Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 40, 3 November 1893 — TOPICS OF THE DAY. [ARTICLE]

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

T1iq Mini.st«r <>f Piiianee lias Bbaken the C<>lIeot<ir General up an<l succeeded in getting tbe report from the Cnstom Hou.se for tbe quarter en<ling Septeraber tbe 30th, 1893. Tbe report is tbe most defective tbat *-ver bas been aent ont by tbe Custom Bureau. While it is of interest see wbat our exports bave been dnring tbe quarter it is of exactly as mueli interest for tliu conntrv. to see * wbat the imports have been. bnt * ! tbe quarterl\ re.>ort as publisbed i by authority discreetlv igoores j tbat part of the business. — The reason is probab!y 4hat a comparative table of the imports in 1892, witb tbose in 1893, would show a startling decreaseexcept perbaps in arms and animunitiou. But it is frora tbe iraports tbat the country derives a very iraportaut portion of its revenues, and we should eonsider it of vast interest to leam how mucb trade has deteriorated ainee our wise rulers revolutioni/,ed the country. If the officials in tbe Costom House, sotne day, say witbin a month or twoshould get time to make a report of tbe imports during tbe quarter ending September 30tb, we trust tbat His Excellency tbe Minister of Fmance will publisb it uiid assist u* to somē statistics—and the Advertiser to sonie more pap. Tbe minister seems very jubil ant, becanse tbere is a marked increase in tbe exports of sugar and bauanas tbis year as against last year during the same period. ' Tbis is of course due to tbe P G. Everytliing go<Kl is due to tbat remarkable governraent — aeeonling to His E\cellency. Of course we migbt eall the minister's attentiou to tbe fact tbat tbe eane from whieh the increase<l sugar has been pro<luced was planted somewhat before tbe official existence of tbe minister and bis colleagnes in fact while tbe alleged corrupt monarchy held Sway —and wo are constrained to say tbat tbe iucrease in the exports is an increaso of “mon;>r ehial’’ sugsr. We are sorry to notice a mark- j ed decrease in the export of ! pine-apples, because we believe tbat it is c.iuseil by a decreaso in the deiu»ud rather tban iu a docrt'ase in production. A numl>er of people bave mado eon8iderable investmeuts iu tbe pine-apple busmess and if a decrease m tbe demand should contmue tbe market will undoubtedly be overstocked aad heaw losses result — unless our paiemal governmont swallows its scraples and passes au act ailowiug the manufacture of aleohoi. The Minister of Einanee at tbe Council meeting lhat it was bis plan tbat the Postal

Saving’s Bank, should b»-j>lace<l on an independent basis and condocte<l as an institntion per fectiv sepurated from tbe treasury. We fully agree witb the tbeoiy of tbe minister. but it wonld be of interest to leam how he proposes to do it. Tbe Bank o«>s its depositors over $500,000. and bas no money set aside with whieh to pay this am<>nnt. nor even a reserve fund. A<’Cor<ling to the published stateuieuts, tbe Bank is living frora liHud to mo'itb. aml we shoul<l here sug gest tbat it would be of great help for the people to fally be enabled to understand tbe work ing of the Bank if tbe raiuister would state the araount of deposits everv week aud tbe amonnt 1 <»f aeinal withdrawals. Tbe , preseut metbod of statiug an amount as representiug ‘casb on band” and au unother amount i as “notices of withdrawals for j tbe next three raontbes : ’ is j bigbly unsatisfactory. If it is j published every week wbat tbe . cash bas been, paid into aml diawn out of tbe bauk tlie taxpayers will be in a position to judge for tberaselves of tbe solidity aud soundness of this great fiuancial institution. Of tbe promised reduction in Ihe military expeuditures we see notbing nor bave we uoticed that the forces bave been decreased. Tbe minister made a verv elaborate statement sorae weeks ago of what he was going to do in regard to retreucbment, bnt lie either was not sincere or-as rumor has it—the President upon bis returu pnt bis foot on tbe proposed reductions and would not sanction tbe dismissal of a single soldier. The government should be above indnlging insn< h hnmbug and such attempt to <leceive tbe country. Tbe Poliee Departraent is evidently being conducted on tbe most extravagant scale. We notice that Mr. W. O. Smith who in tbe last Legislature enlarged on tbe necessity of a poliee force at Waikiki has placed quite a for<e of men all along tbe road to the Park. Wiiether hebelievesthattbe town lately has beēn infested with thugs and tbieves, and that a strong poliee force is necessarv-, we do not kuow, but we are inclined to believe tbat he srae!ls conspiracy and treason in the marsbes on tbe Waikiki road. When some day tbe preseut cabinet will be called to acCount by a Legislature. we hope to find Mr. Marsden on a committee of iuvestigation, and ways and means. We will guarantee some lond talking and severa ‘ ehop ping” l.»efore he gets through ; with tbe learne<] Attorney-Gen-j eral and his police-departraent. Mr. Hastings who is clerk to the Hawaiian Legation in Washiugton had his sal«ry raised to $350.00 a montb. He has, aecording to tbe statemeut in the Oouneil. rendered tbe government some valnable seivices. Of course tbo couutry canuot know wht>t tbese services are, because the Conncils go into secret session to read “newsjviper clippings,'’ and Mr. Hastings' letters. We i also bave some “newspaper elippings” au»l letters bearing on Mr. Hastiogs’ * valuabie” services. and we believe that tbe results of the whole bnsiuess will ahow tbe countrv and more es-

