The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-09-17
BOSTON EDITOR WRITES
HAWAIIAN IMPRESSIONS
Decrease of Natives--HonoIuIu an important
Distributing Center--The Labor Supply
Perpetual Summer.

of the native inhabitants who are now
only a tenth in numbers of the early
estimate. The forecast often made is
that the Hawaiians are destined in
few generations more to entirely disap-
pear, but this gloomy prediction is un-
likely of fu1flment for the reason that
in their efforts to adjust themselves to
new conditions of life the Hawaiians
have been passing through the hard
process of a survival of the fittest, and
it is hence quite probable that in this
ordeal the remnant that has remained
has shown itself possessed of sufficient
vitality to maintain the race in the
competitive struggle for existence. 1t
would not be surprising if at the end of
the goth century it was found that the
native Eawaiians were in numbers two
or three times more numerous than
they were found to be by the census
taken in 1900. At present their numer-
zeal size gives them, except at election
time. no special Importance, the Japa-
nese living there far outnumbering
them.
AMERICANS ARE TO BLAME.
For this wholesale destruction of hui
man life we Americans are responsible;
but although the immediate causes for
this may be found in the penalties at
tendant upon the practice of some of
the vices of civilization, it can, in ex-
tenuation, be said it is possible that no
essentially different result would have
followed if for more than century past
no foreigner other than missionaries
had been permitted to land on these is
lands, for these latter would have
brought with them tubercular con-
SI1, ha
to which civilized man is gradually be-
coming immune; but which would have
found here a new and unguarded field
in which to develop themselves, and
would doubtless have struck down a
large number of those whom the vices
of civilization have destroyed. Which
ever way it is looked at, the incoming
of the white man to Hawaii has been
Of sad disadvantage to the native who
has seen, as consequence. his race re-
duced almost to the point of extinction,
his government oyerthrown and his
land to quite a degree, taken poss.s-
sion of by the foreigner.
This. however, is historical. What
are the present conditions of the terri
tory of Hawaii? If one may judge by
appearance and by what one is told by
well informed residents, Hawaii is now
suffering from arrested Industrial de-
velopment, due to an insufficiency of
agricultural labor.
SUGAR CHIEF FARM PRODUCT.
It's chief farming industry is sugar
cane growing, but coffee, rubber. to-
bacco and other semi-tropical and trop-
zeal products could be added to these if
men We're obtainable to work on the
plantations who could do this success
fully under tropical conditions. Even
the Japanese, who are not the best of
tropical workers, do not come in suffi-
cient numbers to Hawaii to satisfy the
wishes of the planters: native service is
meager and unsat isfactory; the incom-
ing of the Chinese cooIie is prohibited
by our immigration laws, and the white
man cannot endure the physical strain
of excessive heat combined with hard
out of door work. AS a result the price
of labor is exceedingly high. as, indeed,
are the prices of everything else on the
island, making it one of the most ex-
pensive parts Of the United States to
live and do business in. Honolulu has
been built up so far as it's business sec
ton is concerned, as though it were the
center of great and pros
porous tributary area. 1t has fine, com
modious buildings, used by its Tner-
chants for their stores and offices: its t
hotels are large and exceptionally well /
appointed: the paving and care of the !
streets leave little to be desired, while |
it has in water, gas. electricity. etc. |
the equipments OF a first-cIass modern |
city. But, unfortunately the demand, |
for which these facilities may be said |
TO form the supply, exists in only an |
degree. with no immediate
chance OF Improvement.