The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-09-14
THE PACIFIC
Commercial AObertiser.
SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER "A.

Nh EDIToE-This is a suffice, Of the deepest in
terest 10 my mind. have planted my stakes here.
These Islands are my country. Il is comparatively &
poor one; and l would Ike to be the citizen of a more
respectfully pOpulOus State We have not, all told
the population Of a third-rate city. Il j. true We
have an excellent political organization; but after all
We exist politically by permission, snd are merely an
interesting political experiment. Vow to become =
real independent POpuious State worthy Of an en-
hghtenet Sovereign, = possible; and would Ike TO
assist IN working that possibility into 4 reality
must say that l take the subject IN hand with
some heayiness Of heart; though by no means in
despair. / address n community, among whom there
seems 70 be with rare exceptions, neither patriotism
EOr public spirit. There Is = deafness here that Is
5esolating. But I hasten 70 say, there is 30 much
intelligence and culture, that | have thought il il
was possible 10 strike this foreign, as well as native
Hawaiian apathy. a few awakening blows, there
might result enquiry, controversy and action.
Let US cease the policy Of waiting for something to
turn mp. People don't turn up to work in the trop-
les Why, they don't turn up as fast as wanted, in
such temperate lands Of promise as Nebraska, Kan
sas, Colorado, Nevada and California In those
States the incoming Of new people Il stimulated by
public enterprise. Those new countries are not con-
tent with the ordinary, or / will say, natural flow Of
emigration, which is considerable; but resort to every
available means TO induce people to leave their own
over-crowded native country, in order 10 fill and de-
yelop the sparsely peopled virgin land. Now, if
such States, situated on the continent, which is the
preeminent resort Of the e~migrant, still avail them
selves Of all manner OF agencies to stimulate emigra-
ton; how much more ought not We, in these Islands,
who are entirely out Of the way of any natural mi
gratiou Of men, and having such needs of people, to
resort 70 oil possible means TO ind out and persuade
people to come, who could be benefited by making
new homes In our territory.
We must not hope that steamship lines, or cable
lines, or any other great enterprise Of the outside
world will bring US people. Those facilities may take
away as much as they give We must not be content
10 be q mere coaling station, or naval depot. We
should command our own steamships, and make Of
our archipelago a noble maritime power: q nobler
Venice in the Pacific. For this, We only want more
people; and some faith, and hope, and enterprise.
But this, it is said, is enthusiasm;-Iner enthusiasm;
and the conservative grey beard shakes his head,
and pooh Pooh's every scheme that proposes any
thing new, outside OF the exchanging of our sugar,
produced at u ruinOus cost, Tor a few ~drygoods. Ii is
a fact, our enterprise and industry do not amount to
very much more. What surplus do we have, besides
the ponies and the haberdashery that We paradel
With this condition; and the waiting for something
to turn up, ts for instance, annexatiou, a naval
depot, a garrison, and consequent expenditure we
are content;-and when We talk of progress, devel-
opment, and a new people; we are twitted with en-
thusiasmi and that is considered a settler. l should
like to know if there ever was a movement for good
among humanity, that was not started with some
enthusiasm and exaggeration Of hope.
The cry IS, give US something practical; something
more than rhetoric; give US the plan 10 make cent.
per cent, rather than sentiment, and we will listen
10 you. Well sir, L have not dwelt on mere schemes,
and only filled my mind with visions. Ihave studied
details; and l am prepared to meet the practical pro-
prietors, who hold the territory Of this archipelago,
all its four millions of acres Of area, as an un-peOpled
limbo, with a pan to fill our country with producers;
that will not only till our fertile valleys, but terrace
our dry mountain slopes; gather aud distribute our
abundant waste water; make productive every foot
Of our area; and Written the Pacific with the sails Of
cur eOmmerce. l propose the organization Of
\ HAWAIIAN EMIGRATION COMPANY.
This is nothing new. There is hardly n township
in the newly settled territory of America, that has
not some organization to influence emigration, with
its buTpau its plans- maUG- and nrpucips We cam
not however follow any American or British colonial
plan; because our conditions are so entirely different.
We have no convenient sections of lind 10 offer to
the European peasant, or small farmer. Our dis
trictS of land, running from sea to mountain, or
from sea to sea, cannot be cut up; but must be held
together, with wood, and valley, and beach combined.
We cannot invite much of voluntary European immi-
grafton; although there is some favorable opening
for il. The emigration scheme, attempted on Lanai
a few years ago; which, although it failed, owing TO
many unforeseen unfIvorable circumstances, yet
showed how readily the %emigraut, whether European
or American could be induced 10 come here: aud that
such ventures may be successful under favorable
conditions is proven BY the emigration scheme, TO
plant OH shares, carried out so successfully by the
enlightened and en;erprising proprietor Of Ulu-
palakua.
But the immigration of European foreigners can
not and will not be carried out TO any great extent
They will not work on plantations for pay; and there
are, as / have said such few opportunities in the way
Of convenient parcels of lands TO induce many such
men TO come and establish independent farms. Our
company must direct its attention in the
first instance TO the inducing of bodies Of tropical
laborers to come here and work our plantations, and
TO open up more and more plantations. We have
only 81, but we might soon have 100 plantations;
some large, and some small; and the more small ones
the better; because the more profitable. The small
ones being managed by working resident proprietors,
whilst the large ones generally have an absentee pro-
prietOr, and two or three salaried managers. On the
small plantation, when n wagon breaks down, the
small proprietor cuts a stick out of the wood, shoves
:, n faloa onnIo and 1rirac ahead. prharaoo tha
manager of the larger plantation sends for q new
wagon and runs up expenses. But this discussion
Of the profit of large or small plantations has nothing
TO do with the question Of population or labor. With
the supply Of people, which South Eastern Asia has
to spare, we could increase our plantations, not only
to one hundred, but TO many hundreds Why, San
Domingo, before its days of revolution and massacre,
had 720 large fourishlng sugar plantations. We
would develop plantations, where planting is now
not thought possible. We would distribute water
that is now running waste, and make fruitful many
barren hillside and plain, and we would create a
great commerce, not only with sugar, and rice, and
coffee, but with cotton, ramie, castor oil, Manila
hemp, cochineal, and many other products of which
we have not yet dreamed.
We must go to work like the planters of Mauritius.
When their labor system was destroyed by the aboli-
Of slavery, and their lands lay fallow, and their
was rusting away, they did not long
waste time waiting in the hope that some political
change; or transportation enterprise; or unexpected
Of emigration would turn up to give them new
life and make their island prosperous. They at once
organized an emigration scheme, and with the con-
of the Government in India, got NIL the
people they wanted from the redundant population of
the great Indian peninsula, and in thirty years
the population Of their islands. So may,
and must we do; and acting under the auspices of an
government, under its Board of Immi-
grafton, we can supplement what our Legislature has
failed TO provide; we can organize, we can subscribe
or a hundred dollars each, or more, produce a
fund; place it under proper guarantees; establish an
seek information at all points; elect our active
agent; charter our ships; and search out in all de-
countries; in China, in Japan, in other por-
tons Of Asia, in Malaysia, in the PHILIPPINES, La
irones, or elsewhere, for stout aborers first; and then
as We can get them; not only men, but
healthy women and children to fill our silent lands
rejoicing.
We must not, we ought not to excite any anti COO
lie cry. We must not be put down by the lies of men.