I j>ecially the P- G. that XIr. j i Hastings, allegeJ services were j • notso “rala«b!e” after all. and | that the $350.00 a month were : rather waste«l. | Our esteemed contemporaiy the Star seems cnwilling or unable to onderstand tbe so-c dled Jnpanese question in Hawaii. We have always refnsed to believe in the assertion that Vr. Blonnt olliciallv or privately ndvised the provisional government to simply mnke a refusal to the reqnest of the Japauese goverumeut. Tlie «ssertion has never been confirmed iu the American press, nor has the Japauese government any cognizance of such a remarkable step by the Amer iean Minister. Nor has the provisional governraent ever made a refusal to tbe request. Nor is the request dropped or withdrawn. bnt it is simply postponed at the request of tho temporarv Hawaiian government, whieh snbruitted to the Japanese goveruraent, tbat the matter was | not properly to be Jecided on bv a ‘provisional government' It s upon a numeroasly signed petition from the Japanese residents in Hawaii th«t their governraent took action. But all that the Japanese government has ever claimed is, that the Hawaiian goverument musi fulfill its treaty obligations. Cau any rational being believe thnt the TTnited Sbates’ government or anv other civilized government | should coolly.tell Hawaii “never tnind youv treaty obligstions, vou Lave got what yon want out of Japan, “burst” the contract with that empire and we will he!pyou.” The Star bas eonst intiy represeuted the Jap«nese dMiiand as a new issue iu whieh Japan brought forward some unreasonable and unjust demands. The issue is several years old and is. as we have constantly pointed ont, a simple deraand on Hawaii that she carry out the obligatious into whieh she entered when she signed the treaty with Japan. The Star itself wonld hardly advocate that any private individual sbonld be allowed to sign a contract and tben be enabled tobreak the conditions with impunity. If the agreeraent whieh we understand exists between the Star editor, and the Star company was broken or j infringed on bv the latter we ! o * feel «ssured that the editor would make i f uncomfortablv hot for the company, and eall into his assistance all the machinory of the law. And why should a governraent or a country be Iess liaMeto fulfill itsobligations volun tarily incurred, than a private in* dividual: lu the treatv between Japan and Hawaii the latler guarantees ,to the citizens of the !ormer. residing in Hawaii, all the rights and privileges granted to the citizens of the most f;»voreil naiion» residing in Hawaii. How Hawaii under that clause is to get ont of tbe franchise bnsiness and still elaim an bonored uame among tbe nations of the earth we fail to see. Some daysago a ehiunman wlo was assaulted nearthe Pali died. A coroners jury was called. and in their verdict the jiry partly biamed a man ntmed Von Bergh of beiug implicated in the matter. and perhaps the imme\li.ite cause of the man's death. We have w»ited patiently to see if the

| Murshal was going to take any 1 aeūon in the afiair, but to onr great snrpnse notbing seeros to be done. We admit the dead | man was only a Ohinaman. and j we understaad tbat the «llegetl ! assai!ant is a j>et of the government: bat we ean h»rdly believe that these fvcts would deter the Marshal frora doing hisduty. Wouldn’t it be well for one of onr official organs to arise and explain.