The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-02-29
KUHIO ARGUES FOR
HAWAIIAN EXHIBIT

In the discussion before the House
COMMITTEE on Industrial Arts and Ex-
positions Delegate Kalanianaole said:
/ Mr.. Kalanianaole. Mr.. Chairman, if
you wish me to say a few words as to
Hawaii being represented there, I will
say that I think there is nothing bet
! ter that Congress can do for those
people in the West than to make an
appropriation.
| Hawaii is the youngest Territory in
the Union. Partly for that reason and
partly because of her insular location
she is less known 20 the American peo-
| pie than any other integral part of the
nation with the exception of Alaska.
Detached from the mainland like
Alaska, comparatively few of our fell
Iow-citizens from the States visit or
pass through our islands. It is there
fore especially fitting that provision
should be made by the National Gov
eminent to have Hawaii represented
with complete and well-prepared ex-
hibit at the Alaska Yukon Exposition.
The Hawaiian Islands and people oc-
cupy an unusual, position in modern
history.
While it is less than century since
the Hawaiian race emerged from prin-
tive conditions to meet the opportuni-
+;o. - C~I,r;e+;o, n;x,il;1o+jn1 o,5
modern education, yet Hawaii is to-
day one of the most progressive COM
munities in this nation.
Nowhere in history is there record
of any primitive people who were able
to adopt modern civilization and edu-
cation with as great rapidity as the
Hawaiian people. Within forty years
from the time their language was first
reduced to printed form the mass of
the Hawaiian people had progressed
through the lower branches of learn
ing, while large numbers had MASTER
ed the higher branches.
Within a quarter of a century from
this educational beginning the feudaI
government had given place to lib
eral constitutional monarchy and the
common-law system of Jurisprudence
was established.
Today with public high schools and
endowed schools that fit our young |
men and women for Yale, Harvard, |
and all the great colleges of the coun- |
try, we also have grade school sys- |
tenn so effective that the percentage of
literacy among the Hawaiian people is |
a fraction higher than that of the
State of Massachusetts.
The past record of educational work /
in Hawaii is a splendid one, and
reaches the high-water mark of Anglo |
Saxon effort to establish it's own CIV
ilization in a subtropical country and |
among diverse peoples. For decades |
past the per capita expenditure of our
citizen population for education has /
exceeded that of any State of the |
Union; the total expenditure for the !
maintenance of schools and the. con-
struction of school buildings in Ha-
waii during the past five years has
been over $2,250,000, or an equivalent |
of over one-fourth Of the total rev.
enues of the Territory.
The American people are not ac-
quainted with Hawaii and its people;
nor do they realize our remarkable
progress both in education and COM
mercial life.
A proper Hawaiian exhibit at the |
Alaska Exposition would do much to
acquaint the nation with the resources |
and achievements of Hawaii, and pro-
vision for such an exhibit should be
provided by the Federal Government. /
Since the annexation of Hawaii our |
Territory has paid about $10,000,000 in
gold coin into the Federal Treasury. |
The acquisition of Hawaii has been
highly profitable to the United States
Government, and it is only just that
Congress should deal literally with us
IN providing for a Hawaiian exhibit ut
the coming Alaska Yukon Exposition.
Mr.. Humphrey. That is all 1 have
at present, Mr.. Chairman. We only Il
have two others, Judge Ballenger, of
the General Land Office, and a repre-
sentative from the War Department,
who will appear at some other time,
and it will not occupy more than an
other hour, and 1 will have to ask
the committee to give us that hour at
some other time when these gentlemen
will be here.
The Chairman. Very well.
CThe committee thereupon at 1920
p. m. adjourned to meet on notice.