The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-10
HAWAII CENSUS.

How tho Population is Made up-Voters
Must Read English the Language OF the
SGhools-Alnerlcans Rule tho Country.
CHICAGO Inter Ocean,
The increasing probability that Ha.
wall will be annexed to the United
States creates an especial interest in the
people Of that faraway cluster ofislands.
The last census, taken December, 1890,
contains a good deal OF information
which is pertinent to the inquiries now
arising in the public mind.
The total population at that time lack
cd ten OF being an even 10000. OF these
22,007 live at the capital, Honolulu. The
total number OF inhabited buildings in
tho country is 1903. Over 10000 peo-
pie live in private residences, and only
about 1000, all told, in hotels, boarding
houses, and lodging houses, but planta-
ton quarters contain nearly all who do
not live in private residences. These
plantation hands are largely Chinese
and Japanese, with quite asprinkling OF
Portuguese,
The total native population is 94,498.
This does not include either the half
castles or the Hawaiian.born foreigners.
OF the latter there are 7,405, and OF the
half-castes 6,1S0. The native foreigners,
as they might be called, are mainly OF
American origin, and, with the l,02S
actual Americans, constitute "the rui-
ing race" OF British there arc 1874, Of
German 1904. The Portuguese, 8,602,
arc Of the poorer class. The Chinese,
1891, and the Japanese, 1850, are
mostly coolies. The movement for an
nexation was retarded several years by
the planters and great sugar corpora
tions because they knew that once
under the American flag Hawaii would
have to stop its cooley trade and con-
form to our laws against that form Of
semi.slavery. There have been large
importations from Japan since the
census was taken, and it may DO said
that about one-third OF the present
population Is Asiatic, and that in this
direction o radical change may BIO ex-
pected.
Leaving out OF the calculation the
Chinese and the japanese and We 6nd
the population makes an excellent show
ing rs regards the ability to read and
write. The system OF compulsory edu-
cation obtains. The total number Of
children within school age-six to fiji
teen years-is 1900, and the total
number in school Is 10,0o6, and 92.3 per
cent OF those attending school are being
instructed in the English language.
There are hundred native teachers,
forty.seyen half.castes, one hundred and
forty-three American, and thirty-six
British.
The number OF votes cast at the regu-
lar election OF three years ago was H.
672, out OF a registration OF 14,ll3.
There is no property test, but the voter
must be able to read an ordinary news
paper in the Hawaiian, English or some
European language. Leaving the
Chinese and japanese out OF the calcu-
lation, none OF whom are voters, the
ratio Of voting to total population is
about the same, Notwithstanding the in
telligence test, as the ratio in this coun-
try, namely, one in five.
The number Of prisoners, including
those locked up for being drunk and
disorderly," was only 345, and that,
too, when the census was taken, the
first Sunday after Christmas. This is an
excellent showing fora motley popula-
ton OF 10000. There are twenty.nine
jails and lockups, giving an average Of
about twelve persons to ono institution.
The debt OF the country three years
ago March 81, 1901 wa9S2, 509,502, and
the property OF the government inven-
toried $5,797, $40. including public lands
set down as worth S2,1S6,050. The OK.
ports OF the census year wore S13, 023,-
S04, mostly sugar. The imports were
only about halt as much as the exports,
More than IS per cent OF the imports
came from the United States.
Tho agriculture OF the country is
largely in the hands OF great corpora
tions and firms. Sixty-scven large con.
Germs have an aggregate capital OF $685.
47,600, and 74.l7 per cent Of this
amount is American, 1911 British, COZ
German, and so native. American, in
this connection, includes not only
Americana proper but Hawaiians OF
American descent. Tho total acreage
under cane is G4,149, and under rico
1920.
Such arc the main points Of interest
In tho last Hawaiian census Taken as
a whole these facts constitute power
| iul argument for annexation.