The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-10-21
QUESTIONS
Of HAWAII
Article From the San
Francisco Sunday
Bulletin.

viii the japanese ten years hence
| control political destinies of any State
or Territory over which flies the star
ry banner of the United States?
| Over across the waters of the blue
Pacific, under the sunny skies of the
youngest Territory of the United
States, in a land of perpetual sunshine
| and perennial loneliness, the above
question takes precedence of all others,
| for upon the answer that shall be given
to it depends the permanence or de-
struction in the Paradise of the Pa
cific'' of American and Christian civili-
cation.
And it is a serious and thought-pro-
voking problem. For years the large
immigration of japanese to Hawaii has
been source of apprehension to the
citizens of the Territory, who care more
for the supremacy of American prin-
ciples and American ideals than for the
prosperity of few sugar planters, and
the time is fast approaching when a
serious crisis will have to be faced.
In his last report to the President
Governor George r. Carter giving echo
to the plaintive wall of the sugar plant
ers, asserts that upon Asiatic labor de-
Ponds the future prosperity of the Ter
ritory. On the other hand, both the
Labor Trades Council and the Mer-
chants Association of Honolulu have
gone on record against the further i'm
portation of Asiatic 1aboring men into
the Territory of Hawaii
Thus is the issue joined by the rep
resentatives of the two great classes of
citizens of the Territory. Undoubtedly |
much may be said in support of each |
side to the controversy. On thing is
certain, however: For all pratical pur- |
poses the Territory of Hawaii is a Japa- |
nese territory. Any visitor to the is |
lands will soon become convinced of the |
truth of this assertion. The little brown !
men of "Dai Nippon" number 10000 ,
souls, scattered throughout the entire |
Territory with representatives in every
hamlet and village of the group. Their
appearance in any town, as general
rule, has been followed within a short
Of the Americans whose labor was I'M :
dersold and standard of living under
mined by the newcomers.
Up to a comparatively short time the
manual and skilled labor of the islands
was in the hands of Hawaiians, Portu-
yuese and Americans. AS StevedoreS,
fishermen, taro-growers and hack driv
ers the natives of the soil were earn
ng the wherewithal necessary for a
good and substantial living. Today the
are prominent along the
vharves, in the fishing boats, upon the
AFRO fields, or the drivers seat only by
heir absence. The little brown men
nave taken their places everywhere at
L much lower wage.
Twenty years ago several thousand :
Portuguese were brought over from Ma
leira and the Cape Verde Islands to :
work upon the sugar plantations under
hard working, frugal, in
people, they promptly set to
work and while Transforming the ap- t
and increasing the production !
# the plantations by the faithful and g
conscientious performance of their du- t
les, they provided little by little the I
means necessary to purchase homes for (
themselves and their families. Believ L
!
nd having no sympathy with the new +
eresy commonly known as race sui +
ide they raised large families and pre- I
ented to their adopted country gen.
ration of young men and women i'm =,
,ued with American sentiments, Amer
can principles and American aspira-
ions.
This generation, in presence of the
ppalling death rate of the Hawaiians
nd the rapid increase of Japanese, was
he hope of the Territory. These young
rather Americans 9
owever, educated in the public schools
f the Territory, were no longer use
ul for the sugar planters. They knew [
90 much. They had the temerity to 5
INSIST that $50 per month for their n
abor in the canefields under burning c
ropicaI sun, was necessary to proper v
Y support and educate their families. c
he plantation managers, naturally I;
nough would hear none of this, for C
undreds of Japanese were at their
opposition at the magnificent wage of il
Ia per month, board not included. n
The Portuguese left the plantations, 6
rifted to the towns and cities of the a
\ 70, | T