The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-08-27
ROOM FOR AMERICANS.


tation by the management in the hope
that they would solve the labor prob
lem. They came, tried the work. sue
ceeded in doing the lightest kind of la
Dor as well as the Orientals, but no bet
ter. and then when the crop advanced
to Its final stages and the hard part OF
the work came. they would not under
take 1t. but instead hired Japanese to
do it. They we're thus brought Into di-
rect contact, in so far as their labor
went. with the Oriental and there was
at once developed repugnance to being
in this kind OF competition with the chi
nese and japanese and the experiment
was a failure.
Despite this showing, the advocates
of the introduction of white labor to re-
place The orientals insist that the way
to accomplish the conversion Is to bring
in enough white men and thus force the
change, but without bringing the two
races into competition. The impracti-
cable always appeals to some minds,
and this is one of the cases at point.
The question would be how to land
upon any plantation of the entire group
enough men to do all the work, throw
stantly. and bring crop to maturity
and mill it. The proper cultivation OF
cane il admitted to be a matter which
takes some little education, in the mi
mute details. No man, however well n"
may be educated, can go into the can"
fields and at once begin the cultivation
of the crop He cannot even irrigate
properly without instruction. There
must be, then, a period OF a certain
duration, covering perhaps one entire
crop. during which the white men are
shown in actual practice the workings
\ of the business. This would require
! that the Orientals be kept upon the es-
! tate to do the work which the white
| nien were learning to do, or else the
/ crop must be- sacrificed in the interest
of the schooling. To those who have
! followed the growing Of cane 1t seems
/ that the only way in which the CONVEX
I sion of the estates from an Oriental
basis to "A Caucasian plane, could he eff
/ fected. would be to gradually bring 1t
about by the Introduction of a few
American laborers, who would in learn
| ing the business prepare themselves to
( take up not only the working of a crop
I pul as wen lllt IllSAl Ut lVli Va Ab''A
( brethren. who undoubtedly would fol-
low them If the reports as to their sue
cess were satisfactory. But there again
Is met the objection that this would
bring the white men into competition
with the Orientals for Il time, and this
would not be wise nor would the whites
continue the work long enough to Sc
cure facility. and a sufficient white col
Ony to permit the working OF the entire
| plantation without the Orieutals. So il
/ appears that there must be performed
"A modern miracle. the immediate. trans
portation of a large number of whites
to at once take up the work. and the
| instruction Of this new body by some
occult means not yet discoverable.
There are on the plantations of the
group about 10000 men Of various ma
| tionalities. who do the work on the
plantations, which 1t Is designed by the
intense Americans should be performed
by American labOrers. II took eigh
months to secure some five thousanC
Porto Ricans, at a time when there wa!
destitution on their own island, ant
they We're in consequence anxious to ge
away How long, then, would it TAX,
to be supplanted, and that by laborers
who are in such demand In their owr
States and Territories that they ar,
hunted by eager employers, who art
paying a rate of wage which woult
mean bankruptcy to sugar plauta'
ton? If II is true, then. that the white
man will not work with the Oriental
and II appears impossible to lanC
enough white men here at one time It
supplant the Asiatic, the labor problem
seems more complex than ever.
But with all this proof that the can,
field is not the place for an American
at present surely, there can be adduceC
nothing which would be accepted as evi
dcncc that there Is no chance In thi
Territory for an army Of white men
There is room for as many men will
families as there are Orientals, anC
that at work which il as remuneratiV,
as plantation labor with the added ad
vantage that the men would be thei
own proprietors. on every Island o
the group there is land which would b,
susceptible of the highest cultivation
both In small fruits and vegetables
There is land upon which could be rails
peratc zone, and OF this land there il
much which is on the market now o
soon will be. under the policy of tn,
Land Bureau. This is the unoccuple,
field of the Territory. and it should b,
taken by Americans This Is the HOPE
OF the Hawaiians, and anythin!
which would induce young farmer!
to come here and take these lands. set
tie down and make homes for them
selves, grow food products and sup
plies which now drain the money from
here to the Coast should be welcomed
The prospect that they could take u
, lands, break them and raise crop a
once, which would pay for their lane
should be attractive. This has bee
done by some of the energetic farmer
of the Wahiawa colony, whose return
. from their crops have reached the fin
figure OF $3.50 per acre. These are eX
: ceptional results, OF course, but the
!, are not Unfortunately above what woul
be an average with intelligent worl