The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-11-15


iflatur- appropriated t.,c.co for the
payment Of adjudicatcd ola ms. saii
amount to be distributed over a period Of
three years AZ rate not to exceed tSp,-
ON per year.
In Graduating tho plague expenses
were incurred amounting to S2ptS>.0i.
while tho determination Of the fire
claim viii add another large amount to
bc met out OF the revenues OF the Terri
tory. II no assistance IL forthcoming. II
Is suggested that congress bc asked TO
authc rice a contribution toward the pay
ment OF these heavy financial engage
ments. The retention by the Territory
OF the income derived from the receipts
of the custom house In the district APP
peals TO one as a proper and just method
of granting such relief, Customs duties
are an indirect tax upon the people. Why
not. then. permit them to be used In this
Instance for the benefit of the people
who have already paid large sums In the
suppression OF the dread disease for the
common good?
Scarcely any business of Importance
Is carried on except by organized part
nerships and corporations. The financial
standing OF the corporations IL excellent.
There has been no important failure nor
! liquidation during the past ten years.
| The list of corporations gives a total of
$40; foreign IL. railroads 6, educational 8.
secret lodges S, cemeteries s. churches
and benevolent purposes SO.
LABOR.
| Upon the successful and economical
production OF sugar depends the prosper
ity of the Islands. 1t may be unfortu-
nate that there Is not a greater diversity
of resources. but climate, soils, and gen.
eral conditions seem to have D aced this
limit upon us. The raising of cotton and
tobacco has never gone beyond the ex-
perimental stage, while the cultivation
of rice seems to have reached the maxi
mum point, and the crop is about all
consumed here. 1t Is but natural, then,
that our best efforts should be devoted
to fostering and protecting our principal
industry. Too great stress cannot he
laid upon the fact that the mainland
shares to a great extent In our prosper
ity, for of the S2S,0o0,0oO that has been
paid for our products during the past
period. over 500 1000 has been spent in
the purchase Of materials and Supplies
from different points on the mainland,
which were the product of American cap.
ital and labor.
Much has been said about the en-
ployment of large numbers of Chinese
and Japanese by the planters. In answer
to such criticism. 1t may safety be said
that such action never has. does not
now. and never will interfere with either
American skilled or unskilled labor. but
If an ample supply of desirable labor can
be obtained for the plantations 1t means
millions of dollars spent for machinery.
building materials tools, steel and iron,
and other supplies of American manu-
facture.
"Since the annexation of the Hawaiian
Islands as Territory of the United
States, the immigration of unskilled la
borers has practically ceased. while
| tnnn nf ln In ma hay
returned to their native countries. Be-
tween June IA, 1900 the date when the
organic act went into effect, and the 3lst
day of August, 1901, 4O79 Japanese have
left the Territory, while only $50 have
arrived. This condition of affairs pre-
sents Il most serious question as affecting
our principal industry. All sugar planta-
ton stocks have fallen far below their
former value. owing to the uncertainty
of the labor supply. This has had the
effect of producing n stringency In the
money market from which many have
suffered loss If no relief is forthcoming.
the most disastrous results will surely
follow.
at has been demonstrated beyond a
doubt that the unsklled labor upon the
plantations must be furnished by other
than Americans This would be true II
even the large estates were divided into
small holdings. 1t Is simply a physical
impossibility for the Anglo-Saxon sat s.
factoriiy to perform the severe labor re-
quired In the sugar fields. This being
. true. Hawaii IL entitled to legislation
favorable to its greatest prosperity. The
presence of large number OF Chinese
and Japanese has not proved detrimental
either to skilled or unskilled American
labor. While there is n slight competition
| in the mechanical trades from Chinese
and Japanese, the scale of wages shows
that the earnings of our own people have
not materially been interfered with.
SMALL HOLDINGS.
! What can the man OF small means do
In the way of agriculture? Is q ques-
ton often asked, and Is a most difficult
one to answer. No one seems to care
to take the responsibility of saying that
he will be successful. Experiments along
these lines are being made. but no defn-
lite results have been reached. In for
mer years most of the cereals were rats
ed on the mountain lands of moderate
elevations. but this industry was aban-
doned many years ago, with the excep-
ton of corn and potatoes. These are
still grown on the hghlandh of the Kula
district, on the Island of Maui, and to a
very limited extent in Hilo and Hama
kua districts, on the Island of Hawaii
principally by the homesteaders.
THE growing of the fruits of the tenn
perate zone has never been systematical-
ly attempted Citrus fruits do well In
many of the districts. but no large tracts
have been devoted to their culture, the
main supply coming from the trees that
grow at random, The culture of the
pineapple is now receiving considerable
lattention, but the immense yields from
a small acreage indicate that the indus
try may easily be overdone. Coffee SEEM
ed once to be the crop suitable for the
man of small means. but unfortunately
1t has not proved so, low prices and high
wages having rendered its cultivation un-
profitable. The small farmer, Us he is
known throughout the Eastern and Pa
cihc States. Is unknown here. The man
who desires to become a pioneer In this
work Is welcome. and he would find land
at such prices as would seem to warrant
IN fnty fINa nts h,,. k,x xr,IlI l,,I