The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-09-16
BUSINESS MEN TELL
OF ISLANDS, NEEDS
Planters Association and Merchants Offer Memorials
Which Set Forth Views on Many
important Subjects.

hOmcEi' adlng and OF developing llnWyIl
on strictly American lines, II Is proper tu
point out that all the lands cultivated by
plantation companies who find 1t neCys-
sary 10 irrigate, because Of the uncertain
ty of the rainfall, were either arid vast =
or bare pasture lands before they Were
acquired by these companies. who SUNK
art, sian wells, established cXpensv.
pumping plants, constructed their bitches
and pipe lines, and at enormous cost
brought water onto the lands and there
by made agriculture possibility. If
development of homesteaders only had
been possible the lands which are now
cane heius would be in their primitive
condition, because their irrigation was
only rendered possible by the investment
Of very large amount of capital.
Apart from this fact, there remains the
all-important consideration that even If
white men could labor in the cane fields
and were willing to undertake such work,
there Is no possibility of obtaining from
any quarter, and least of all from the
United States mainland, a sufficient num-
bor to fill our needs.
At present has been said, Japan is
the only source of our labor supply. and
while no dissatisfaction with the work
people Of that country is either express
cd or implied, our experience has taught
us that It, like all other countries from
which we have in the past endeavored
to introduce laborers, is not to be relied
upon for that regular and sufficient sup
ply which is essential to our success as
cane sugar country; and we believe
that properly regulated and restricted
immigration Of Chinese field laborers
would solve our difficulty without in the
slightest degree interfering with the well
fare of the native or American population
of the group. on the contrary, as the
prosperity of the staple industry of these
islands Increases, so will that of the en-
tire population Irrespective of nationality
or occupation. sugar is the pivot on
which we revolve, and on the success of
the sugar industry depends the we'll
being Of every resident in the islands.
Surprise has at times been expressed by
those of imperfect knowledge of our CON
ditions that other industries besides su-
gar do not attract more attention in Ha-
wall, but more intimate acquaintance
with us has speedily discovered the fact
that while the possibilities of this coun-
try outside of the sugar industry are not
inConsderabe, the difficulty of securing
an adequate supply of labor stands al
ways in the way of enterprise, alongside
Of other difficulties which need not be
here referred to.
few years back great hopes We're en-
t"rtaincd that the cultivation of coffee
could be protitaby undertaken on n large
scale. 1t had been grown in somewhat
unscientitiC manner for years. and was al
ways widely esteemed by reason of its
excellent quality and there was every
reason to believe tnat with the adoption
Of modern methods the coffee industry
could be made a hourishinG and profit
able one. Large tracts of land were
divided into homestcads by the govern
ment and private lands were acquired by
enterprising farmers; costly drying
houses and cleaning plants We're erected,
and all the plans We're laid for the CON
duct Of the business ON "A sound basis.
Much of the work of coffee plantation
can be accomplished by white men with
a comparatively moderate amount of help,
but during the critical time of harvesting
the crop, when large amount of work
had to he accomplished i'm IA very short
time, the necessary number of pckers
was not forthcoming, and as the fall in
the value of coffee occurred about
this time, it was impossible for
the planters to pay the high wages de
manded by laborers, and the coffee indus
try of Hawai- declined, while that of
other countries more favored in their
labor conditions, apparently continues
flourish despite the fact that there is
serious a difference between the coff, G
market today and that of few years ago.
1t is not unreasonable to suppose that If
the labor supply of these islands was
abundant, and If coffee was subject to a
protective tariff in the United States, the
/ industry would survive and give profit
able and agreeable occupation to many.
The rice industry of the islands has al
ways been a large one, but the exclusion
of Chinese from the islands will have
. the effect of gradually reducing the area
of rice under cultivation, until before
long little or none will be raised valu-
able industry will be lost, and the land
rentals, which amount to so considerable
a total, will no longer accrue to the own
.ys, very many of whom are Hawaians
The revenue derived by the government
from rice lands will, of course be lost
should rice cultivation be discontinued In
these islands, and to give some idea OF
the value of the Chinese to the Territory
as taxpayers, it might be proper to men.
ton that they pay taxes to the amount
Of about Sl35,Oo0 annually.
The arguments commonly used against
Chinese immigration are so well known
that II is unnecessary to repeat them. oi
even to refer to them further than to say
that while they may be good when ap'
piled to the mainland, they cannot with
justice be applied to Hawaii. Laws and
regulations which cover all the condition.
existing on the mainland do not OF neces
sity fit our conditions, and we urgently
and with all Difference would ask that tn,
tNctllent laws anu regulations OF tnt
United States be modified for Hawaii
not only in respect to labor matters. bu
in many other respects, that this countr.
may not suffer by their application.
We fully appreciate the immens,
amount OF work with which Congress ha!
had to deal since these islands became al
integral part OF the great Republic of th
United States, and We know how Difficult
II has been for members of the Senat
and House of Representatives to fin,
time to study the conditions prevailing
here in Hawaii, but now that you gentle
men have favored us with this most wei
come visit, We feel that the condition
and needs OF this outlying Territory viii
be more perfectly understood, and tina
, We may reasonably expect to have ac
corded to us permission to avail ourselve
/ OF an assured labor supply.
: We would respectfully ask that in con
sidering this question, and in laying
before others, you bear the followin
, few facts in mind:
/. The industries on which these isl