Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-11-10

much may he fairly claimed for them that
they are an Industrious, respectful. law.abidine
people. They are not indictments or hlusterers
or drones. They have been brought up to
work. look forward to it as in the natural or.
der Of things, and have the physique TO stand
it, The ST. Michacls men are apriculturalists
The first Madeira men were city people. The
latter selection was in many respects an unfor
tunate one for these islands and did something
to prejudice planters against further importa-
tons. But experience has demonstrated the
exact requirements Of the Hawaiian planta
tons and has also demonstrated the good
qualities OF the Azorean laborers. It is not
claimed that they are the best laborers in the
world but 1t IS claimed that when endurance.
intelligence. manageableness and availability he
considered no other imported laborers have
answered the needs Of these islands so well as
they
Speaking Of the physical features Of their
new home Mr.. iIofnung said The LA.
waiian Islands are the Azores of the Pacific.
Here the immigrants have scenery, climate and
soil sufficiently like those Of their native land
to make them comparatively at home. The
fact that so many have become lessecs and
owners of land here shows that as class they
are really content and that as a class they
readily may be incorporated into the body
polite.
The writer asked if the supply Of Azoreans
was likely 10 equal continuous demand, pro-
vided the immigration could be carried on
Mr.. Hoifnung replied "Our agents at st,
Michaels say that emigrants for not more than
three or four vessels year can be safely re
tiuied at present. To take more away would
be likely to disturb the labor market of the
islands, create jealousy and prejudice the home
authorities against a continuance of emf.
grafton.
On asking whether there was any fear Of a
diversion Of the Surplus population of the
Azores to countries other than this, the writer
was shown a letter from Sydney, inquirng
abou, the practicability Of taking a number OF
st. Michaels Portuguese TO Queensland and
Fiji-for work in the sugar fields Of those
countries.
Further inquiry developed the fac, that
Hawaii is paying less in proportion for immi-
grafton than are Queensland and New South
Wales. The governments of those colonies
are paying 30. los. for the importation of
emigrants from England. We pay EiS for
st. Michaels' Portuguese. The proportion OF
women and children is about the same in each
instance. But the contractors for the colonies
have shorter voyage and pay no recruiting
expenses-as The colonies have always resident
English agents who are well paid for advertis-
ing the inducements to colonHe in Australia,
while the Hawaiian government has no such
salaried agent anywhere.
A prime objection to Portuguese as planta.
ton laborers has been the cost of supporting
large families Of non producers. Mr.. Hon-
nung is prepared to meet this objection as fol-
lows. He is confident that arrangements may
be made with the Portuguese authorities
whereby specified sum shall be paid each
head OF family or unmarried adult.
which sum will include the cost of
supporting wives, minors and the dependent
aged. In his own languages "It is an axiom
attic economic law that when one spends ones
own money and consumes ones own food,
there is much less likelihood of waste. In the
Azores women work in the fields alongside
their husbands, and there are few children over
the age of fourteen who are not sef-supporting.
With half the minors and half the women on
the plantations working at fair wages, much of
the complaint now sometimes justfaby made
ought to cease"
The following table shows the number of
emgrants forwarded by Messrs. A. Hoifnung
x Co. from the Azores TO Honolulu. The
first five ships were sailing vessels; the others
were steamers.