The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-01-05
FARMS MAY
Be REMEDY
Fortune Talks of
Conditions of
Labor.
MEN WANTED WHO
WILL STAND STILL
Expects Great Things From
the Experiment
Station.

Commissioner T. Thomas Fortune, Of
the Treasury Department, who is now
here investigating the labor conditions
of the Islands, returned yesterday after
spending a week visiting Hawaii and
Maui The excursion, which was made
in company with J. A Gilman, was a
most hurried one, the time spent in Ha-
wall being only during the stop of the
Kinau, the party returning in that
ship to Maalaea, whence they went on
to Spreckelsville and Wailuku.
Mr. Fortune said yesterday that his
journey had been one full of pleasure,
despite the hard travelling, and that #,
in the future, he should have any time
to visit, he would spend the time in
the mountains of Maui OF Hilo he
said:
81 am impressed that there will be
a great city there some day. The To-
cation is excellent, and the develop
will come the time when the city will
extend all around the bay The break
water will be delayed only few years,
and that will make the accommoda-
tions for shipping the very best.
1.-The deepest impression was made
on me by the Olaa plantation. That
estate is a wonderful one, and its flu
ture must be of the brightest. Manager
M'Stocker has the place well in hand.
Mr.. M'Stocker was the first man l have
met who had good word to say about
the Porto Ricans. 1 went into the
fields and saw them at work, and while
right WELL and, l believe, under proper
conditions, would have given a better
account of themselves.
81 have the utmost faith in the fu-
ture development of varied industries
and in the work of the experiment sta
ton. l am certain that if 1 had $50
acres on one of the islands, as Hawaii,
could raise farm products and horses
or mules, and in the end make myself
entirely independent. 1 believe the ex-
periments will show that a long line
o. products may be cultivated here,
and the result will be that there will
be a growth in homes, and from these
farms, in time, will come the labor for
the plantations That will be the ulti-
mate result, but the present conditions
must be met, and that is the problem.
I will confess that I have not yet
framed any conclusion from my inves-
LEGATIONS, and it may be that 1 will
confine my preliminary report to a
simple statement of facts.
AT present, there seems nothing
needed but laborers who will remain
labOrers, men who will not seek Id
and until conditions have
been revolutionized there seems little |
chance that any other kind of labor |
will be of assistance TO the country !
should not advise white or black la |
oorers to come here under existing con- /,
for it does not seem possible !
that they could be uplifted, could Sc
cure land and make their own homes. /
Il shall stay here. digesting my in
and getting ready my report, !
eaving in the Korea on January %,
going direct to Manila. 1 shall then
spend a month in the principal islands
If the group. and then will return to
he mainland, unless I receive orders
@ stay there for a longer time. I
lave now completed my examinations
INTO the Oriental features of the stu
ltion, and that will not have to be done
IN the other side"