The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-09
HAWAIIAN FACTS
Department of Commerce and
Labor Gives Statistics
NATIVES ARE DECREASING
Steady Increase Is Shown in
laps and Chinese

NeNeS dDOot PtSSCul COiOitiOuS hawaii
are presented by the department of COM
merce and labor through its bureau of
statistics. These facts reached that bu-
reau in the Hawaiian Annual for 1904.
which arrived on the opening day of the
new year.
Regarding population, the figures show
steady decrease in the number of ma
tfves and steady increase in the number
of persons of foreign births, especially
Japanese and Chinese. In 1877 the number
of natives was, in round terms, $1,000 and
in 1900 81, 1000. In 1872 the number of Chi
nese was, in round terms, 1900 and in 1900
25,0o0 The record of japanese among the
population only begins with 1854, when
the number was 116 persons, but in 1900
the number was over $1,000. The total
population in 1872 is given at 56,S91 and in
1890 at 154, COL. The relation of nationality
to plantation labor is indicated by a table
which shows the nationality and number
Of sugar plantation laborers, the number
of japanese being 31,029 out of a total of
all nationalities of 1922, these figures be-
ing for the year 1902. The japanese plan
tation laborers increased from Is, SS4 in
1894 to g, 029 in 1902; while the Chinese
laborers on sugar plantations fell in num-
Der from STA in 1897 to 1887 in 1902. Por-
tugese are next in rank in the number of
sugar plantation laborers, the number of
Portuguese being 1863, the next following
this is Porto Ricans 2,036 while native
Hawaiians are only 1.4e3 in number.
Sugar, of course, continues to be the
principal crop of Hawaii, though num-
Der of other tropical products are now re-
ceiving careful attention, including coffee,
tobacco, sisal fiber, manila hemp, vanilla
beans, and pineapples The experiments
with sisal grass, begun within the past
two years, have given great encourage
ment and lead those engaged in the ex-
periments to the belief that Hawaii may
become an extensive producer of that
valuable fiber, of which the importations
into the United States amount to more
than s13,00e, 900 per annum in value and
steadily increasing. The Hawaiian Fiber
company reports that of its first crop an
expectation of about $500 in value of
ssal in the year 1893, this product being
obtained from an area of about 120 acres.
While no recent experiments have been
made with manila hemp, the report states
that samples of the plant from which
manila hemp is produced, introduced sew
eral years ago in various parts of the Ha-
waiian Islands, justify by their present
condition the belief that the Hawaiian
Islands may become producers of manila
hemp as well as sisal
Another valuable production of the far
east introduced experimentally is SUI
matra tobacco, and the experiments thus
Tar indicate that its cultivation in the
Hawaiian Islands may prove extremely
successful. Vanilla beans, also recently
introduced, give encoura geing results and
indicate returns of from 81, 900 to 5000 per
acre from their cultivation. Coffee pro-
duction, while adversely affected in recent
years by the low prices prevailing in the
worlds markets, has developed to such
an extent as to give an increase in ex-
ports, the total exports being. in 1893,
/, $50 900 pounds against 800 pounds in
1901. 1t may be added that the importa-
ton into the United States of sisal and
manila fiber amounted, in 1903, to over
SIS, 000, 900 in value; of Sumatra tobacco to
over A,O0O,0oO; Of vanilla beans. over ST.
900, 600, and of coffee, s6O,000.090
Sugar continues to be the largest pro-
duction of the islands and the crop of
1903 is the largest ever produced aggre- |
eating TIE. 900. 900 pounds against $50 200, 900
pounds in 1888. 114cO00O pounds in 1888. |
and % 900, 900 pounds in 1875. The growth /
of sugar production in the Hawaiian |
Islands from the date of the reciprocity !
treaty in 1876 has been rapid, but the /
greatest growth has occurred in more re-
cent years. The total sugar production |
Of the islands in 1875 the year prior to /
the reciprocity treaty, was, in round |
terms, q, 900 pounds, by 1880 it was /
63 600 900 pounds in 1890 it amounted to |
360, 900, 600 pounds, and in 1893. as above indi |
Gated, 174,S25, 420 The development of SUI 1
gar production since annexation has been /
very rapid and the annual crop has rang /
ed very high. the total value of sugar ex-
ported from the Hawaiian Islands in the |
five years since annexation, 1S9s-l9oS. Tas.
in round figures. SIP. OoO. 900; in the proceed
ing five years. 1ss4-1S9S. s63 or 900. and in
the five years 1sSs-1Se3. sis. OOoO0o
Another especially interesting fact de-
veloped in connection with the sugar pro-
duction of the Hawaiian Islands is that
in recent years large tracts of land. for
merly considered valueless. have been
brought under CULTIVATION oy irrigation
and made even more productive than that
upon which sugar was produced without
Irrigation Nearly one-half of the area
now devoted TO sugar in the Hawaiian
Islands is irrigated. and more than one
half of the sugar produced is grown on
irrigated lands, the average production
per acre on irrigated land being more
than twice as great as that upon land
which depends solely upon the rainfall
The commerce of the Hawaiian Islands