The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-09-02
ONE HALF AN ANGLO-SAXON TO
THE SQUARE MILE.

What our laws should be in the flu
ture. just how we should be governed,
who should have the franchise, and
what Congress ought to do in the
premises are, Of course, vastly import
ant matters to us, at least
But there is another and perhaps
still more important matter, namely,
who, and of what kind, shall be the
people that are to be governed by these
laws. Ought the Commission author
lied by Congress, to consider this mat
ter, and to shape legislation, if it can,
so as to wisely secure the right kind
of people? Or is the question of the
future population a secondary affair?
There is in this city today an Amer
lean with his wife and children, rep
resentative of the average settler, and
possessed of moderate means. He de-
sires to obtain land on this island of
Oahu. To his surprise, he finds that
before the Flag has been flying one
month, available land is not for sale,
or is held at fabulous prices.
Here is the situation. The area OF
the island of Oahu is 100000 acres or
600 square miles. If 1000 acres are
deducted for the site of the city of HO-
nolulu, and the 1920 inhabitants of
this city are deducted from the 4O,2O5
inhabitants of the island of Oahu,
there remains 1884, acres of land,
and O,2S5 people upon it, or about 10
persons to the square mile, outside OF
the city. Porto Rico has 24O persons
to the square mile.
The Americans, Germans and Eng
fish on this island number 3O31, and
of these $3.50 live in the city, leaving
POI Anglo-Saxons upon about 600
square miles. This is at the rate OF
less than one-half an AnglO-SaXOn to
the square mile outside of the city. At
present we make no reference to the
Portuguese on the Island. Their con-
dition win be considered hereafter.
And now comes this American i'm
migrant. who salutes the Flag, and
asks the privilege of increasing the
Anglo-Saxon population to something
more than one-half a man to the
square mile. He finds that he really
is not wanted, but about 5000 Asiatic
Iaborers are eagerly wanted. He looks
today over many thousands Of acres
which. under a liberal policy adopted
nv the whole community, should IN
wife him to a homestead, with irri-
cation facilities attached to it, and he
finds these acres are only wilderness,
under long leases. AS an indlYlduaI
he is helpless. If he chooses to aban-
don the position of an independent
farmer" which is the inspiring theme
of the Fourth of July Oratons, he IS
perhaps welcome to the sugar planta-
ton on fair business terms but
under a leasehoId interest. That is,
he must pass directly or indirectly
under corporate rule.
We studiously avoid any attack on
the great sugar plantations, on which
we all i've anu IuON"C anu 1Ae' - 49,
being. The men who control them,
and who are gradually absorbing the
lands are, as business morals go, JUS
tilted in appropriating every square
foot of land on the Island, even II II
results in the creation Of few rich
Droprietors and a numerous class OF
laborers without homes To serious
Nv ask these men to check great COM
merciaI enterprises for the sake OF
humanity or in the interests OF
higher civilization" would be simply
Sunday school business. The world
has not been keyed up to such regen-
crate proceedings. Only the State, or
the general community behind the
state. can do it or ever does do it.
Perhaps the day has passed for re-
constructing our land system. The
history of all communities is that
when the social problems become com
nIfcated the complications are thrust
one side. and allowed to take their own
course. Then these complicated prob
lens, like the anti-rent riots of New