and China and
Japan 1.10 per cent.
The trade of the United States with this Kingdom has increased
1.61 per cent over that of 1888.
The total imports and exports have increased from $16,248,486 in
1888, to $19,313,132 for the period just ended.
The increase in the imports and exports carried by American
vessels in 1868 was 66.19 per cent, while in 1889 it carried
72.34 per cent. The percentage carried by vessels of other
nations has decreased in each case.
The imports of specie for the year just ended amounted to
$1,146,925, and $1,207,555 for the previous year, showing a
slight falling off.
The exports of gold increased from $23,935 for 1888, to $40,477
for 1889.
The value of our foreign and domestic goods exported amounted to
$13,874,341. The value of foreign goods exported amounted to
$64,270, it being the smallest amount exported for ten years
past.
The value of our domestic exports has increased $2,178,635 over
the previous year, and it represents a production of $172.62½
per capita for the entire population, basing the calculation on
the census returns of 1884.
The vessels engaged in carrying our domestic products were
divided among principally four nationalities. American, guaged
by the value, carried 80.22 per cent against 73.09 per cent in
1888; Hawaiian, 15.20 per cent against 21.72 per cent for the
previous year, the falling off being occasioned by one of the
regular steamers being laid up for repairs and an American
vessel taking its place.
The number of Hawaiian-regi tered vessels has decreased in number
as well as in tonnage. This has been caused through the sale
abroad of the bark Kalakaua and the
brigantine Allie Rowe, the breaking up in
port of the bark Lilian and the
brigantine Hazard, and the losing of the
bark James A. King and the schooner Jennie Walker by being wrecked.
The additions to the list were the steamers Hawaii and Akamai; the bark Andrew Welch and Footing Suey, and the brigantine Geo. H. Douglass, and the sloop Keaolani, all vessels of the first class.
We have in our merchant marine five vessels built of iron, three
being steamers, and among the coasters one iron steamer. The
number of men employed by all vessels, both merchantmen and
coasters, is 850, in the capacity of sailors.
The number and tonnage of vessels entered and cleared at all
ports, Hawaiian Islands, remain about the same as in the
previous year. The total number entered has increased, while the
tonnage has decreased, showing that vessels of smaller tonnage
have been employed.
Vessels under the American flag had a total tonnage of 129,095,
and in 1888, 113,459; British, 19,139, and in 1888, 29,519;
Hawaiian, 54,813, against 64,607; German, 4,197, against 5,820
for the previous year.
There was an excess of departure of passengers and tourists of 53
during the year, as against 499, excess if departures in 1888;
while there was an excess of arrivals of immigrants of 1,358,
which indicates that there was a gain to the population of this
Kingdom of 1,305. The Chinese population has decreased by 1,059
persons; 32 Chinese females have arrived, and 43 have
departed.
[Page 319]
The consumption of spirits in this kingdom varies very little
from that of 1888, save in the withdrawals of beer, which has
increased from 40,000 gallons to 61,000 gallons for the year
just ended. The consumption of light wine remains about the
same. European wines, which have been always of a high test,
have been all along displaced by California wines; but during
the past year the experiment was tried of importing a quantity
of a lower test, corresponding to its California rival. The
result is a small increase in its consumption.
There has been an unexpected increase in the receipts for duties
in some articles which showed a decrease in 1888, while others
have unexpectedly fallen off, but the total amount shows a
slight increase over the previous year. It largely exceeds our
estimate for the biennial period, which was estimated at
$500,000 per year.
Marine railway.—I would draw your
excellency’s attention to the increasing importance of the
marine railway, and since the arrival of the warship Nipsic from Samoa was placed on the
railway for extensive repairs many foreign vessels have taken
advantage of it through the experience gained from that
vessel.
The number of coasters and merchantmen placed thereon during 1889
was 70, of which number 33 were steamers, the largest being
1,070 tons and the smallest 18 tons; and the other 37 were
sailing vessels, the largest being 1,088 tons and the smallest 6
tons. The demands made upon the statistical department of this
Bureau has largely increased during the past year, and is likely
to increase with the increase of our commerce and as we become
better known abroad. It is on account of these ever increasing
demands, and increasing commerce that our report is later than
usual.
I have the honor to be, sir, your excellency’s most obedient
servant,
A. S. Cleghorn,
Collector-General of
Customs.
