The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-06-29
TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT.

ing citizen against permanent HILL
grafton to the Hawaiian Islands anu
in favor of reliance upon tourists the
Kona District may be cited. In that
district, which is not alone, 1t IS GER
tain that the soil and the climate are
admirably fitted for small farms an"
for the comfortable support OF a large
nonnlation The experiment there mas
been fully tried. and, even under ad-
verse conditions, it's manifest success
has demonstrated the proposition.
The village or town of Kailua sleeps
NV the margin of the ocean. It's long,
struggling thoroughfare' ana inc
vacant spaces by the side oil ana III
the rear of the houses, are chleny oc-
cupied by donkeys, sometimes caiieu
Kailua nightingaIes, who have vital
ity enough to bray their STEADY as
content with present conditions. Ell
ereetic and ambitious American eili-
aans. embracing few contributions
x..o,,, +t,a mainland and some educated
and restless natives, chafe uhoer Tue
forpidfty of business and the duil mon
otonv of killing time and soliciting ac-
fivitv. There is no hotel, not even d
-t.oa line. and the 1istless apathy IS
nourished by the music of the waves
ard of the breeze, and only varied by
fishing canoes in the ripping water
and by the occasional and brief lnrodo
of wagons and buggies, when the local
steamer arrives or departs
Kailua. should be and ultimately VIII
he a centre of enterprise and prosper
ity. 1t already has been a scene Oh
1;fa .nd the absence of some essentlal
conditions perhaps the application OF
,oIitfcal opium, has induced temporary
stunefaction. A drive through the sur
rounding country, towards the h1gher
7.;dqes. even to a casual observer, soon
explains the apparent enigma On al
hands, in the rocky lava formation
crumbIing into fertile soil, the lantaha
,1o,,rishes. AS cleared spaces are near
ed and cottages and scattered resi-
dences begin to meet the eye, the pos
sibilities of Kona are revealed Snaail
coffee farms, chiefly leased and occu-
pied by Japanese and Portuguese, ana
cultivated in the most primitive meth
DDS. line the upper road. Banana ana
papaia trees, loaded with fruit, are
frequent. There are a few vineyards
or rather patches used for the cuitiva-
ton of the grape, the healthy appear
ance of which proves that the hillsides
are nearly as well adapted to this
lucrative industry as the banks of the
Rhine or the picturesque vine-produc-
ing regions of France, Italy, Spain,
Portugal and California. The Kona
Sugar Company's lands, in their vir-
ruaI abandonment, invite the substitu-
tion of capital, labor and thrift for liti-
CATION and controversy. An expert
mental sisal plantation, fairly started,
is another evidence of productive cap
acity. Jacob L. Coefper, on his place,
has shown that the moist soil and the
temperate climate are suited to the
growth of the apple and other northern
fruits.
Everywhere rocks are abundant, but
the soil is luxurious. The clearing Ia
Dor has been and can be utilized in
the construction Of stone fences, inn
abrasions of time. On the American
continent or in Europe, in correspond
ing localities, fine residences, as solid
and durable as feudal castles, have
materials lying on the ground. The
oldest church in the territory is at Kali
Irla. In the neighborhood are several
unpretentious but commodious school
houses. in which the general thirst for
education is assuaged. On the noun
tain slope, a consecrated woman has
established and maintains an excel
lent home for orphans. Civilization is
not merely beginning. but is ccnsid-
erably advanced, through the energy
of a very limited number of individuals,
in some degree backed by the govern
ment. Roads have been built and are
being improved. High up on the sleepy
range an engine on a short narrow
gauge railroad once in a while snorts
a demand for industrial revolution.
With all these proofs Of adaptability,
with all these opportunities for growth,
what is it that isoIates the Kona Dis
trict and holds it back? The answer
is apparent to those who study the
situation It needs a change and ar
increase of inhabitants of the right
sort. 1t is said that the Japanese III
the entire Kona district number two
thousand. and they are probably the
most conspicuous element in produc-
ton. American immigration, an in
fiux of men from the mainland, whC
have some money, genuine energy, an(
actual experience in the settlement o