The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-28
THE PROGRESS OFHAWAII
Statistics Concerning the Native
Population Of the Islands.
The Effects of Annexation - People
Eager for Education I'm the Eng
lish Language - Sugar Production
Stimu1uted-The Coffee Industry
The Public Buildings in Honolulu.

In 1896 there were in the Hawaiian Is
lands 3e,50i Hawaiians and part Hawaii
ans. About four-lfths of this total. made
up Of 1s,399 males and $3.50 females. were
pure Hawaiians and one-fifth. made up
of 4,2is males and ABS females, were part
Hawaiians.
Some anxiety has been manifested on
the part of friends of the Hawaiians. as
well as the natives themselves, as to the
probable effect of annexation upon their
national character and individual pros
poets. The decline in the Hawaiian race.
so evident about the middle of the last
century, has been steadily growing less
rapid for the last several decades, and the
decrease in the numer of females has
been checked TO a greater extent than that
OF the males. The per cent of decrease
among pure Hawaiians from 1884 TO 1890
was .139. In the next six years the per
cent of decrease was .099. On the other
hand part Hawaiians increased from 1890
to 1896 81 per cent. The decrease of the
aggregate of pure Hawaiians and part
Hawaiians for the same period was OF
per cent.
Considering that the increase of part
Hawaiians tends to keep down the number
of pure Hawaiians because of intermar-
riage, it Is clear that part at least, of
the decrease in pure Hawaiians is not due
to any abnormal cause.
While the figures found in the tables of
Governor Dole's report of the Territory of
Hawaii show race progress, the recent
census reports as to surviving Hawaiian
children are dlscouraging.
An encouraging outlook for Hawaiians
exists in the fact that out of 6,327 owners
of real estate in 1896 about four-sevenths
were pure Hawaiians and about one-ninth
part Hawaiians. Approximately, this
shows an increase from 1890 to 1896 of 725
landowners among pure Hawaiians and
of 325 among part Hawaiians. In 1890
there were SOB landowners pure Hawaii
an and 395 part Hawaiian The majority
of these holdings are small. but the i'm
portance of these figures is in the fact
IS so large a number ct Hawaiiena own
lands and in the evident tendency of this
race to acquire homesteads.
The Hawaiians are eager for education
in the English language, and thus far, it
is reported, the effect of annexation has
been favorable. The natives are forced
to depend entirely upon themselves. now
that the old dependence in their former
chiefs has ceased. and this fact is caIcu-
lated To promote business enterprise
among them.
The sugar industry in the new Territory
has been greatly stimulated since the an
nexation on July T. 1858. In 1899 there were
fifty-eight plantations in operation, fifty
five of which had their own reducing
plants. There was also one large mill
which reduced the cane produced on
neighboring plantations. Nine of the plan
tatiOnS be n "a
of the sugar industry caused by annexa-
ton, and two are large developments OF
small plantations due to the same cause.
The uncertainty of the water supply for
irrigation and the stringency in the money
market in the early part OF last year
caused several OF these new enterprises
to suspend business, but better conditions
have prevailed since, and the millers and
planters are again operating with renewed
| energy. Ii is estimated that the value of
the sugar exported from Hawaii in the
first half of 1900 was 81. 30, $40. an in
crease of about one-third over the sum
for the same period in 1899, and nearly
double that exported in the first halt OF
1898.
In the last. ten years coffee cultivation
In Hawaii has developed to considera-
BILE extent. In 1850 several large planta-
tons were conducted at low elevations
but eventually they We're attacked with
blight. and abandoned. 1t then became
wild plant. In Kona there was a wide
spread growth of wild coffee, which re-
ceived no attention except the harvesting
OF the crop. For many years the natives
marketed this yield. which was TO them
a regular source of income. Even now II
Is urged by some planters that II is bet
ter to let the coffee in the Kona region
grow wild than TO cultivate ii. The
Hawaiian coffee is of a fine quality, and
when once established in any market Is
well liked and brings good prices. In iS9S
the area devoted to the cultivation OF
coffee was S.sSS acres, which shows an
increase in one year of 2,13i acres under
cultivation. The trees in bearing con-
sumed 22lO acres, trees from one to three
years old 1881, and newly planted trees
9 6I7 acres Recent exports of coffee from
Hawaii have been as follows In 1875,
SlI5 gil: in 1889 1872 3i7, and in the first half
Of 1900 $40, $50.
Honolulu. the capital of the Territory.
is well supplied with public buildings suit
ablt. for the executive and judicial offices.
These include the capitol large two
story structure built of brick, which was
formerly a palace The judiciary build
ing was built of artificial stone, and 1t Is
well adapted for the office purposes
The old Hawaiian barracks ana drllI hheu
which were constructed for the occupa-
ton OF the household troops under Kane
hameha V are still standing, but are OF
practically no use at the present time.
The drill shed IS a large smell OF CORFU
gated iron divided into large company
rooms 1t is now occupied By the First
2nqimeut National Guard Of Hawaii
Recommendations have been made urging
that the old structure be replaced ny =
substantial armory Of brick or stone. Ike
rentlv TWO fine public school houses have
been erected in Honolulu. containing
twelve rooms each, and costing about