The evening times., 1899-09-21

scholar, editor, and historian, is in the |
city. HIS object here is to confer with
President Mckinley and Director of the
Census Merriam in regard to taking the
census Of Hawaii, and it is very probable
he Will be appointed superintendent of this
work.
Mr.. Atkinson superintended the taking
of the last census of the Hawaiian Islands
in 1867, and it was pronounced a most
credtable work. He was editor of the
Hawaiian Star and the Gazette" of
Honolulu, and in 1888 was inspector gen.
eral of schools. Mr. Atkinson is not ma
tive of Hawaii. but was born of English
parents in Central Asia and comes from q
distinguished literary family.
In an interview today with Times re-
porter Mr.. Atkinson gave some very inter
esting information concerning the islands.
He says the population of the islands in
1896, according TO the official census, was
110.OG0. 1t IS estimated now at 135,000
This great increase, he says. is due TO the
annexation of the islands with the United
States
Since annexation" said Mr.. Atkinson,
'-all. lines of business have increased re-
markably. Especially is this the case with
the agricultural interests. Our total ex-
ports in 1897 amounted to SIG, ,61i, ,672.s3,
closing December 81 last year with ST.
?4G.7i4.79- These exports consisted almost
entirely of rice, sugar, and bananas.
The official population of the islands,
according TO nationality and sex, in 1897
was: Hawaiians, 16,399 male, 1860 fe-
male, total, Sl,0l9: part Hawaiians 4,2l9
males. 4,2S6 females, total. S.iS5: Ameri-
cans, 1,975 males, 1 Ill females, total, 3,0S6;
British, l .406 male, Si4 female, total 2,l59;
n fa,x ..r
l,432; French, Sc male. Is female, total.
10l; Norwegians, zl6 male, l52 female. TO-
tai. @7S; Portuguese, S,202 males, $3.50 fe-
males total. IS, ,19l; japanese. 1912 males,
5 49,. females, total, f.a97; Chinese, l9.-
80. males, 2,4i9 females, toth. 21.T:G;
South Sea Islanders. 321 males, 134 females.
total, 455; other nationalities, i4S males,
152 females, total, 600. Grand total, male,
4. .5l7; female, 90, 503. Population los, ,G20
AN analysis of this census showed that
the male population has in six years in
creased from 5s,7l4 to 72.517. an advance
of l3,SO3, or 30 per cent, while the fe-
male population has increased in the same
time from 31.216 TO 36503, an advance OF
5,227, or 167 per cent.
THE total number Of males in the coun-
try is almost double that of the females.
The actual total increase in the whole pop
ulation is 1890, or y L per cent The dis
panty Ol InG sexes continues TO De dS no.
iiceable as ever. For the last thirty years
the relative disparity between the sexes has
fiuctuated very little among the Hawaiians,
and in the year of the census there was a
Noticeable Improvement, the percentage of
females being higher than any time since
1866. The female population during thirty
years has decreased from 1925 to 80. IS per
cent, while the males have increased from
54.65 TO 66-52 per cent There is no diff
Guilty in placing the finger On the spot
where the shoe pinches. 1t lies among the
Chinese primarily, and then among the
Japanese.
The population of Hawaii is divided
/ into Hawaiians, part Hawaiians, Hawaiian
born, both parents being foreigners. and
foreign born of all kinds. The total Ha-
waiian population is 3l,019. as against a
1 total Hawaiian population in 1890 of 3i,-
! 436 This means decrease of SO per cent
/ The loss among the Hawaiians from 1884
TO 1880 was reported at 1873 per cent. This
! shows that the diminuton of the native
| Hawaiians is growing less and that there
really is a forward tendency This can be
counted for in the greater care bestowed
upon the younger generation. The young
Hawaiians are better fed, better dressed
and altogether better taken care of now
! than they were few years ago. II is also
| interesting to observe that while the
males have decreased l0.7 per cent the fe-
males have decreased only per cent
The term part Hawaiian is used to sig
I nifty every admiXture of blood. TIE term
! half caste is objectionable on two grounds.
1t does not cover all admixtures of blood
and il is a term which is regarded as an
aspersion by many. We now have part
Hawaiians who have married part Hawaii
ans TO the third generation, and il is diff
! fcult to trace out the origin of the foreign
parentage. Ii is satisfactory to noti.e
that among this section of the population
the balance of the sexes is almost even,
there being 4,249 males and 1926 fema es.
OF those born in the islands there has been
very large increase during the last few
years. This increase was found to be due
in a large measure to the Portuguese, who
are extremely prolific
In assigning nationality that of the
! father is always taken. Thus if a Ger
man has married a French woman, the
offspring is classed as German. If an
American has married an English woman
the offspring is classed as an American.
The foreign-born population has increased
from Il, S73 TO 55,7S3-an advance of 49,
910 or 1872 percent. 1t is here that the
great discrepancy between the sexes comes
in. The males number 44,S11, while the
females only number 1882, thus making
the males in the proportion Of to ! of
the females. The comparatively even bal
ance Of the other sections of the popula-
/ tion reduces the proportion to about to
l.
"A large number of the foreign males
| are married 10 Hawaiian women. or to
part Hawaiian women. Like all compare
| lively new countries, the young men go
there to make home, and later the wives
go there from distant shores to join them.
/ That the normal condition of the future
\ of Hawaii viii be healthy is shown in the
last census by the excellent balance kept
| by those born in the Hawaiian Islands,
both parents being foreigners, and by the
mixed races.
"Analyzing the last census, l found that
| the chief increase of population was among
the Hawaiian born of foreign parents. The
fact that the mixed race is itself prolific
in the second and even the third generation
is a matter of great interest. The pure
Hawaiian can barely hold his own. All
that can be said for him is that he is de-
creasing less rapidly than he did six or
] eight years ago; but the mixed race is ad-
vancing rapidly, and in this direction the
Hawaiian strain shows no symptoms of be-
! ing lost
'-The last official census showed that 9,200
Hawaiian males were engaged in various
employments, females 430. The main work
/ done by the Hawaiians is farming. They
showed 3,75s farmers and agriculturists
out of all nationalities. AS mechanics
| too the Hawaiians make a good showing
being 22.6 per cent of all the mechanics
upon the islands,"