The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-09-14
TRY CRoFTERS.

bility of taking measures for the
settlement of idle lands on these
islands by the introduction of Scotch
crofters. The advertiser of last
Saturday hoes in good row on the
same field. Our contemporary says:
=" If sheep farming is to become
leading industry in these islands,
we must introduce men who are ac-
customed to handle sheep. Neither
japanese, Portuguese nor Chinese
understand much about sheep, the
handling and care of which are fam
iliar to Scottish tenant farmers and
shepherds. There are tens of thous-
ands of acres in these islands suited
for sheep raising, which are now of
very little value to any one, but
which might be made to add largely
to our exported wool. Why not
utilize that country, and introduce
stalwart race of men and women who
would do good to themselves and to
Others"
There is not, perhaps, in the
world class of small farmers whose
settlement on now unused lands
would contribute to the development
OF agriculture and every other in
dustry of which it is the basis, than
these Scottish crofters. "The
wealth of nations,' says the great
political economist, Adam Smith,
"is in labor Injured to hard
labor from their infancy, the crofters
might be depended upon to verify
the labor theory in the most salts
factory manner. The accounts given
by the editor of the Inverness Celtic
Magazine during visit to America,
a few years ago, of the stern per-
severance and indomitable industry,
backed by herculean physical
strength of these people, would have
been almost incredible had their
correctness not been established by
being published uncontradicted to
the world, as well as corroborated
by abundant testimony from other
reliable sources. A class of people
who are capable of almost super
human feats of industry only to OBJ
tain the barest means of subsistence
under land tenures that are the en-
bodiment and quintessence of the
most outrageous and execrable
forms of landlordism, could not fail
to become most valuable class of
citizens under conditions favorable
to the advancement of their own in
terests by providing for them the
assurance of comfortable homes for
themselves and their descendants
for all future time. Assignments of
labor to such a class of immigrants
need not be limited TO sheep raising,
or to any one branch of industry.
A people of their stamina would be
very quick to learn the methods of
the tropics, and would soon master
the details of any branch of agricul-
ture giving promise of good returns.
Not the least important argument in
favor of large crofter immigration
to the future of this kingdom is the
fact that with them would be intro
duced strong moral element. The
sturdy rectitude and law-abiding
character of the crofter would be a
grand accession to the best forces of
civilization. To this may be added
the fact that they are not people
of migratory habits. Nothing but
the iron paw of the lion of landlord
ism will move them away from their
native shores. And once settled as
landed proprietors in their own
right, they might be depended upon
to stay, to adapt themselves to the
country and become solid supporters
of its best institutions.