American Hawaii [pp. 432-454]

4ro
OVERLAND MONTHLY
J. S. WALKER
The isolation of Hawaii from all other
foreign ports renders communication with
other ports impossible except by sea.
It is public knowledge that the shipping
now under the American flag in deep sea
trade is extremely limited in number.
Practically the entire exports of Hawaii are
to the ports of the United States.
Until recently, nearly all of such exports
were to the Pacific Coast of the United States
allowing of the use of a large number of comparatively small vessels which can be economically used on that comparatively short
trip. But the present large product of beet
sugar in California and the increasing crop
in Hawaii has during the last year or two
and will during the ensuing years, require the
export of a liarge portion of the crop to New
York.
For example, it is estimated that the Hawaiian crop of sugar for the coming season
will be approximately 280,000 tons, and that
such quantity will be considerably,increased
during the crop of I900-I9OI. Of this output,
probably some Ioo,0oo tons will be shipped to
San Francisco for the use of the California
refiners, and the balance, i8o,oco tons shipped
whom we more directly represent, is that cf
shipping.
While Hawaii was independent the ships
of all countries were free to carry freight between the ports of Hawaii and those of the
United States.
As a matter of fact, approximately seventy
per cent. of the shipping trade of the country
has been done in American bottoms, but the
shipping of other countries has been required
to carry the remainder of the freight.
Under annexation, if the general coasting
laws of the United States are extended to the
Hawaiian trade, it will prevent vessels sailing
under foreign flags from carrying either passengers or freight between the ports of Hawaii and the ports of the United States.
This Chamber recognizes the propriety of
the general navigation laws of the Unite;'
States which reserve to vessels under the
American flag the exclusive right to engag
in the coasting business and desires to present the following facts to your consideration,
which we believe show the propriety of delaying the extension of such coasting laws to the
trade between the Hawaiian ports and the
ports of the United States, at least for the
present.
H. H. WILLT,IAMS