The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-13
THOMAS FITCH SAYS THAT
WE NEED CHINESE LABOR

CONDITIONS SnOuiQ not call 10r Inherent
laws The land laws of the United
States under which the West was set
tied, ave been of late years altogether
changed, until the Homestead act is
about all that remains. The donation
laws, timber land laws, desert land
laws, and presumption law have been
modified or repealed. The scrip ISSUED
to aid in the construction OF turnpikes
and military wagon roads. ana for 9TH
er purposes has all been usal, and the
best and most available lands IA al
the railroad grants have been sold.
UNSUITABLE LAND LAWS.
All of our land laws were made for i
country of vast p~rairies and vast for
ests, and in my opinion, they are to-
tally unsuited to these Islands, where
there is a center of rough, broken.
rocky hills and mountains, hinged DIV n
narrow circumference or fringe Of rich
luvia soil, and penetrated for a short
distance by a few fertile but narrow
valleys. The uplands are too sterile to
be available for the small farmer, and
lands upon which the cane will
grow are too valuable to Re used for
raising cabbages and pota'oes. You
can grow oats and wheat and root veg
etables in California for from half p
cent to one cent a pound cheaper thai
they can be raised here, and they an
be brought here on sailing VESSELS at a
cost of one-sixth of a cent n round for
freight. Congress may well BE- asked
why it should adopt a policy n Il
might destroy or check and discourage
an existing industry that brings in
twenty millions of dollars n year in or
der to make room for smaller midas
tries that under the very best cond!-
lions could not bring in one-f"urth Of
that sum-?
SMALL PROFITS OF FRUIT Gull
TURE.
There is a good deal of popular mis-
conception concerning the profits CT
culture, especially citrus fruits in
California. After the hOrticultur s. has
baffled the bugs n has imported
birds to eat up the worms. and has ex-
hausted his bank account ia buying
coal with which to keep up fires on
frosty nights and has purchased water
at enormous prices to tide over the
drought, then when his trees are loaded
with the fruit, his roubles are YET not
over. Last year there was a car fam
inc on the Pacific road, and the grange
growers and packers and shippers of
Southern California lost millions of dol
lars in consequence. Dried fruits re
uuire cheap labor-which is not always
obtainabIe-for their preparation, and
cheap transportaJion-which railroad
combinations often deny-for their sue
cessful marketing. 1t is all very well
to talk of making Hawaii a paradise
for small farmers. But if you destroy
the sugar plantations, where Wln the
money come from for the purchase or
- --- - ,--..tahT1. ~ F~t.f~ frnun .
the small farmer? The tourists cannot
all that can be produced. and ship
ment to California would indeed be
sending Goals to Newcastle.
HAWAITS OFFICIALS HONEST.
You asked me concerning my opinion
of the officials of Hawaii. 1 have lived
much of my life in Territories, and I
never before known OF an in
where enemies and ~friepGs, rival
and opposing factions. con-
Joined in expressing entire confidence
in the personal integrity of the public !
officials. The bitterest enemies of any
Circuit or Supreme Judge in Hawaii
will not deny his answering integrity,
and in most instances his legal ability.
The most determined opponent of Gov
Dole will concede his absolute
honesty. But men are nothing except
rs their power or their personality may
mould or direct policies. The issues be-
fore us today are too grave 20 be sub
1rdinated to any mans ambition or any
mans quarrel. We are facing, in rly
as difficult a situation as ever
confronted any community. We are q
part of the great American republic, it
s true, but we are nevertheless 4 little
world unto ourselves. We are ship {
mates upon a vessel two thousand {
niles from the nearest shore. 1T viii {
iced our united effort to outride the I
,athering blast. Is this a time to s
vrangle and suI over the apportion-
nent Of berths, or the arrangement or {
eats at the dinner able? Let rather +
voice of faction be hushed 10 silence Y
nd let US all help TO IA the ship. c
-N- G