The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-07-24
JOE COHEN Tells SALT
LAKE ABOUT HAWAII NE|

The following interview with Joe
Cohen, manager of the Royal Hawaiian
Band. appears in the Salt Lake Tri-
bune
territory tine United StatA ever Sc
cured without either the expense of
war or OF direct purchase. More than
that, the islands have never been a
burden financially to the Federal Gov
er ment." Such is the enthusiastic
way IN which J. c. Cohen, manager
of the Royal Hawaiian Band, present.
ed the relations of that recently-ac-
quired empire to the United States.
Mr.. Cohen has lived in Honolulu
some ten years, and In addition to
managing the band, which is sent out
by the permission of the local Hawai-
| ian Government, he is manager of two
! theaters and does a general merchan-
d, disc business in Honolulu. His de-
| scriptions of the climate, inhabitants
, resources and business conditions in
that far away country are especially
interesting to all Americans by reason
l
| When annexation was accomplished
the Hawaiians came In under the pro-
lection OF "Old Glory" keeping step to
dandy" and have ever since kept up
| tensively progressive age.
ABOUT THE ISLANDS.
The country is located almost in the
| land of perpetual equinox, but the cli-
matte conditions are such that the
| temperature seldom gets above Sc de-
grees or below 60 degrees, so that in
| effect 1t is almost continuous spring
| time. The mean temperature is about
| 72 degrees.
The staple products are sugar, coffee
and rice, and of the former commodity
some 400, 900 tons are annually pro-
| duced Pineapples and bananas grow
| luxuriantly and of the finest quality,
and are exported in increasing quanti-
| ties to San Francisco and other Pa
cific points every year. Rubber plants,
| sisal for twine., and high-priced to-
| bacco for cigar wrappers are being
grown with success and promise each
to develop into important industries.
While the annual rainfall is suffi-
cient to grow good crops on the fertile
lands, by irrigation, which method is
extensively used, the yield is greatly
increased. Water Is obtained from
mountain streams and from artesian
wells.
PRACTICAL FARMERS NEEDED.
The local government owns vast
tracts OF land that have been leased
for a long term of years at low
rental to large operators. These leases
are now expiring and the great need
of the islands is practical farmers to
buy and operate moderate sized tracts.
The crops are sure and the profits are
| large. The entire region is a health
| resort and amusements are probably
more pronounced feature there than
any other place on the globe.
Farm labor is mostly performed by
| Mongolians, Chinese and japanese. but
the United States exclusion laws pre-
vent a further influx of Chinese. The
result is that the price of farm or plan
| tation labor is greatly enhanced. The
| native Hawaiians are an amNtious
| race and industrious in some respects
| but they do not take kindly to
drudgery. They are excellent ac-
countants and write plain and SYM
metrical hands. They are expert boat
men, especially where the element of
DARING, in which they delight, enters.
| They are also fair artisans and me-
ohanics and are making great advance
ment in scientific farming and the
trades which are taught In the schools
| A university for natives Is in opera
| tion which has heavier endowment
than the Leland Stanford University.
The Hawaiians take readily to educa-
tion and are mostly natural-born pol
iticians. They are aggressive and
readily accumulate means. While not
a race of giants, they are above the
average size in height and weight and
are pictures of health. They are pleas
ant and polite. characteristics that are
particularly marked in the band of
musicians at Saltair.
| METROPOLIS OF ISLANDS.
Honolulu is the metropolis of the is
| lands and Mr.. Cohen says that 1t is
one of the most metropolitan cities Of
the world. Mr.. Cohen conducted a to-
bacco brokerage business In Salt Lake
for several months thirteen years ago.
He states that one hotel in Honolulu
cost s1,750.O00. Concerts are given
daily for the benefit of tourists during
/ our winter season in three different
places in the city. For this reason the
band will be Obliged To return home
by November /. Honolulu has less
than 10000 inhabitants, while the pop
ulation OF the seven islands is less than
| 10000. 1t is considered one OF the
coming countries OF the world. Travel
TO IL increases every year and the
travel brings the needed capital and
population To hasten its greatness.
The country imports large amounts
OF manufactured articles including
farm implements. from the United
L L 81, L.. Ind Ii L "A lnAAL NlE.