The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-03-29
SIGNIFICANT IMPORTATIONS

One of the very interesting items in
the report of Collector General Me-
Stocker is that which sets forth the
value of imported food for stock The
value of corn, barley, bran, hay, mid
dlings and oats, for the year 1897, is
: SAP, III.
Instead of raising the food required
by our stock, we follow what all politi-
cal economists call the vicious system
of importing what should be raised
here, if it can be raised The American
protective system looks to the encour-
agement of the labor in producing do
nestle needs. We sell sugar, and buy
supplies. We like the American system
: so far as it brings us money. But we
abandon it, when it comes to the policy
of raising what we need for consump-
ton. We keep close to the heels of the
British sugar colonies that are now
about in bankruptcy.
Our hand books" tell us that our
climate and various attitudes enables
us to raise about everything under the
sun, but we, in fact, raise one product
and buy nearly everything else, apples,
oranges, peaches, grapes, caulifiower,
cabbage, potatoes, horseradish, lemons,
are imported. In certain seasons of the
year, we should be large exporters of
these articles, we are not.
l. fo,s ,,.n4, icsit 1.rp
these supplies, is the reason that the
cotton planters of the United States
confine themselHs to cotton which is a
money crop, like sugar, and for 70
years have purchased corn, wheat, hay
and other products from the Western
States. Having contracted the habit OF
raising cotton, having neglected the
study of the ways of raising home sup
plies, more than all, having accepted
without much thought the theory that
it was best to raise cotton, and buy eV-
erything else, they have in fact, kept
themselves poor, though they have the
grandesIt money crop of the world, be-
cause they have almost the monopoly
of climate, and snap their fingers at
"protection' Yet the statesmen, the
economical writer's, the bankers of the
South have earnestly preached the
great need of raising food at home
Within Is years, there has, however
been some Improvement in this matter
and the small cotton planters who now
raise their own supplies are independ
ent, comfortable, and prosperous.
For the successful sugar planter, fol-
the successful merchant here, the plan
unconsciously followed, of concentrat.
ing labor in the production of sugar is
the simplest, and most comfortable, 81
long as the prices of sugar hold. Bu
those who take the larger view Of the
needs of the whole community, of the
absolute need of an intelligent voting
class. resident ON the soil, and owning
it, the importation of articles tina
should and can be raised here, makes ;
very serious condition of things.
The close students of the social con
dition of the negro in America have in
creasing faith in the happy solution
the negro problem, as the great planta
lions are being subdivided, and tn
negro becomes an owner of the sol
raises food for himself and his stocE
and makes cotton only his by-crop, an
at the same time, his cash crop. Blu
only as the negro becomes the owne
of land does he really prosper, and be
come a reliable citizen.
The sugar producing countries ma
be slowly forced, by economic and pol
teal revolutions to adopt the sam
course.