The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-03-12

Resolution, his Majesty had suggested that
the Society contemplated might affiliate with, or
be acknowledged as a branch of, the Royal Agrr-
cultural Society already in existence, although
latterly in a rather dormant condition. The 9th
Resolution would attract the cooperation and in
vite the sympathy of almost every man of bust
ness in our mercantile community, and more
especially OF those persons who are agents for
one or more of the plantations.
MIR. Wyllie stated broadly his opinion that
sugar is and was destined to be the great staple
OF the islands, which seemed most happily
adapted to its production. In saying this he
was far from undertaking. those other operations
which now contribute and were destined still
farther to add TO the grand total Of our national
wealth. lie had made a memorandum and
would call the attention of the meeting to the
increase which had already taken place in the
production of sugar for expectation from the
year 1874 to 1868. In 1874, 5l3 ,6S4 lbs. were
exported, and in 1868, 1922, l21 lbs. Several
plantations were only now just beginning to send
in their crops, and expected to largely increase
their yield, while new plantations were being
started, of which we should certainly hear more
in a year or eighteen months. But all this ac-
tivity directed every intelligent mind, as 4 matter
OO1 ~ N~ ~ "a ~ SoL ONh
population might be sufficient for the present de-
mand, but were our men on the increase? were
their numbers even stationary? If our laborers
decrease while the demand for laboring men in
creases, how will the plantations thrive? 1t had
been credibly reported that the natives of many
islands in the Southern Pacific would be willing
and glad to come here and enter upon plantation
work but, in the first place, they don't know
b,,u 70 ot bara ond - ,Ia eaoord rIooa ,bor
have no means to get here even if they know
how. Then Mr.. Wyllie went into the question
of morality as connected with our sugar planta-
tions as they are now managed. 1t is not uu-
common for a married woman to establish a dis
lance between herself and her husband. On a
plantation female hands are employed as well as
male. Some of these runaway wives engage
themselves in as remote a part of the country as
they can find from that in which their husbands
are located, and the - cane-brake'' is not all
poetry. There could be no doubt that many i'm
proper HaisOns were formed. Mr.. Wyllie
had tried to counterfeit this tendency to bad
morals. Indeed he had consulted with q
very respectable gentleman and neighbor of
his own, a pious missionary, upon the sub
iect, and had been advised that if he made
any violent change just then he would fail
to get his crop in. Nevertheless he had
given orders that when the crop then ready for
the mill had been disposed of, no married woman
should be employed on his estate without the
written or verbal consent of her husband, nor
any unmarried woman without the consent of
those who might be supposed to have the most
immediate control of her, whether in a legal or
moral point of view. Mr.. Wyllie next went on
to read the statistics he had prepared to show
what was the cost of production of sugar by the
hundred weight in all the principal markets of
supply known to modern commerce.
The chairman here suggested that the meeting
would be more in order if it proceeded Mt once
to consider the Resolutions, which had been post
poned at the first stage of proceedings, and leave
the matters of detail, so valuable in their proper
place, for after consultation.
MIR. Aldrich was of opinion that the Royal
Agricultural Society comprehended in its pur-
view all the objects and intentions of the partic-
ular Society now sought to be established. 1t
comprehended these and much more besides, and
Ga great point it had some funds at its disposal.
This Society. which could be nothing more or
less than special, might be made an auxiliary
branch OF that centre institution, which if it were
only aroused from the sleep into which it had fallen,
would find itself in working order at once, and, as
he SAID, with some FUNDS at Its disposal. One thing
was clear to Mr.. Aldrich-labor must be impoy ted.
The way in " hich Chinese coolies had hitherto been
brought here was not such as to secure to US the best
class Of labOrers. They were engaged as a matter Of
speculation in the cheapest market, no regard being
had 10 the qualification of the man for the position
he was intended to fill. Before coming into port
they were put under q pump and dressed and comb
ed and doctered a little, to make them pass muster,
and so disposed of as a fine likely lot of field hands.
Mr.. Aldrich then very ably supported the position
that the Society now proposed TO be established was
limited in its interest TO those Immediately interested
in the raising, manufacturing and expectation of
sugar, and that il ought fairly to be looked upon as
n supplementary branch for the protection and fur
therance OF one OF the many interests which come
within the scope Of the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural
Society He thought the questions which had been
raised could be best dealt with by practical men.
lie admired the idea of collecting information and
receiving suggestions from every source he desired
the cooperation Of persons who were theoretical
and experimentally inclined, of pssudo-a gricultur-
lists. so TO say, but he did think that the ideas and
propositions OF such persons ought TO be digested by
men whose time and money were devoted TO the
sugar interest in its various notifications.
Mr.. W. L. Green highly approved Of Mr.. Aldrich's
remarks. He thought this Society might be estab-
lished and maintained for the purpose of collecting
information from every quarter and in every direc-
ton, but that il was for individuals pecuniarily in
terested in the matter to make arrangements for the
importation OF laborers to benefit their plantations in
the way most advantageous 10 themselves, and other
wise TO take advantage Of such light as a society,
such as was proposed, could offer them. He also
agreed in the proposition that the particular func-
tions of the Society to establish which the meeting
had been called, were embraced in the general objects
nf the ROYAL Hawaiian AOricn1tural SOciaty and that