The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-07-26
GOOD WHITE MEN ARE
LEAVING THE COUNTRY

Since the first Of the year over one
half Of our white platform men have
left US and gone 70 the mainland, some
TO the United states and quite a num-
her Of them into the Canadian North
west with the intention Of taking up
land and farming said Manager Z. g
BaLen1yne, Of the Honolulu Rapid
Transit and Land Company yesterday,
discussing the growing scarcity Of skill
Cd white labor N the Territory and
the possibility OF holding the young
men who come here from abroad IN
search Of employment and homes.
IT is q pity that men of the stamp
Of these are lost 70 the Territory EY-
cry one Of them had saved money
while here. some having as much as
Two thousand dollars when they left,
saved out Of the wages paid them by
the company. They were industrious,
steady, saving men, such men as a
country can least afford 10 lose.
But I do not know that the present
system Of granting government land in
Hawaii had any inducements for them,
such as the land laws Of Canada and
the mainland have. I do not know
whether any Of them even considered
taking up land here or made any at
tempt to ind out what could be done
in the way Of securing a home on any
Of the islands. In the first place Il
takes a considerable amount OF money
to acquire an option on any suitable
lands and the residence requirement IS
such that few Of the class Of men who
work for the Rapid Transit Company
would consider it. If there was
change whereby the residence could be
done in proxy, retaining that part Of
the law requiring cultivation and i'm
pr0vement, I believe that many Of the
men working in the city would take
Up homesteads, but the majority sim
ply cannot afford TO do SO now.
of course I know that against this
there would be the danger Of specula-
ton and the fact that the labor hired
TO open up these lands would doubtless
be Asiatic labor, but as the law stands
now few men are able TO take adTan-
tage Of any Of it. If, say, some Of our
men could secure twenty. or forty Or
sixty acres. put one or TWO lab0rers
on II to clear II and develop II, while
he stayed in town, drawing his wages
and putting II into improvements, at
leave his job and have a home, some
place ready for him 10 20 &c and make
a. living of Of I believe if the law had
allowed that. some Of the men who
have gone away from here with their
money would have been located on
their own farms and opening Up and
developing the country.
.Of course. there IS the big ques-
ton Of transportation. Until We have
adequate. quick and cheap transp8rta-
ton nothing can be done. This twice
a week service between Honolulu and
the outside islands prevents the open
ing Up of the country On the small
farm basis. and when II costs as much
10 land stuff in Honolulu from Hiio as
il does 70 land stuff here from the
Coast. why then there is something
radically wrong. Without transporta-
ton everything else Is useless.
IF the builders Of the Olaa railway
could see their way 70 run their line
into the high country back Of H5lo.
through the Waimea plains and on 70
Kawaihae. then have a fast steamer
from that port TO Honolulu, touching
a. only one Maui ports. say Lahaiaa-
then the whole island Of Hawaii with
its fertile land would become al once
tributary to Honolulu, and this is the
market for the produce Of the Terri
tory 4 fast steamer could make the
trip from Honolulu TO hawaihae every
1wenty-four hours. II would have 70
be a fast steamer, but the putting on
Of such q boat would bring Hilo into
danny touch with Honolulu and would
build up a freight and passenger traffic
that would be 2 paying one Without
some such a service do not see what
there Is on Hawaii 10 tempt any Amer
lean farmer into going there TO found
2 home
ITO hold the white men here some
thing has TO be done and these are the
things that suggest themselves % ne
Allow the opening up Of homestea1s
by the homeseeader. giving him al the
same time an opportunity 10 make 3
living of his land and taking it Up
and getting his title when L Is ready /
and IN shape TO support him, and sup |
plying him with market avaiIa bic j
through transportation that is cheap /
enough 70 allow him a profit on what /
he has 70 sell
White men are not coming in 70 I'll /
the places Of those that are leaving /
We are getting a lot Of white Iaborers, /
but these are intended u take the /
places Of the Asiatic Iaborers and il /
cannot be intended that they are ever
70 make their living Of the acre % /
land that is given them. But the white I
mechanic IS leaving During April. /
May and June We had the greatest +
difHcuIty n getting men fer our SER !
vice, finally having TO send for some 4
u san Franchises. We are putting On !
vr7nra EIa-sF7arS rs7au ever before and 4