The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-17
Oakland. Cal, March 6, 1908.

Oakland, Cal, March 6, 1908.
Editor Advertiser: In your issue OF
the goth of February ultimo, l note
the following editorial:
'sAs is stated in an interview with
Mr.. Freitas. published this morning,
San Francisco has many Portuguese
formerly of Hawaii, who are eager to
return. They are without funds and
can not get a chance to earn any, owing
TO an overstoeking of the labor market.
If these people are willing to work In
the canefelds the planters might prof
itablv recruit them. Portuguese who
know Hawaii and are anxious to re
gain footing here ought to be good
material for the sugar estates; and
as they are near by it would not cost
much to pay their passage. There are
said to be several hundred of these
people"
The idea advanced by you, Mr..
Editor, is one worthy of consideration
at this time of the season. Conditions
in California, in so far as the Portu
guese laboring people is concerned, are
not and can not be accepted as favor
able. The hundreds of Portuguese who
have arrived here from Hawaii during
the last three years are now expert
encing a tide of time as never before
known to them This, as we all know,
is due to the late financial panic which
has Frustrated the business markets
of several states of this glorious Union.
1t is not a panic that has alone pros
trated the business markets of these
states, but a panic that has become
a complex and financial problem for
the fnanciers of this country~to solve
without jeopardizing the interests of
the thousands of American people that
have deposited in the care of financial
establishments their savings. 1t is a
problem that is now occupying the
thoughts of the foremost statesmen.
Hawaii can thank the Almighty for
being able to perform its part in COM
merce and industry without feeling the
slightest shock of this financial depres-
sion. Many people whom | come in
contact with. in business and social af-
fairs, have words of praise for the
little Territory known to US as the
3" Paradise of the Pacific, y when learn
ing that the islands are as busy and
as financially solid as time before the
suspension of banking establishments
L hn
press of the land.
When the Portuguese people first be-
gan to come to this state, three and
four years ago, they thought that agri-
cultural possibilities were many. In
deed they are, but they were ignorant
of the fact that thousands of people
are idle all the year round in this
state and great many aim at every
spot of land within the reach of'capital.
As yet / am unaware of any one of
these Portuguese that has assumed pos
session of land direct from the govern
ment. There are many at this time in
farms, but these farms have been
bought with good gold earned in Ha-
waii. The building of farm in this
state is matter that belongs to the
man with knowledge of conditions and
laws relating to farming. Portuguese,
who come from Hawaii with the idea
of being able to acquire possession in
fee simple of large parcels of land, be-
come deceived in studying conditions
here. They admit that Hawaii is far
better for them in the earning of steady.
wages and in the acquisition of lands
for small farming. 1t is true that they
also admit that Hawaii lacks a market
for vegetables and fruits, but such a
market can be very easily established
by improving the facilities of trans
portation. These are ideas advanced
by these people that have tendencies
for farming. AS to those that do not
care nor think of farming, California
at this time is not what they expected.
A great number of Portuguese are now
going idle in search of employment, but
the forces in search of this resource
are tremendous, and they, who do not
master the English, can not very well
meet with the same success that the
English-speaking element does.
No man walks the roads of this coun-
try that works harder than the labor
ing Portuguese with family In him
exists the energy anu the faithfulness
required to handle the pick, shovel and
plough, but chances for this at this
time are slim, and they faithful SER
vants) are now anxious to return to
Hawaii-the land of hospitality and
prosperity.
l have questioned these people as to
their treatment in the plantations and
they all seem to be unanimous that the
sagacity of the planters in Hawaii
is perhaps the one thing that coneen-
trates peace and success in the home of
every laborer, whether white or brown.
They very often mention the good
favors rendered them by their planta-
tion employers, and in this they mani
fest a sincere desire to return to Ha-
waii. If the planters, the business peo-
pie of Honolulu and the Territorial
government, through its Board of I'M
migration, desire to recruit number
of these laborers, no time can be more
propitious than now. Among the many
that desire to return to Hawaii there
are some of useless qualities, but this
class can very easily be picked out by
experienced men,-men who can tell the
qualities of laborers.
| would like to see some of these