Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-09-24

4
about 5000 acres, making. in round
numbers about 10000 acres dependent
upon this industry.
Two Crops Per Annum.
In most places in the Territory two
crops are produced per annum, the
yield being averaged at 1a. tons per
acre or 3is tons per annum Of paddy.
The yield therefore is about 39,5O1 tons
of paddy for the 1926 acres or 79.002,-
900 pounds. This loses in weight by
cleaning and polishing about one-third,
making the net quantity produced
about 53,7O1 1874 pounds of rice which
brings in the market, at the rate Of "a
cents per pound, the sum of s2,2s2, 306.-
10.
| This shows the rice industry to be
second to sugar in the Islands.
From the crude process Of cleaning
rice by hand power which obtained in
China. and which was followed here,
to the adoption Of steam and electrical
| power and American machinery for
polishing was a step NOT slow to be
adopted. Gradually the industry in
creased until We were not only able to
supply home consumption but had an
excess for export
| Reputation Of Hawaiian Rice.
The reputation acquired by Hawaiian
rice for its cleanliness and nutritive
qualities soon caused the demand to
exceed the supply. Under the benef-
cial effects Of the Treaty of Reciprocity
with the United States an impetus was
given to this industry as well as to su-
gar. /, II was then asserted that those
engaged in the industry were important
Oriental rice upon which q low duty
was imposed) for home consumption
and exporting the main portion Of the
crop. While this was not true, and was
an argument OF enemies Of Hawaii, the
Hawaiian Legislature imposed duty
, OF 2A cents per pound on Oriental rice
which was prohibitive. Under the fos-
tering care Of this impost the rice in
dustry rapidly increased and the ex-
tensive demand for suitable lands
caused rents to advance to a high
| figure. In 1898 when annexation was
effected the area under cultivation to
rice had reached its maximum. all
available land having been brought
under the pillow. Some close calcula-
tors estimate that II requires the at
tention of one man to two acres. as an
average the year round. At this rate
there would be 56i3 men directly en-
gagged in the industry. to say nothing
OF their families. the teamsters. the
sailors who bring the product to mar
ket. etc. Some OF the mills are run
by water power, others by steam and
gasoline. and all of the machinery for
polishing. etc, Is OF American manu-
facture. II is difficult to estimate the
amount OF capital invested in the bust
ness.
Complaint Two.Fold.
You ask wherein We have a grlev-
ance?
Our complaint is two-fold.
Firstly. the union with the United
States brought with IL the lower Unit
ed States tariff. which Is but two cents
per pound on polished rice and ~
cents on brown rice or that from which
the husk merely has been removed.
whereas the Hawaiian duty was 2h
cents per pound. As the japanese on
the Islands are numerically the great
est among the various nationallties,
they consume most OF the rice used
and prefer the product OF their own
country. The importation OF Japan
csc rice therefore fixes the price OF Ha-
wailan rice, and in fact the anomaly
exists of an inferior article bringing a
higher price than the superior product
OF this country This Is said to be due
to japanese patriotism Co. which in
duces them voluntarily to pay a higher
price for japanese rice. The price OF
the commodity being fixed and rents
and labor being exceedingly high there
Is no longer profit in the business,
Exclusion Laws.
Secondly, under the Exclusion Laws
OF the United States the coming OF fur
Their Chinese laborers is prohibited. As
we have already stated these people
are accustomed and Injured to working
In swamp and oyerfowed lands and are
the only people who can do the work
as 1t Is done in this country. Owing
TO the topography OF the country, the
land being partitioned into small
patches enclosed by embankments, II
is not possible to use steam plows or
horse power to any extent and we see
no method other than that now In use
for the cultivation of rice, IL such tracts
OF land are to be made OF value to their
owners.
Higher Wages Demanded.
The coming OF further laborers being
prohibited naturally those now employ.
ed are shrewd enough to demand higher
wages Their ranks are continually
, being diminished by the numbers re-
turning to China and by those worn
out In the service until today rice
plantation laborers are being paid more
than double what they received In
1898. It is therefore quite apparent
: that the ebb tide OF this industry has
set in and It can be but a few years
until under the present conditions. Il
uugf ,aaca m hold M, nnaItion no IN.