The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-17
The RICE QUESTION.

Honolulu. Dec IS, 10l.
| Editor Adveruser:-Ihe reckless way IN
which YOU quote me on public and eco
iuoruic questions in this mornings issue
Of the Advertiser uecessi-ates NY max n
2 reply. The entire quotation IN crit
cism OF my attitude on the subject OF
rice growing was part Of reference %
methods Of tie American farmer IN cul-
tiyating rice in Louisiana ana Texas. 1
iIepeat what 1 stated in the article quot
"a form: The year 1903 viii see Texas
grown rice sold in this Territory at 4
price that viii bankrupt every local rice
grower who attempts to compete with il
while the Texas man who p oduces it IS
growing rich"
| This is no pipe dream but an economic
! fact that you can verify by nos-ng
| through the bulletin of the Agricultural
1 Department relating 10 the subject.
| Annexation has brought US all into
| touch with new conditions, and they
should be needed and met in a spirit of
candor and just.ce-in fun accord with
the constitutional changes that have
/ been wrought.
Untu such a spirit becomes manifest
until such time as each accOrd5 to the
other n measure Of credit for the faith
| that is within him, until the people OF
! this Territory depart from the methods
| Of the past. until then, / say, we will
be cropping in the dark. regarding both
our opportunities and dangers, "a those
today interested in the rice business ere
doing. Hoping that in future you will
crit-cise me with more just impulse, I
remain, For equal rights
JOHN EMNELUTH
Mr.. Emmeluth was quoted with fidel-
ity. We did not, in yesterdays issue.
draw. or pretend 10 draw, from his
whole article. nor did we say anything
81 he
meluth contends, will undersell our own
rice producers in this market unless
white men here, adopting Texas meth
DDS. shall put our rice industry on n
modern basis But the subject may as
well be considered now.
Mr.. Emmeluth suggested a white man
on a gang-plow driving three horses
and furrowing up a great deal more rice
land than the Chinaman can do with
his water buffalo and ordinary pillow.
The natural reply of this paper was
that gang plow and horses in the
ooze Of an Oahu swamp would be about
as badly off as a circus in a quicksand.
and to that conclusion we adhere.
Horses and gang plows are of small!
use in the deep nlire Of a flooded rice
field: and the common pillow and water /
buffalo manage to cover the available I
rice land on the islands in a way to do /
all the necessary work and to achieve !
a greater number of crops per annum |
than is possible IN Texas. To introduce !
Texas methods here would not increase !
the yield per acre; and it is hardly pos
sible,. considering the demand upon bog
land for taro. to increase the acreage. /
In Texas water IS pumped from the
rivers to land at an elevation. which .
has been plowed while dry. Here ara
bic soil at the same eleva ton is needed !
for sugar or for grazing purposes and
cannot be spared for rice. So to sum
up. the white man idea merely means
10 substitute him for the Chinaman in
he bog. with no prospects of his get /,
ing larger crops or more of them than
he Oriental, and leaving him with less
money in the end owing to his larger
Traits for living expenses. Had we a
Texas acreage there might be some
hing In Mr.. Emmeluth's plea; but even
hen the white man would look on just
Is Mr. Emmeluth himself did when he
vas ranching, putting Up the expenses
lnd letting Japs or Chinese do the
work.
Quite likely we shall have to import i
some rice; but that need not destroy
he local industry. The Advertiser has
doubts as to the ability of Texas man {
% raise his crop on land flooded by
means of force pumps. to clean and /
Jack the rice. to pay drayage and :
Southern Pacific freight rates to the
,cean shipping point then sea freights
o Hawaii and then to sell his rer-
handise through middlemen. al a price
over than that at which rice can be
Produced and sold by the Cinnamon.