The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-10-29

mounting them. Foremost among them are the abb
sence of Labor and Capital. Labor, and Capital
these are the potent genii by whose aid mountains
are leveled and the bowling wilderness transformed
into smiling fields and fruitful vineyards. How can
we successfully invoke their presence Without
them, we may almost fold our arms AID p~assively
await our destiny.
Let US examine the question of labor. We are
often told by persons unacquainted with the charac-
ter of our native population, that there can be no
scarcity of labor with us at present that until we
have a much more extended cultivation than we now
have, our native population is large enough to more
than supply the demand. So perhaps it is but if
the natives have no desire to work, and do not feel
the necessity of it, of what avail is Its presence ,
From an able report on this subject, made to our So
ciety in 1854, by his present Majesty quote the fol-
lowing remarks
s. 1t seems to be generally allowed that throughout
these Islands labor is hard to procure. and that a
good days wage is by no means sure to command a
good days work. Ne are not here, however, in the
position of many netviy settled countries, where labor
is scarce because the laborers are few, and where every
available arm is exercised from Monday morning till
Saturday night. 1t is on the fact of laboring power
being allowed to lie dormant-of good muscle becom-
ing haccid from inaction-that we must briefly de-
pend for an answer to the oft-repeated question, why
is labor so hard to procure. The Hawaiians are not
naturally fond of labor the natives of hot countries
seldom are. They read in their Bible that labor WIS
imposed as a curse upon fallen Adam, and, like
other people, when the scriptures coincide with their
preJudices, they believe in them devoutly. Then,
again, it is only as yesterday that forced labor was
abolished, and the people are still taking breath, as
1t were for to be coerced to do a thing, is to hate 1t.
Then, again, there are those kuleanas, too, that have
turned our peasantry into petty chiefs, and while
supplying them with more than enough to satisfy
their present needs, have not tended to enlarge the
circle OF their wants. 1t sounds paradoxical, but all
our poorer people are rich, and the spur of necessity
being removed, they are unluckily insensible to that
other spur which a desire TO reach some higher plat
form in society would create"
We can have no higher authority than this for the
insufficiency of native labor. This great want was
the first subject that engaged the attention of our Sd
ciety. A t its first meeting, a committee was appoint
ed to devise means to meet this difficulty, who en-
tered into a contract for the importation of laborers
from China. This example was followed by others,
and the Introduction of several hundred coolies was
the result. although they were at first found useful,
and still are to some extent, yet as they became more
familiar with our customs and regulations, they be-
came unmanageable, and on most of the plantations
where they were at first employed, they have been
discharged. The experiment was not considered suf-
hc'ently successful to warrant further importations.
Accustomed to a severe and sanguinary code of laws
IN their own country, the mid restraints which are
found sufficient for our native population, are set at
naught by these turbulent Celestials, and they be-
come insubordinate and reckless. If we would avail
ourselves of the cheap and accessible labor of these
coolies, we must enact proper laws for their restraint
and control. With such laws, we shall be able to
make them useful and docile.. Without them, their
further importation will only be a calamity.
1t has been suggested that natives of the southern
SiObBc JIG u bCtCt i Dot tAh1
source is not a reliable one. There is too much reason
to fear that they would adopt the customs of the coun-
try, and be no more available as laborers than is the
majority of our native population.
The experiment of introducing laborers here from
the redundant population of Northern Europe, has
not yet been tried though the subject has often been
discussed. To my mind, this seems the most prom
ising of all sources of labor. And this brings us to
the consideration of our second great want, that Of
capital. To bring immigrants here from Europe, on
n scale sufficient to insure success, we must have the
aid of European capital. Can We procure that aid.
l think we can, if we properly set about it. The
states of Northern Europe abound in the very things
which we lack, viz, labor, capital and manufac-
lures. They desire to find employment for the two
former, and a market for the latter. We stand
ready to offer them both. Who can doubt that If
this matter was properly taken up, some plan for the
satisfaction of these mutual wants could be devised
and successfully carried into execution ? Let any
who does so doubt, examine the history of the famous
Sc Belgian Contract . of 1913, and .2ete the facility
with which, when this government was wea-asss1N
certain, the sport of foreign powers. this great schefsx
was entered into with its agents by capitalists, undeN
the patronage Of the Belgian government itself. The
avowed object Of that scheme, as stated IN the con-
tract, was to favor the progress of civilization in
Archipelago of the Sandwich Islands, TO encourage
their agriculture, industry and commerce, and to
develop commercial relations with Belgium. Thus
our great requisites of capital and labor were TO De
supplied to any extent that might be found available
The contract was completed and signed by the par
ties, and only the most fortuitous, or. as we may say,
providential circumstances prevented its being car
ried into effect. | say proU1denttaI, for L believe the
scheme would have been a failure, owing to its com
plicated character, and the result disastrous to this
government, from the obligations assumed by its
agents. | allude to it only as an illustration of the
readiness of European capitalists to furnish us with
the capital and labor that we require orthe develop
ment of our resources, if we can but hold out to them
any reasonable prospect of a fair return. And be-
lieve that any national plan for this object, under
taken by energetic, prudeqt and responsible parties.
with the sanction and aid of the government, would
be eminently successful. That this government
would aid, by its influence and its means, any reason
able plan for the accomplishment of an object so vital
to its prosperity, cannot be doubted. That the high
est authority in the realm would sanction such an
enterprise, may be shown by another extract OF the
report from which | have before quoted:
"Whilst the subject of population occupies us,
Mr.. President, we must cuTrine our attention to fig
ures-sentiment is out of the question. The decrease
of the population which the last few years have
brought about. instead of filling US with regret, ought
to stimulate us to exertion. There is n void-there
is a decrease of so many men, women and children.
Shall we, therefore, like Turks or fatalists. crouch in
the dust, and with our hands crossed upon our hearts,
rend the air with "A supine cry OF : lnshailah Mush-
allah:' Ought we not rather to look the difficulty
in the face, and cast about for the means of filling
up this aching void? y = There was n time when
it was thought that laborers from the north of Europe
might be introduced here, but we have not got the
capitalists to bring them out. If the money was not
wanting, what wonders we could do! Ii
our voice have anything potentialin it, let us 'aise 1T
in favor Of the introduction of labor from abroad.
| have said that we would find no difficulty in pro-
curing the aid of foreign capitalists, if we can hold
out any reasonable prospect of a fair return for their
investments But here. you will say, is the diff
Guilty. The history of agricultural enterprises at
these Islands, is \ little else than a history of failures {;
the instances of success are rare aud the expert
ence of the past, holds out no prospect of success for
the future. And so, at first glance, it would appear.
1t is doubtless true, that in our agricultural enter
prises failure has been the rute-success the ercep-
f;ou Rut va shall find. by a careful and thorough
examination into their history, that we are not war
ranted in drawing from it any deduction unfavora-
Bile to similar enterprises for the future. If this were
the time and place, | could multply.such proofs OF
this assertion as would satisfy the most ~skeptical. 1t
would be shown that capital, labor and experience
have been wanting in almost every agricultural en-
/ terprise, and that failure has followed as tho natural
into a business of which they knew nothing, with
means which would have been insufficient even with
a thorough knowledge of what they were undertake