Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-14
THE WEALTH OF HAWAII
A Conservative Estimate Puts It at
S5O,OOO,OOO.
Foreigners Own TwO-Thirds of This
Departure of the Native
Delegation.
Correspondence of The Evening Star.


HONOLULU, Hawaii,
November 26, 1857.
Four of the native delegation to oppose
annexation sailed for Washington on the
Goth, on the same ship with Senator Petit
grew and Mr.. Dubois. A great company of
native ladies crowded the wharf and the
deck of the. steamer, piling wreaths of flow
ers upon their shoulders, and covering item
with kisses. The heads of Messrs Petit
grew and Dubois also were nearly hidden
by piles Of wreaths. Washington will prob
ably see the delegates before this letter ar
rives, if no mishap befalls the iuexperi-
enced travellers in a. strange country and
inclenent climate. They found much diff
Guilty in collecting funds for the journey,
and are believed to have a scant supply.
Certain white royalists with capital were
applied to, but saw no use in investing in
delegation so composed You can see for
yourselves the style of men they are good
natured, pleasant gentlemen. 1t is due to
the native Hawafians to say that neither
the two full-natives nor the TWO part
whites of the delegation rank among the
higher grades of their fellows in ability or
culture. Most of those SO ranking are
strongly in favor of annexation.
Statistics recently obtained from the tax
assessors office of interest, as indi-
eating the high position of Hawaii as a
land of wealth and prosperity. The total
property of Hawaii is assessed as follows:
Real estate. 81, 1S 4:SS3
Personal property. IL 1911 06S
s39,67I 5O1
This averages 1894 to each of the 1903 U2O
inhabitants. OF the whole the full and
part-HawaiianS own over oue-fourth being
$Slol, IOi. averaging s205 apiece. while the
6,15S Americans, British and Germans own
over two-thirds, or SIG. 7O1 sos, being 1881
per capita. One-thrG of this is probably
owned by not more than fifty persons, al
though the number in easy circumstances
Is large 1t is gratifying to believe that
most Of the wealthy men have acquired
their property in ways that were honorable
and benefcent to the public. often convert
ing deserts into gardens. In a new country
under good government, property is created
with great facility by men of brains and
enterprise.
The assessed values stated above are. of
course, much below the real values Fifty
per cent in addition, or sixty millions in
all. is probably conservative estimate of
the present market value of property in the
Hawaiian Islands. Thirty years ago there
could not have been one-tenth as much
With annexation must come a rapid in
crease of white population and develop
ment of resources, and the growth of val
ues must be rapid and great.
To the American people the point of i'm
mediate interest is that this large and
growing wealth is practically American,
being under the rule and direction of Amer
leans, the islands being thoroughly Amer
icanized. If they continue in nominal indie
pendence, without political union to Amer
lea, this wealth and prosperity will De left
in jeopar at the mercy of internal condi-
tions which are unsettled and unstable
owing to diverse and conflicting elements
OF population, which, under annexation
would soon be outnumbered or assmilated
Still greater is our peril from external in
reference. 1t is for the United States to
save their noble colony, and build it I'D
into a powerful American state.
BY opponents of annexation, the Ameri-
cans of Hawaii are slanderously described
as Adventures and flibusters. On the con-
trary, they are generally men either born
here. or long and permanently identified
with the islands; quiet. enterprising and
diligent, who have wholly created the
wealth they own, and who were compelled
to assume control Of the government in
order to save the country from the ignor-
ance and caprice of a corrupt monarchy.
Under their five years Of administration,
Hawaii has wonderfully prospered and de-
veloped, and no class has more prospered
than the native Hawaiians themselves
KAMEHAMEHA.