Prior to the negotiation of the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty in 1876, the commerce of the islands was inconsiderable, and was in a languishing condition. Population, exports, imports, and shipping-all were steadily decreasing, as the following figures show:

Table showing condition of the Hawaiian trade for six years prior to reciprocity treaty.

From the day the reciprocity treaty went into operation the island trade in all its branches increased rapidly, and to-day Hawaii is the best customer which the Pacific coast has the largest consumer of United States products of any single country bordering on the Pacific. The following table shows the change wrought since the treaty:

Table showing improved condition of Hawaiian trade for the last five years, the result of the reciprocity treaty.

While the United States as a whole is benefited by Hawaiian trade, the Pacific coast finds it one of the most profitable in which it engages. The figures for the full year 1896 showing the trade of the Pacific coast are not yet available. The following figures are from the published statement of San Francisco's commerce for the year ending November 30, 1896:

Table showing comparatire importance of San Francisco exports to Hawaii, and to some other countries, for the year ending November 30, 1896.

Australia.

Hawaii....

All of Central America.

China

Japan

Mexico..

All Europe except Great Britain

All of Asia and Oceanica, except China and Japan..

New Zealand, Samoa, Marquesas, Cook, Fiji, Friendly, Marshall, Caro

British Columbia ....

line and all other Polynesian islands combined

All of South America

$3,932, 000 3,588,000 3, 440, 000 2,989,000 2,270,000 1,469, 000

1, 446, 000 1,298, 000

684,000 431,000

294,000

STATEMENT SHOWING

COMPARATIVE

IMPORTANCE OF SAN FRANCISCO EXPORTS OF PRINCIPAL ARTICLES TO HAWAII AND SOME OTHER COUNTRIES.

WINE.

Hawaii is San Francisco's second best foreign wine customer. Central America is the only country which took more of San Francisco's wine than Hawaii, and all that prevents Hawaii from standing first on the list is that all the Central American Republics are grouped and treated as one country in the statistics.

SALMON.

Hawaii is San Francisco's third best purchaser of salmon. The only countries that bought more than Hawaii were Australia and England. Hawaii bought more salmon from San Francisco in 1896 than all the rest of the countries of the world added together, leaving out England, Australia, and New Zealand.

BARLEY.

Hawaii was the third largest consumer of barley exported by San Francisco, having taken barley to the amount of $139,000.

The only countries which took more barley than Hawaii were England and Belgium.

St. Vincent is credited with more, but that is only a port of call at which to receive orders as to where to deliver the grain.

FLOUR.

In the consumption of flour Hawaii stood sixth, flour having been exported there to the amount of $164,000.

England took flour to the amount of only.

Or barely twice the consumption of Hawaii.

The export to Japan was.

To all of South America.

To Mexico

To all of Africa, Polynesia, Oceanica, and Asia (excepting Japan, China, and Siberia) the export of flour amounted to only

$333, 000

123,000

96,000

31, 000

114, 569

The above statistics do not include the large shipments being made to Hawaii, direct from Washington and Oregon, by the three lines of steamers and many sailing vessels running from there to Honolulu.

TABLE SHOWING VALUES OF PRINCIPAL ARTICLES IMPORTED BY HAWAII DURING 1896.

Hawaiian imports amounted during 1896 to $7,164,561, of which $5,464,208, being 76 per cent, came from the United States.

The infinite variety of the exports to Hawaii indicates the widespread participation which the residents of the United States have in the business. There is not an industry in the United States which is not benefited by Hawaiian trade, and which would not be injured by abrogation of the treaty, or diversion of Hawaii's trade elsewhere.

The following statement shows the value of some of the principal articles imported by Hawaii during 1896:

Ale, beer, cider, and porter.

Animals

Building materials.

Clothing, boots, and hats.

Coal and coke....

Crockery, glassware, lamps, and lamp fixtures..
Drugs, surgical instruments, and dental material.

$74, 820.65 51, 633. 37 120,638, 78 292, 558.82 135, 646.85 47,552.58 68, 192, 06

TABLE SHOWING HOW MANY AND HOW MUCH OF CERTAIN ARTICLES WERE IMPORTED BY HAWAII DURING 1896.

An enumeration of the numbers and amounts of articles imported will convey a better idea to some, of the importance of the Hawaiian trade to the farmers and manufacturers of the United States.

The following items, taken at random from the Hawaiian table of imports for 1896, indicate the wide range of their business.

This list can be indefinitely extended, but it is sufficient to show that no narrow interest is subserved by the Hawaiian trade:

COMMERCE WILL BE GREATLY INCREASED UNDER ANNEXATION. The astonishing commercial results shown above have resulted from affording to Hawaii a free market for, practically, only three of her products, viz, sugar, rice, and bananas.

Under annexation, the country would have a free market for all its products, and, with the exception of the three products aboved named, the resources of the country are practically untouched.

With a population of only 109,000, Hawaii in 1896 had a foreign

trade of over $208 per capita for every man, woman, and child in the country-a record almost unparalleled in the history of the world.

Less than a hundred years ago Hawaii supported a population of four hundred thousand souls with the crude methods of cultivation then known.

Artificial irrigation in its most advanced methods is now practiced in Hawaii, bringing thousands of acres into cultivation that have heretofore been waste.

There is no reason why Hawaii cannot support a population of a million as easily as it does a hundred thousand.

Islands of less area and no greater resources than Hawaii, in both the East and West Indies, are supporting populations of several millions.

An increase of the population of Hawaii to even a million will place its commerce in the front rank of American export trade.

Under existing conditions, the Hawaiian general tariff of 10 per cent has allowed about 25 per cent of Hawaiian imports to come from countries other than the United States, and if annexation does not take place an increasing proportion of Hawaiian imports will come from other countries.

If Hawaii becomes American territory, the American protective tariff of approximately 50 per cent will give to Americans practically all of its present foreign trade, and an immensely larger trade which will spring into existence as the islands develop under the stimulating influences of a stable government, fertile soil, and a free market.

FOURTH REASON IN FAVOR OF THE ANNEXATION OF HAWAII.

It will greatly increase and secure to the United States the shipping business of the islands.

To those who refer to the Hawaiian Islands as "dots in the Pacific," this may appear to be an absurd reason.

It is absurd to those only who do not know the facts.

Hawaii is to day the main stay of the American merchant marine engaged in deep-sea foreign trade.

Table showing number of American vessels entering American ports from foreign countries other than the American continent during the year ending June 30, 1896.