The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-16

which should engage our earnest at
tention. I believe that a most inpor-
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 ii
VIII be worth the cost. CT 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 well TO
remember that the so odd Chinese
Americans met and decided to support
Iaukea last November. 1t was the
Chinese-American vote that elected
him.
When I 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. 1
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.
/ 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 have
seen farming in many countries. have
lived on the land and know from prac-
tical experience what a farmers life
is. I have studied the question here
from every standpoint and from posi-
ton in which personal interest is alb
soluteIy no factor I stand by what /
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
nothing to that of the central States
in summer but the conditions existing
on the mainland are absent here in
large degree There the hired man
looks forward TO the time when he
can purchase a team, rent 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 ito 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 blowing 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 1 have
ever seen men work on the plantations
on these Islands. If a hired man was
occasionally engaged he was as one OF
the family and looking toward get
ting a home of his OWL
Here we face certain conditions. the
Orientals are here. Many Of them are
going 10 stay here. White men VINO
come here will be IN competition with
them. We have TO face facts and not
theories and it is well 70 know the
truth.
I have not touched upon that cruclal
question Of the transportation OF per-
ishable products. If cheap and fre-
quent transportation could be provided
between the Islands much that we i'm
port would be grown at home. II the
transportation TO the Coast was as
sured by frequent steamers. then II
would wonderfully stimulate the
growth OF products which might De
shipped to the Coast. Even then we
should have 10 compete with the Cen
trail American products carried by the
Pacific Mail steamers. The question
OF transportation, you have argued De-
fore. would be settled If there were
products to ship On the other hano'
il would be useless 10 grow certain
things in large quantities until there
was some reasonable assurance OF
regular and reasonable transportation
to market.
HENRY 3. RESTARICK.