The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-18

cidentally Romanizing, American ter
ritory? The Portuguese, we know are
industrious people: they are law abId-
ing, and their women are chaste. The
Italians may be good; but to fill the
islands with them, whatever II may do
from labor standpoint, having a Ia
tin peasant class here Will not mean
Americanizing the islands. The ROM
an Catholic priests on the islands are
a fine set of men: I admire their devo-
| ton, and i like them personally but I
am simply stating facts when 1 say
that the Roman mission here II carried
on by the Society of the sacred Heart.
whose priests are chiefly Belgians and
French. The coming OF the Italians
and Portuguese to take the place OF the
Orientals. who number three-nfths
! Cperhaps now three-fourths) of our
population, with the children attend
ing. as far as could be provided. paro-
chial schools, would this solve the
problem OF Americanizing these Is
lands? Or would it long solve the la
Dor problem? We should educate the
children of these people as far as we
could in the American way. and then
they would not want to work on the
plantations. They would want 10 go
into a store or get a political Job. The
old Portuguese know this. and they,
themselves illiterate. say: "If the
children are taught too much they
won't work" AS laborers. they mean,
and, judging by the effect OF our edu-
cation on other races. their opinion, I
believe. is correct.
In talking Americanizing these is-
lands. we must remember that the
staple product is sugar. A large capi-
tai is required to carry on a plantation.
and there are years OF loss as well as
Of gain. To start a plantation takes
Billions of dollars some plantations
employ over 1000 men. and there are
others on which the expense TO pump
water is $1,000 a day. Large irrigation
systems cost hundreds OF thousands. II
sugar could not be grown here there
would in a very short time be not one
thousand white people here and few OF
any other races on the islands. Many
of the Hawaiians would leave, as they
would not be content TO 60 back TO
primitive conditions. There must be
care lest Americanization means de-
population. Leases OF large bodies OF
land soon expire What IL TO be done
with the lands? Divide them up a.
said visiting Congress-
man to me. What would the people
grow on the land?" / asked. He did
not know, neither does any one else.
Nearly all the land now i'm sugar cane
was previously cattle ranges. Of which
1t took several acres to supply feed for
one cow. Costly irrigation has made
the change: destroy plantations and
the land would revert TO its former
condition.
AS TO small farming. the Chinese and
Japanese can make a living on land
where no one else can. They are here
putting the lava rock In piles and
growing crops between. II white peo-
pie go into small farming they have to
compete with Orientals now here who =
10 not intend To move. on the slopes
II Haleakala are some hundreds OF
antilles raising corn: here is the only
iuccessful small farming which have
teen on the islands, but no white man
'ther than Portuguese. and few 81
hese. can make a living there. ! have
or years lived on american farms and
know Of what I speak.
In Americanizing the Islands We
hould show true American fairness 20
CONTINUED On Page Seven)