The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-05-17
BISHOP RESTARICK ON
Ills SMALL FARMER BELIEFS

IN" history OF the tropics showed that
IN order for industries to pay here,
staples must be produced on a large
scale. We cannot ignore the fact that
We have to compete with other tropical
countries. In these Islands sisal has
been grown to some extent for fourteen
years and some $4,000 has been in
vested In its cultivation. believe that
the only returns up to date have been
one dividend OF $780,
| write the above facts not to detry
diversified Industries but for the truths
sake. believe that we shall remedy
evils most surely by facing facts.
should rejoice IL they were otherwise
Lately, to my knowledge. n long re-
port on the Philippines printed in five
volumes was suppressed because 1t told
the truth. I believe that the best in
terests of these Islands or elsewhere
demand that facts be given.
( How shall we increase the popula-
tion of Americans or of those eligible
to citizenship? This is the question
which should engage our earnest at
tention. 1 believe that most impor-
tant method is for the planters to
agree upon policy of employing citi-
zens or those who can become such, in
every possible position in the mill and
the field. This will cost more but it
will be worth the cost. OF course I
include here men born in these Islands
of whatever race. We have an Orien-
tai American population growing up
which we cannot ignore. 1t Is we'll to
remember that the so odd Chinese
Americans met and decided to support
Iaukea last November. 1t was the
Chinese se-American vote that elected
him.
When / have talked about this policy
with managers they have said some-
thing like this: 1.-THE Orientals whom
we have in those positions of which
you speak are better in many ways
than the white men whom we could
get. They are sober, intelligent and
they stay with the job" We cannot
deny that this is the case.
Again, every means should be used
by legislation and every other way to
encourage diversified industry that the
lands now idle may be cultivated. I
believe and always have believed that
many articles now imported can and
should be produced here and I believe
they will be so produced. Take the
citrus fruits. The orange here is of
better flavor than that of Southern
California and yet look at our imports.
I have always deplored the fact that
there is practically no real scientific
culture of citrus fruits in the Islands.
In this line, believe men from South
ern California would do well.
Again, we shall have to get, as far
as possible, laborers who are eligible
for citizenship. In the end this will
be cheaper than to get transient Jap
anese or others.
In closing 1 would say that I have
seen farming in many countries, have
lived on the land and know from prac-
tical experience what farmers life
is. l have studied the question here
from every standpoint and from a posi-
tion in which personal interest is alb
solutely no factor. I stand by what I
have written.
There is, it Is true, no field work in
the Islands which an American could
not do. The plantation laborers do
not work nearly as hard as the Amer
ican farmer does. The heat here is
nothing to that of the central States
in summer but the conditions existing
on the mainland are absent here in a
large degree. There the hired man
looks forward to the time when he
can purchase a team, rent a piece of
land. marry and begin for himself.
am sorry that these conditions do not
exist here except in rare instances.
Your statement that the American
farmer rarely attempted "to do all the
work himself" Is not accurate. All
over the west the American farmer
who had labor other than of his own
family was the exception. Boys IL to
IA years of age in plowing and many
other lines do a mans work. To
farm in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and
other States means that the man, his
wife and his children have to work
harder and longer hours than I have
ever seen men work on the plantations
on these Islands. II hired man was
occasionally engaged he was as one of
the family and looking toward get
ting a home of his own.
Here we face certain conditions. The
Orientals are here. Many of them are
going to stay here. White men who
come here will be in competition with
them. We have to face facts and not
theories and it is well to know the
truth.
have not touched upon that crucial
question of the transportation of per-
ishable products. If cheap and fire.
quent transportation could De proViueu
between the Islands much that we i'm
port would be grown at home. If the
transportation to the Coast was as
sured by frequent steamers. then 1t
would wonderfully stimulate the
growth of products which might be
shipped to the Coast. Even then we
should have to compete with the Cen
trail American products carried by the
Pacific Mail steamers. The question
of transportation, you have argued be-
fore, would be settled If there We're
products to ship. On the other hand.
it would be useless to grow certain
things in large quantities until there
was some reasonable assurance of
regular and reasonable transportation
to market.
HENRY B. RESTARICK.
May 10, 1907.