The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-27
VARIOUS VIEWS ON THE
AGRICULTURAL QUESTION
The Small CuItivator and His Chances In Hawaii.
Policy of the Government---Land Good
for Rubber---A Mechanics Plea.

Editor Advertiser: There has latel,
interesting about the farming on Maui
that the discussion has gone in a wa.
that can do no good. Consequently tn
arguments are used up and there is tim
for conclusion That is what am go
ing to try; still my name is LITTLE
known. If you do not find it worth
printing then leave it alone.
Now, first it is said, that farming ha:
been tried for many years in Kula and
turned out to be failure. That is true
certainly.
Second. Farming in Kaukapalua is
a success. That is half true.
Third. The farmers in Kula are ig-
norant about farming. That is very
true. 1t is a pity to see how they are
wasting power, knowing nothing about
fertilizing and draining. They plant in
such way that any heavy shower is
bound to spoil their crop.
Fourth. The local communication
makes the farming Improbable. That
it not true. The government is not
supposed to build chaussees to the
house-door of every farmer. That is
done nowhere in the world.
Fifth The pests are not worse off
here than on the continent. I will take
your word for it.
Sixth. There is no market. True,
there is no market for all the farming
products that can be raised on Maui by
skilled farmers.
The beef-makers teach US right now,
how easily here be overproduction. To
think, talking about overproduction
with the prices we have to pay for beef
now.
Export is all out of question during
present circumstances. The only pos
sible way for export, L can see, is to
allow some foreign vessels to ply be-
tween the islands and the coast. A
few fruit-steamers would soon settle
the market. It is illustrating, what
one of the Kaukapalua farmers said
few days ago-one of the proper ones
you know. He said: We have plenty
to eat and plenty to drink. We can
raise any amount Of bananas and give
to the pigs, so we get meat; we can
raise grapes and make wine, so we
have enough to drink, but we can not
get clothes. Just look here, and he tore
hole in his pants a little larger.
And it is well known, that a few years
ago, when they still had virgin soil to
work with in Kula, they raised more
potatoes there than could be sold.
The conclusion I think is, that about
anything can be raised on Maui by
skilled farmers, but it can not be sold.
To invite farmers from the continent
to settle there under such circumstances
L do not think would be right. To start
farming here with less than $1,000 would
be hazard with very poor chances. A
small farmer, who has been able to
save so much money on the continent,
had better stay where he is.
The best way to get white farmers
may be, as is already suggested, to
change the land law to that end, that
young employees on the plantations can
get homestead land without living on
it. Many of those men are grown up
here and know the country, and when
they get a little theoretical education
in agriculture (for any thing not too
high they may probably succeed, and
they will make better citizens than inn
ported farmers.
W. HANNESTAD.