Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-01-22
Circular.

The following letter from the Hawaiian Govern
ment TO the members of the Diplomatic and Con-
sular Corps will interest all our readers:
DKPARTMENT FoREIGs AYFARs,
Honolulu, Jan. 18th. 1881.
SIR II have already informed you under date of
18th inst, that His Majesty proposes to make
tour around the world, visiting first some of the
principal countries OF the East route for Europe
| have now the honor to inform you that His
Majesty will be accompanied on this journey by
His Excellency VIM. Nevns Armstrong, who has
been appointed Royal Commissioner of Immigra-
ton.
One of the main objects of this appointment is
to enable this Government to obtain the best pos
sible information in the different countries through
which the Royal Commissioner may pass, regard
ing the different races which inhabit them in the
hope that some one or more may be found, that
may prove in al respects suitable people to in
troduce into this kingdom, to assist in replenish
ing the population, and have to beg that you
will kindly lend this Government your valuable
assistance in obtaining the information they desire.
In order to enable you to form some idea of the
kind of information this Government desires, it
may be well if state in as few words possible,
some of our special needs or | may perhaps say
some of the special difficulties with which this sub
ject is surrounded.
This group of islands contains a comparatively
large Of productive land still unbroken by the
plough and it will perhaps give better idea of its
undeveloped capacities if say, what believe is
within due limits, that if the group were peopled
thickly say the volcanic Island of Mauritius,
estimating on the basis of arabic land in each
j
lion SOULS whilst the actual population of the
group to-day il about GO 600 only of which the
pure native population is not over 1900, and has
been 30 far steadily decreasing.
The main and most profitable productions of the
country are sugar and rice, and the demand for
labor for cultivating these articles il large This
demand has been met to large extent by the i'm
portation Of the inhabitants Of Madeira and the
Azores, Polynesans from various islands in the
South Pacific and by Chinese. Unfortunately
none Of these quite meet all the requirements.
The people from Madeira and the Azores are per-
haps q little above the requirements in some re-
spects that is "a simple laborers at all events
they seem more adapted for working small cattle
ranches or other enterprises ON their own account,
than for working as lab0rers ON plantations still
they are an excellent addition to our population
and bring their families with them.
| With regard TO the Polynesiaus, We may be said
| TO be in the stage Of experiment Some Of those
who have taken most interest in them and have
had the most experience, doubt whether We can
count upon this race 70 form q permanent and
fruitful addition TO our population. The circum-
stance which would seem 10 present itself a. "a
desirable, viz that they are the same race a. on.
own people, may perhaps be the one which will
prevent them from staying the heretofore excess
I've death rate Of this In the Hawaiian Islands