Jere Krischel at 09:18, 11 February 2006

2006-02-11T09:18:52Z

Jere Krischel at 09:17, 11 February 2006

2006-02-11T09:17:45Z

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Ken Conklin at 09:19, 10 February 2006

2006-02-10T09:19:32Z

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Jere Krischel at 05:18, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T05:18:47Z

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1 1 3 6 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
The CHAIRMAN. So that their dependence for fuel for this purpose is
upon foreign ports entirely.
Mr. SIMPSON. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. They ought to make a good market for coal between
Honolulu and Seattle?
Mr. SIMPSON. Do not say Seattle. That is the poorest coal ou the
Pacific coast.
Senator GRAY. Have you good coal in the Northwest?
Mr. SIMPSON. Yes; we have good coal in the miues that have been
worked a long wliile. Now, about the woods; the indigenous woods of
the Hawaiian Islands number 150 kinds. The insects have done considerable
damage to them; the most common is the borer, a species of
bug. I may say right there, on account of the limited amount of wood
on the islands the question of rain has become quite a serious matter.
When hogs and cattle became so plentiful they were turned loose, and
they rooted up the trees and roamed wild, and the greatest sport they
get down there is hunting wild cattle. They have destroyed all the
trees below 2,000 feet, and they passed laws while I was there prohibiting
them cutting trees except for firewood.
The CHAIRMAN. When you say the cattle destroyed the trees you
mean they ate the foliage and under plants?
Mr. SIMPSON. Yes. Of indigenous woods the most common are the
Oahea.
The CHAIRMAN. I do not care to go into that wood subject. My
question was about getting fuel for steam navigation in the islands.
Mr. SIMPSON. On Oahu is the best, at $13 per cord in 4-foot lengths.
And rifjht there I would state that I sold, strange as it may seem, quite
a quantity of firewood. I have an order from one firm in Honolulu to
fill up whatever space we had with firewood from Puget Sound.
The CHAIRMAN. You sold that to be delivered, but you never got a
chance to deliver it?
Mr. SIMPSON. NO.
The CHAIRMAN. Where did you get the data that you now hand me
in relation to the commerce between the United States and Hawaii ?
Mr. SIMPSON. From the annual reports of the collector-general of
customs of the Hawaiian Islands, and from reports emanating from
the Treasury Department of the United States. One verified the other.
The CHAIRMAN. Are you satisfied that the figures that are based
upon that data are correct?
Mr. SIMPSON. I am. The figures are as follows: The total export
and import trade of Hawaiian Islands from first year of official data
recorded, 1855, to December 31,1892, amounts to $205,130,480, the
imports being $98,981,325 and exports $100,155,251. This is with all
countries. The first year in which there is a complete record of the
business done between the United States and Hawaiian Islands was
the year 1870. The total amount of merchandise and bullion exported
to and imported from Hawaiian Islands from 1870 to 1892, inclusive, is
valued at $203,145,447, divided as follows:
Total
Exported
to Hawaiian
Islands.
$55,183, 611
8,108, 508
63,292,119
Imported
from Hawaiian
I s l a n d s .
$138, 670, 737
1,182, 501
139, 853, 328
Total.
$193,854, 348
9,291, 099
203,145, 447
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 1137
The above table gives some idea of the profit which has accrued to
the American traders from the Hawaiian Islands traffic. The United
States secured from the Hawaiian Islands during a period of twenty-two
years—
Merchandise and bullion to the value of .-. $139, 853, 328
For which they returned merchandise and bullion to the value ot bS, 2\M, 119
Showing a balance of trade in favor of the United States of 76, 561, 209
The reciprocity treaty went into effect in September, 1870. The net
total excess of imports over exports of both merchandise and bullion
up to 1877 was $3,139,997. By deducting this amount from the net
balance of trade from 1870 to 1892 the amount derived, $73,421,212,
represents the balance of trade in favor of American traders under the
operation of the reciprocity treaty.
The foregoing figures show the difference in the volume of trade and
the value of trade prior to and during the time of the operation of the
treaty of reciprocity of 1870.
The CHAIRMAN. Does your table show whether there is any material
falling off in the trade in consequence of the repeal of the tax on sugar?
Mr. SIMPSON. The figures do not show that conclusively, for this
reason, that the season following the adoption of the McKinley bill
the gross tonnage was increased very much, but the price was reduced
for that reason. The actual figures show the production of sugar was
much greater than it had been prior. Some new sugar plantations
came into bearing that were not producing before.
The CHAIRMAN. Have the business enterprises with which you have
been associated made any examination into steaming coals in what you
call the northwestern Pacific, that is, along the line of the United
States and the British Possessions on the Pacific Ocean?
Mr. SIMPSON. I have In a general way. Of some particular kinds of
coal I made a specific examination for the purpose of using them on our
line of steamship.
The CHAIRMAN. Where was your line designed to run; from the
United States to where?
Mr. SIMPSON. To points on Puget Sound; that is to say, Victoria,
Seattle, and Tacoma.
The CHAIRMAN. Where did you expect to get your supply of fuel?
Mr. SIMPSON. It depended very largely on where we got the greatest
amount of our freight. If we could get a sufficient quantity of
freight to warrant us in going into Victoria to stop there, we would
have to get coal from the Comax mines in California. If it were not
advisable to go in there we proposed to get a quantity of coal in Roslyiij
in Washington, which is mined exclusively by the Northern
Pacific. It is equal to any coal in the State of Washington; but the
Vancouver coal is a little cheaper, from the fact that the Northern
Pacific Bailroad Company put an arbitrary rate on carrying coal to
the seaboard, because they had to haul over the mountains.
The CHAIRMAN. What is the length of the haul to the sound?
Mr. SIMPSON. About 75 miles.
The CHAIRMAN. IS there no coal available on Puget Sound?
Mr. SIMPSON. That is the Eoslyn coal.
The CHAIRMAN. IS there no coal on Puget Sound but that which is
brought 70 or 75 miles by rail?
Mr. SIMPSON. Within 7 or 8 miles of the sound.
The CHAIRMAN. Is that good coal?
Mr. SIMPSON. It is fairly good coal, but not so good as Koslyn coal.
S. Doc. 281, pt 6 72

@@ Line 95: / Line 95: @@
 divided as follows:
-{|
+{|rules="cols"
 {{4cr| |Exported to Hawaiian Islands.|Imported from Hawaiian Islands.|Total.}}
 {{4cr|Merchandise|$55,183,611|$138,670,737|193,854,348}}

Template:1136-1137 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 09:18, 11 February 2006

Jere Krischel at 09:17, 11 February 2006

Ken Conklin at 09:19, 10 February 2006

Jere Krischel at 05:18, 12 December 2005