Evening star., 1903-07-03

and was vetoed. Before the present legis-
lature met a carefully drawn bill was pre-
pared by republican committee, and two
months ago was passed substantially as
prepared. The new law is a good one,
and would institute beneficial change In
the management of island affairs. IL only
suitable men could be chosen to admins
ter it. The probability is, however. that
such men will not be chosen, but quite
the contrary, by the native voters a
chapter of disastrous mismanagement ana
corruption looms in the near future.
Notwithstanding these gloomy clouds in
our political prospect. I feel assured OF
strong grounds for hope, based upon gem
eral ascendency of sound moral princi-
pies in the community, including natives
as well whites. The native Hawaiians
in the main true to the high-toned
Christianity which they 50 Hospitality en-
tertained eighty years ago. and so en-
Enthusiastically adopted less than twenty
years later. While relatively weak in moral
character. and intellectually behind the ad-
vanced races, the Hawaiians are of most
kindly disposition and hoSpitable to what
is good and wise. In more or less measure,
despite all alternating conditions, they may
be trusted in the end to cooperate IN
promoting wise and beneficent public pol
icy. Such is my confident expectation.
Financial Depression.
Turning to financial conditions here, the
commercial depression of the past three
years due to the low prices of sugar, has
found little improvement. Few OF our
plantations have been able to pay divi-
dends after meeting the interest due on
large amounts borrowed for improvements
in machinery and for extensive irrigation
works. which promise soon to be highly
profitable. Another cause OF depression
is the general abandonment of coffee plant
ing which few years ago was of the
highest promise But the extraordinary
fall in the price of coffee has been fatai'
owing to the continued overproductlon IN
Brazil. In this our greatest cause OF re-
gret is that coffee growing seemed to open
a good prospect of drawing hither large
immigration of the best class of Amer-
can farmers. a hope now frustrated.
But it is gratifying to be able TO state
that two new lines of agricultural industry
have lately come to the front, with the
most assured promise for white farmers
many of whom are eagerly engaging IN
them One of these is the production OF
pineapples to be canned for export. The
lots hitherto forwarded to the coast have
found the most favorable reception ana
sale, due to superior quality, as well as
cheapneSs. A large crop OF plneappleS IS
now coming on at several localities. We
have many upland tracts, on this as we'll
as the other islands, which are admirably
adapted to the growth OF pineapp1es. lhey
require but a moderate supply OF moisture
little labor in cultivation and seem to have
no insect enemies, in all which respects
they have a very great advantage over
sugar cane. And then no great amount of
CAPITAL is needed for few small growers
to combine and establish cannery.
Growing of Sisal Fiber.
The other product which has proved
available at good profit is ssal fiber, for
which there is a most extensive demand.
One large plantation of sisal, now in its
fifth year, has been exporting it's first crop
of fiber, realizing the highest prices on ac-
count of superior quality. This crop has
been raised upon a large tract of extremely
arid and rocky land adjacent to Eva plan
tation, but wholly without irrigation. No
other known product could have been
raised under such conditions. Yet the fields
of sisal plants stand green and healthy.
These islands abound in vast tracts of arid
and rocky yet rich soil. for which profit
able use now seems to have been found n
number of persons are now going into the
business in different localities. There is an
immense demand for sisal fiber for binding
twine and other uses
1t seems probable that these two products
of pneapples and sisal destined to
solve the problem of profitable employment
for American farmers, the class which Ha-
waii now stands most in need of.
KAMEHAMEIIA.