The Hawaiian gazette., 1885-06-17
The Population Question


Ii Is indeed gratifying for me to see with what
favor, above my most sanguine expectations, ny
humble, though earnest efforts have been received,
on the all important questions Of Population and
Labor Of Immigration and Settlement In answer
to my endeavoTs for arousIng the peoples atten-
tiOn to the dangers Of position and to sense of
every ones duty, fattering expressions of apprO-
baton have reached from all Sides both orally
and through correspondence; but further, the prom
islng fact that every one seems 10 realize that my
views are worthy Of consideration, OF thoughtful
attention, Is attestsd by the many propositions
and offers that have already reached me from the
| different Islands.
| One correspondent kindly though fear With
rather too much enthusiasm, says that if l succeed
in stirring people up and in starting solution
those vital problems, shall be the greatest bene
factor Of tEcse Islands. Others more practically
| submit their Own views on the matter, and from
what have been able 10 gather up to the present
| time many landowners are willing and ready to
/ help settlement in different manners according to
their capabilities, according 10 the more or less
generous impulses, or to the more or less business
/ impressions which 50 often lurk behind many of
the most benedeent intentions. Some generously
| propose to gIYe-tO donate-small lots OF land,
enough for starting small FARMS f1r the sole
pose of getting the country around them populated,
for the sake II fact of getting ueIghbOrs, and prob
ably with the hope Of thereby increasing the value
Of their other lands Others offer to sell desirable
| lots on good time and reasonable terms; others
again are disposed to lease lands long terms at
nominal rates and finally some are in favor Of try
ing cooperation, IN both of its two principal as
poets. lst- interesting settlers labOrer6
| in the work of already existing farms or piauta-
! tions. ID, by lending lands for farming without
/ any rent thereon, II consideration Of dividing
whatever crops be raised In other words according
to the system called -metayage," or "half fruit
/ by the old Latin races. And what IS still more
/ gratifying, some Of the planters formerly hostile,
manifest now the intention Of trying cOOpera-
ton with their labOrers, or Of giving to those with
families. small lots Of land with houses, IN fact
! homesteads, 80 as to bind theu mO-e intimately to
/ the plantation
may at some future time Try to examine which
OF these different propositions may be most advan-
I tageous for the country, for the landowners and
for the itself Of intending setters- bot every
one Of them viii be good and material help to
wards the goal Of repopuation- About the race 70
be preferred. say without hesitation, tust for
small farming. the Portuguese Who ike all Latin
races have BEEN brought up IN countries EEerU the
/ laud Is extremely divided and where every peas
ant Is taught the dire necessity Of making the most
| Of the smallest Piece-ssem the best fitted, and
preferable to any of the AuglO-SaIon or northern
races who must have large tracts 10 satisfy their
/ ambition And / suppose after the Psrtuguese
| the japanese come next At any rate, think il
good to correct here erroneous Eotou about Euaf
size of land, settlement at least with frugal Por-
/ tuguess, would require Many Of my correspond
euts seem to suppose that the lots must be OF a.
isasf ten acres and upwards It safely be said
/ that for many poor Portuguese With 4 family, the
very height of their ambition would be tie poses
SION of from three TO 81 or eight acres which IN
/ fact as We see from the examples Of Chinese gar
deus around, can give. If properly managed, con
slant occupation to three or four men.
Bat there Is ore preliminary question about gen
erzI settlement which i quite important and on
| which several of mT Correspondents wish 70 call
attention to- this Is that many lands which might
nov be disposed Of isolated, ast we're shut up,
/ by intervening large tracts Of equally suitable
lands owned BY private parties, when last cannot
be available unless the country Il properly opened
out, and unless their OEnsrs made up their mlEds
| Of undergoing certain general expenses which
small settlers cO1id not be expected 70 face OF neet
these expenses being principally for the laying out
of proper roads and the bringing Of irrigation
waters within reach Of settlements
It uoud indeed Be the best Of all things for Civ
ing proper starting Imp0Lse % the colonization
| movement, If some Of our wealthy landowners did
aupIes to be followed For instance If such men
as Meszrs G. T. Bish5p and J. J.Campbell Who have
in their way, gwen proof Of their intelligence and
euterpTise and Tilo possess large tracts Of land
now waste, OF Constituting only poor pasture
grounds, ED1ld only spend a fsS thousand dollars
for colsctina the waters AZ present. going 10 waste
| IN the guIches, OF fox bringing up subteranean
Ezters-th1s feTtizing dessris Ehicn only wait foE
that magic rod, 70 biOom-lnd then divide tkoee
lands into suitable fractions, after having provided
them with the necessary zccessss, these Gentlene1
would, think, place fhsiE E01ey IN sch invest
rSts as none better could be fourd both for thet1
selves. the country and the nation ia that Tsy
settlemsut wOuid be extensively and eaecFely pro-
notsd, and u01ld not only mean wealth % tbs
o0uutEy throuRh tie incrsass 0f Fop1lations bat
also mean ab1ndz1t iaboz foE al the working
classes And fhers vo1ld b more f0r iilEstrzf1ng
b pcsfertE, il such schenea of general utiliig,