COMMERCIAL FISHERIES OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 449 
shows an increase of 28 per cent. The net increase in quantity is 
750,280 pounds, or 12 per cent. In value of products secured there is 
a decrease reported from every island. (As Kahoolawe had no com- 
mercial fisheries in 1900, there are not figures for comparison.) These 
decreases are considerable in each case, the lowest being in Hawaii, 26 
per cent. The net decrease in value amounted to $405,749, or 37 per 
cent. For some years preceding 1901 the islands had been enjoying a 
boom, owing to the high prices realized for sugar, the dominant crop, 
and as a result the prices of everything else, fish included, rose 
exceedingly high. From 1900 to 1904, however, the price of sugar 
steadily declined, causing financial distress in every quarter, and cur- 
tailing very materially the purchasing power of the people. As a 
result the prices of the necessaries of life, particularly fish, have fallen 
toa point more nearly consonant with those prevailing on the mainland. 
The prices of fishery products in 1900 were extremely high, and 
are still much above the normal. In the New England States in 1898 
the average price per pound received by the fishermen for all kinds of 
fishery products was about 2.5 cents; in the Middle Atlantic States in 
the year 1901, about 2.1 cents; in the Gulf States in the year 1902 
about 3 cents; in the Pacific Coast States in the year 1899 about 3 
cents; and in the Hawaiian Islands in the year 1900 about 17.5 cents. 
In 1903 the average price had dropped to about 10 cents per pound. 
If the prices are not sustained by monopolistic combinations, as is the 
case at present in certain markets of the islands, they will drop even 
lower and thus bring fish into more general use as an article of diet. 
Comparative table showing the extent of the fisheries of the Hawaiian Islands in 
1900 and 1908. 
PERSONS ENGAGED 
Percentage 
INUCTEASC I bteroercrege 
Island. 1900. 1903. (eiionide: os enone 
ne | (+) or de- 
crease (—)-/crease (—). 
| 
lai aniies tee eee Rone son a ea an ete ae See 549 $27 +278 + 50. 64 
INDOOLDWE meets co leicsice aa ten ne/eateetisc remose at cenieee. laces scecae sls 9 + 9 +100. 00 
Ria iene eae te a te hie cet he omen coe oe Sass ome 207 314 | 107 + 61.69 
LUG HAYDN eRe pen 5 9 pate etl a RR ae en Fo oa 46 | 22 | — 24 Syl, 
MUSE rs ices. oer eats ee oa nis ocean) eidelsretoaesjoan< ote 297 279 - 18 — 6.40 
IMP OV eee get tee Sperseete cara aye Seay ci nine clcicjale a etyeineicie Seles: 128 300 +172 +134. 38 
INGTEEY UU Seg hep Ce es Se atin sole cic teteieeevagcionas beet 12 IDs) scccpatessac//Seaance cae 
(OR tT Ee CoB o DRS OU REO RE OD Oat Gee ene eres Ae eras 1, 106 1,478 +372 + 33.63 
AUG) A ee eSee Grab: HESS SaeUs - Caen aBeEEooas 2,345 | 3, 241 +896 + 38.21 
CAPITAL INVESTED. 
| 
SE ease eu earresstert ae OT hc recta car tern a hase cia veiefe oeee wie mga $25, 172 
$37,912 | +$12, 740 + 50.61 
LESCHAYGTOL ERE. ine sc GORE ae OEE AE ORES Bence nee ban eee em amare | 625| + 625 +100. 00 
ESTED a ye rea aa I erin a | 10, 764 15,101 | + 4,337 + 40.29 
MBELI LEV ees pare rahe orn ow ae ain o wine Bicis CER ecertoeaeacer we 3, 478 3, 706 + 228 + 65.55 
IID D Y= 62 SeeR a Soc e  Ee ARIE, ERE 15,171 1825 11ers aod + 22.02 
MGIOKATE RE race cere eos ob sie cc eee bacon acca aed 17, 140 17, 154 + 14 + .08 
INSTI ier eee cites aes — Sey ncn eneeune ciate state siahniiee 322 870 + 548 +170.19 
(OSL Ti ieee pak yo I ne on ka eee | 200, 544 215,828 | + 14,794 MEDS 
Ota S Aa Per ter tas ooh ag ede oe ee 272, 591 309,217 | + 36,626 + 13.44 
F. C. 1904 
29 
