The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-02-14
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THrRSD4Y. FEBRUARY Il

IHIRSDIJ }. February Il
MrcH has already been said regarding the
poor commercial prospects Of the Islands, and
the worst feature put on them which the case
warrants. But the Importance Of the subject
leads US o. ask. i there not another side To the
picture. and i there not hop that something
can vet b. done u favor Us? our commercial
balance--heet has been published. showing that
something IS amisz. The strength Of our p1pu-
latiOn has also been counted, and W know
what are our numbers. We have, then. cor
rect starting points, upon which any deductions
OF theories should b. based. From the official
statistics recently published, TWO things are
clearly made evident. lst.-That there is great
want IF capital. 2d.-That we have need Of
more population. Neither Of these wants, ur-
gent ~ they are, can be suddehly supplied from
any quarter. albeit the nations Of Europe and
All. are sroaniug with the numbers which have
to b. maintained by public expense OF charity,
and the capitalists Of the former are glad 10
accept the meager interest Of three OF four per
cent. on their superabundant wealth.
This want Of population has long been felt.
and has often been q subject Of discussion IN our
councils, and with our planters. some favored
the idei Of importing coolies. mainly 70 supply
labor for the plantations. \ fair trial was
given 70 the experiment, and it has proved
that native labor, with all it, disadvantages. still
affords a better reliance for our sugar estates;
and the celestial sons, imported TO plant cane. are
now only deemed worthy Of the public road ser
wee. Others have thought that inhabitants
from the southern Polynesian groups would, if
brought hither, supply our wants. But one
great trouble with these - with the Chinese.
Is, that they must be civilized before they be-
really useful a labOrers. Our Hawaiians
are vastly superior in the scale Of civilization,
than their oceanic neighbors or the imported
coolies. To import pure barbarians and scatter
them among our partially-ciyilized population,
50 far from being q help to Us, has proved thus
far only a curse.
1t is evident, then, that we must look to some
other source for immigrants. But before We
look for them, let us become satisfied that they
are desired OF would be welcomed if they came.
In glancing over our statutes, we find no act
that has been passed with the special view 10
Immigration unless it be the privilege
granted to foreigners to purchase land. This
law, however, does not appear adapted 80 much
to draw hither foreigners or their capital Is To
create an in~ducement to detain such capital rs
may chance to stray here.
1t IS worthy the consideration of our rulers
some measure may not be adopted,
which, If carried out with a determination TO
it 4 fair trial, might not induce many
worthy foreigners to come and settle on our
mare lands. What such measures should be is
In open question for discussion. In addition to
he privilege mentioned above, Il general survey
NIGHT 10 made az gayaruuneur yU1Sra lands and a
list Of them and their locations published, with
he upset price at which a certain quantity could
,e purchased. Perhaps exemption from taxes
or a limited period might be added. There are
nav thousands of the laborers of Ger
many, Italy, England, Scotland and ireland,
lot TO mention other countries, who from one
ears end to another, work for merely the
lOthes they wear and the food they eat, and
rho, if they knew how 10 get here, and the bet
er prospects before them here. would gladly
transplant themselves. Such laborers scattered
round plantations, could readily find perma-
employment thereon or be probably en-
aged in raising cIne for grinding on shares,
r in other districts, in raising sheep for wool,
rowing cotton, wheat, or in other Industrial
pursuits. Such immigrants would have the
reat advantage of being civilized. and in many
10 doubt religiously trained, whose influ-
nee generally would be beneficial to the social
of our islanders.
Now if such an element of population is exist
in Europe, ready and even waiting for the
leans to get here, it is 4 question worthy of the
of our rulers, whether some means can
be promptly devised to encourage their re-
iovaI. either ut the public expense or other
-. (. 80 d, ,r.1I Gr,urp foot -bar n,r -b.,
ne-half of the Irish and Germans who migrate
/, the United States, do 80 with means sent over
y their friends in the latter country. they
aving none of their own. Once transplanted,
new world opens before them, and in Il few
ears many Of them rise to influence. and not
nfrequently wealth. 1t may be found, on in
and discussion. that some plan can
2 originated on the part Of the Government, by
hich through definite offers made in regard TO
nd and other privileges, luborcrs can be OBJ
lined. The ships Of Messrs. JaniOn, Green u
o. could, without any great outlay, afford com
means Of transport 10 all who might
loose 10 come.
80 long ago as 1850, His Excellency the Min
ter Of Foreign Affairs, ia his annual report TO
lie legislature, expressed himself favorable to
e immigration of foreigners, from which we
que that ut least one Of the present Cabinet
ould favor such measures. We make a short
tract from his report: {
% But as the Collector General estimates the total !
lue Of domestic produce. in 1919, exported TO I
reign markets, At only $4,000 1t Is evident that
ost Of the increase in the trade and revenue Of the
lands, IS owing to the enterprise OF foreigners, and
At as yet, il has received little encouragement from
" augmented industry Of the natives. :
- IL Is Necessary that Thu. fact should not De con- C
aled from you, lest you should attribute to the /
the credit Of having done all that they ,
N or ought to do, towards the promotion Of the q,
osperity of the Islands, which would lead to a
pineness fatal to that prosperity. The valuable L
ltistics prepared by the Collector General, prove a
.ontsstabIy that the preat benefactors Of the Islands