The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-06-19
fiAWAH--lITS CONDITIONS AND PROSPECTS

reminds me ~ the policy n England
heforc ths Revolution in taHine her col.
onies The Islands. losing 30 large a
part of the revenue. their own before
annexation, have had 10 borrow heavily
hea1ly up 90 the limit allowed by law.
Considering that there are. say, twelve
thousand white people IN the islands
one can readily Judge that Il IL dim
Cul; to see how We can raise money TO
make public improvements and to edu-
cate the thousands OF Chinese. Japa-
nose and Portuguese children who are
born here, as well as TO care for a
thousand lepers of other races.
4.-There are openings for sisal and
rubber but these require capital and
labor There is AN opening To a limit
ed degree for pineapples. The raising
OF these does not require large
amount OF capital. hut II Is business
which could easily be overdone. as the
demand is limited for the canned ar
iicle. After careful study and KNOWN
edge OF American farming In many
states. | say with regret, that | see
little prosrect OF farming on a small
scale by white men.
1t must be remembered that the
land capable of cultivation consists of
a fringe of. say. a mile to three miles
wide around the coast and that noun
tans occupy the center of each island
This tillable fringe is by no means
continuous. In few places the land
opens up into wider areas towards the
interior but these areas are occupied.
In some places the bare lava comes
down to the ocean.
| know that excellent tobacco can be
raised here. but the difficulties have
not as yet been overcome and the area
of land suitable is not great
Coffee does well and at kona many
Portuguese and japanese are growing
II in small way, The white men who
are growing II employ japanese to do
the work These successful planta-
tions of coffee can scarcely be called
small farming for they represent con-
siderable capital and the employment
of many japanese laborers. One cof-
fee plantation sometimes cited as an
example of successful small farming.
had, when ! was there, 200 japanese
picking coffee. A better term to use
would be diversified industry and this
believe will develop more and more,
but slowly.
5.-There is so little land suitable
for cultivation outside of the sugar
plantations that the land laws of the
mainland would be impossible and
ridiculous here. The production of
tropical staples requires large capl-
tai and large areas of land. We must
consider Hawaii in the light of the
history of tropical islands and coun-
tries, 1t must he remembered when
men talk of Amercanzing these is
lands, that they have never been a
white mans country White men
have been always a small proportion
Of the inhabitants.
G.-The japanese children born here
and educated here are not far different
from other American children in their
ideas. except as affected by home en-
vironment. The older Japanese are
loyal to their old country but have a
respect and, as far as they understand,
an admiration for American institu-
tions.
1.-The planters would be in favor
OF European homestead labor If 1t
were In their judgment practicable.
Where is the land to come from to
provide homesteads? If this land now
leased to planters were sold at low
rates to Europeans for homesteads,
how would they be aoie to cultivate
the lands? How could they plough
them thirty inches deep with steam
plows? How could they erect or man
age the costly systems of irrigation by
dams, reservoirs and pumps? There '
are plantations in which one thousand
dollars ($l000.00) a day is paid for
fuel for pumping water Again, Eu- |
ropeans coming here would have to
compete with the Asiatics already
here, many of them born in the
islands. Ask yourself the question,
are the planters against their judg |
ment to divide up their lands and to do !
what they believe from experience t,
would ruin themselves and the is /
lands? l believe that If it could be ar !
ranged to give laborers small holdings
for a home and garden, that 1t would
tend to settle the population already
here. But this has difficulties If land
is al!enated, then the plantations can
not keep out saloons or gambling re- ,
sorts as they can now to a large ex-
tent.
Again. believe It is only fair to !
people here, Hawaiians, Portuguese
and others, that they who have labor |
ed here for years or We're born here
should have the first chance at the
lands and that the first chance should
not be given to new and untried peo-
pie from Europe. / know that people
here now are indignant when II is pro-
posed to give land to new comers. pass
Ing by those now resident in the is-
lands.
S.--If the question means would |
prefer European labor IL practicable.
/ say Yes" and probably every one
would say so. So far as tried, other
than Orlentals, only the laborers from
the Azores have been success. The
European laborer. like the American,
wants a chance 10 advance. II he
works on farm, II " with the In
tention 10 rent piece Of land as soon
nB possible aud then TO buy, The Op-
for such II not here because
Of physical conditions largely. ! am
. l.l 4. III