The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-11-22
AS Others See Us
Letters G. Lowrey correspondent
Evening Post who accompanied Congressional Party.

! SScSSSSScSS<<<S<SSSS
HONOLULU. June 1s.-Hswaifl
needs, as voiced by her citizens, are
harbors, breakwater at Hilo, forti
fications of the ports. Notifications and
white immigrants, diversified crops
and the refunding of the customs
moneys the Territory now pays into
the Treasury of the United States
This appears a rather long list for sc
small country.
After spending three weeks climbing
up and down the sides of a steamship
rolling heavily in choppy channels,
and going ashore in surf boats, one Is
able to vouch personally for the need
of harbors. Hilo and Honolulu are
the only two ports visited in the>island
where it is practicable for a steamship
to be warped into berth alongside a
dock, and a gangplank thrown out up
on which passengers may leave the
vessel. At Kahului, Hanalei, Eleele,
Hanamaulu, Napoopoo, and Laupa-
hoehoe, among the ports visited, pas
sengers and cargo must be conveyed
between the shore and the steamship
in the ships boats.
AS there are no real harbors except
Hilo and Honolulu, the loading Of
ships is accomplished either by light
ering in small boats, or by means of
cable ways extending from the sugar
warehouses on the cliffs over the deck
of the ship. Sometimes these cable
ways are two hundred or three hun
dred feet long. There is danger both
of losing life and cargo. The lack of
adequate landing facilities has develop
ed a class of watermen who are prob
ably unexcelled by any sailors in the
world. Many times in the last three
weeks, I have stood on the decks of
one of the little inter-island steam YES
sells, watching the surf beat thunder
ously against the Jagged lava-rock
shore.
This lava formation is as hard as
iron. The rocks rise out of the sea
cruelty sharp and pointed. A boat
thrown against one of them by wave
would be dashed to splinters, and even
the most experienced swimmer would
stand no chance for his life in the boil
ing surf. Yet below me the kanaka
boatmen would be composedly loading
the big whale boats which all the in
ter-island steamers carry. They would
pile a boat high with all sorts of mis-
freight. and then, with four
men at the sweeps, start for the shore,
the boat rolling and tumbling on great
waves, some of them ten or fifteen feet
high.
Not once did we see boat or cargo
come to grief, and only once did the
captain of the steamship decline to send
ashore because of the high
seas running. At taupahoehoe the
landing place is in little cove. The
entrance is hidden until one comes al
most upon 1t, and is guarded upon
either side by gnarled and broken lava
cones. The morning we were landed
there we lay in the blight of the bay
for nearly half an hour. waiting for
favorable wave on which we could ride
In safely. When our boat was caught
up it raced shoreward and through
the narrow jaws of the little gut with
almost the speed of an express train.
The experience is rather terrifying I'M
til one comes to know and have i'm
plicit dependence in the skill of the
Doatmen.
NEEDS OF HILO AND PEARL
HARBOR.
The people of Hilo apparently have
but one idea in the world; to get a
oreakwater for their; harbor. One be-
gins to hear about the need of a break
water at Hilo at Honolulu, and at Hilo
)ne hears nothing else. At present
Hilo harbor is but an open roadstead,
protected by reef from severe storms,
swells, which make it impossible for
arge vessels to lie at a wharf, and
'ender the handling of freight by light
ers slow and expensive. At the last
session of Congress there was appro-
Driated 100000 for beginning the con-
5truction of a breakwater to enclose
his harbor. A further appropriation
IS now asked to complete the harbor
Pearl Harbor, about twelve miles
rom Honolulu. will probably become
n time one of the great naval stations
If the United States. The Government
ioS SSSuicu d Silc upvu the ShOIcS VI
he harbor, with a view of ultimately
building naval yards and docks. The
BAR at the entrance of the channel is
low being excavated. Within the east
md west lochs of Pearl Harbor, divid-
I'd by a tongue of land, there is an
lrea of deep water, protected from any
storm. no matter how severe, and
.apabie of affording anchorage ground |
o any two navies in the world.
WHITE IMMIGRANTS WANTED.
The need of white immigrants who !
will in time become American citizens, |
,harles P. Neill, the present commits
Toner of labor, has visited the islands |
o make a special study of the effect /
which the Decentralization of the popu
alton has had upon the character OF
IS citizenship. He has come to these
eneral conclusions, which will be
cquiesced in by those who have had
My about three weeks to gain a first
and knowledge of conditions:
Although the Asiatics have up to the
resent slight control of the wealth of
ne Territory, and although they ex-
rcise no appreciable control through
lffrage, the Decentralization of the
opulation of the islands has already
royed a serious detriment to their
Ivic interests. 1t makes Hawaii a |
lace to be exploited by working pop
lation who endeavor to maintain the
west standard of living in order to