The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-03-22
DRIVING AWAY GOOD MEN.

The Consul General for Portugal
made a remark on Thursday, during an
desirable immigration, a more serious
matter than many would like to admit.
He stated that he was surprised to
see so many of a very good class Of
Portuguese who had prospered here,
now willing to emigrate to Timur or
elsewhere. Also that the Portuguese
with large families were not considered
desirable on the plantations To this
should be added the fact that a decent
Portuguese laborer, with a wife and
several children, cannot live as plan
tation laborer on $3.50 a month, es-
give him a patch of land, upon which
to raise home supplies.
Here is the situation With a COM
mercial prosperity upon us that is per-
haps unmatched in the world, with
only small population on the Islands,
we find a good class of Portuguese
ready to abandon the country for want
of the means of making a decent liv-
ing We are not referring to the thrift
less, lazy Portuguese, but to a good
Glass; 1t may not be very numerous
but it is desirable.
Now, gentlemen, Legislators, Minis
tiers and citizens you have the matter
before you. You have repeatedly de-
clared that the Portuguese were ode
sirable settlers" On excellent authority
you hear that very good class" of
them are ready to leave because they
cannot make living These are not
bummers, but industrious people who
are familiar with the country.
Now before talking about any more
find out what the matter is with these
people. Where and what is the trouble:
They have not means sufficient for cot
fee cultivation. Would you drive them
to the plantations to compete with the
lowest priced labor? Do you intimate
that decent" Portuguese can take
care of his wife and his children or
plantation wages? If you do, you make
a mistake in educating the children
For every educated child becomes 6
fire-brand, under such conditions.
If good class" of Portuguese can't
get along here, what can a good class Of
American farmers do?
You are at once brought up with g
round turn. Aside from the present
small coffee industry, you present
to the desirable immigrant no me-
thod of self-support ON the soil, on any
profitable or large scale, excepting the
wages of the plantation, increased
somewhat by the share system.
There ares score of profitable horti-
cultural industries with world markets
which may be opened to the Portu-
guese and Americans if you give UP
talk and political resolutions, and get
down to business. There is an outlet
for tropical fruits and vegetables from
these Islands to the annual value OF
perhaps S1000,000, if the business is
properly organized. The trouble is gen
tlemen, that it requires an "everlast-
ing amount of hard work, patience
and forethought to organize it in The
first instance, and the communit!
torpid with sugar diet, has utterl!
shirked the matter. In 90 years this
business will be fiourishing in the
hands of our brown friends, if We lie
everything go by the board And the!
will be entitled to it.
As merely boom" affair, the es
tablishing of industries is of little con
sequence. AS a political affair, as
means of keeping peace on the Islands
of preventing disturbance and racia
conflicts it is a supremely importan
affair.
The dominant party. suddenly resol
we'd one day that President Dole's pres
ence in Washington was matter o
great public necessity within tn
Constitution 1t acted instantly. An
other great public necessity" the di
yersifying of industries is utterl!
neglected.
We need an Experimental Station
and AN, active commercial agency tt
make its results pay.