The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-15
VIEWS OF
MR.. STEAD
Is Much Impressed
With WaiaIua
Estate.
THE JAPANESE
AS LABORERS
English Visitor Thinks a Protectorate
Would Have Been More Popular
Than Annexation.

No time has been lost by Alfred Stead,
son of the famous London editor of Re-
view of Reviews, in obtaining statistical
Information concerning the Islands, prin-
c:pally upon the labor situation and the
sugar industry. He has been indefati-
will be of great value to him in his stud
les of the sources and methods of labor
in Hawaii and of other countries He Is
particularly interested at present in COM
pairing the relative value of the Japanese
field worker with the laborers from other
places He believes that the Japanese Ia
borer is by far the most industrious and
competent to cultivate the sugar lands of
Hawaii.
In a visit to Waialua last week he was
impressed by the magnitude of the mill
ing operations and the quality of the
machinery employed there to reduce the
cane stalks to the sacked product
This plantation is one of the finest 1
have ever seen in my travels, because of
its magnitude and the splendid machinery
| that has been installed there The mill,
combining as it does the most modern
| ideas on sugar milling with the excellent
prospects of the industry here, is not to
be compared with those of other coun-
tries It was treat to go through it.,
and 1 am convinced that the sugar in
dustry of Hawaii, if this Is but a sam
pie, is worthy Of all the capital that is
| invested in 1t.
az saw the Porto Rican laborers at
Waialua. Yes; they work pretty well,
but of course are not to be compared
with the Japanese field hands. 1t is sur
prising how these Japanese work so well,
considering they are of the very lowest
order of workmen to be obtained from
Japan. When you take into consideration
a comparison of these ignorant coolies
with the lowest ebb types of other races.
they are by far the best class to employ.
There are Japanese there who have risen
to positions which illustrates their great
! ambition to do what the trained white
mechanics handle so well. One of them
was running a pump, and he had even
prepared drawings of plans for a slight
Improvement in the machinery. That in
itself is a convincing proof that the jap
anese laborer exhibits an intelligence
which will not often be found in laborers
! of other nationalities.
| Honolulu Is a pretty place, but I can
readily see there have been recent
changes and that Americanism Is rapid
~ Transforming it. I am not certain In
my own mind yet whether annexation
has been the best thing for the Islands or
mot. But then, of course, that is an old
question, and according to diplomatic
| language, the incident is closed. AT the
same time, however, I believe that a
protectorate established by the United
States over Hawaii would have been more
advantageous. I have seen a number of
men here-some of them planters-whom
I am quite sure would rather have had g.
protectorate than annexation. 1t may be
true, however, that If the United States
had not annexed the Islands, some other
power would have done so.'
/ Mr.. Stead was asked concerning the
suppression of the Review of Reviews In
South Africa, and especially in, the Brit
| ish possessions, on account of its political
attitude toward the ministry. Mr.. Stead
said that his father had pursued an edi-
torial policy upon the merits of the war
Which caused the powers that be to take
measures to prevent its utterances from
| finding voice in the south of Africa. Mr..
Stead says the suppression of the month
" is only theoretical. His father took the
stand that the war was useless and could
have been worked out to the satisfaction
of all concerned in the Transvaal in the
course of the time in which the English
and Beers have waged war with each
other. The Kruger element was in the
minority, but according to the method of
representation in vogue they had the con-
trolling vote on all measures, and by this
means KRUGER was able to engage IN
war with England. w. T. Stead has
chung to his policy of declaring that the
ministry plunged Great Britain into a
useless and expensive war and for that
reason his magazine, together with Rey-
nold's Newspaper and Labouchere's
Truth, have all fallen under the ban.
Mr. and Mrs. Stead leave for Japan on
| the Hopgkong Maru the 10Th. They
will remain in the latter country for
some time while the young author gath
ers material for his book