The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-06-28
IS
HAWA|I'S NEED
Governor Frear Says 1t Will
Bring in the Best of
immigration.


government will be about the only
means which will lead to the establish
ing in the Islands Of any considerable
community of American farmers. In
speaking of the problems that confront
ed those interested in securing immi-
grafton that viii mean the strengthen
ing of the citizen population of the Ter f
rltory, the Governor stated that the
bringing of American farmers to the
Islands could be successfully accom-
plished by the opening of large tracts
could only be obtained through the ex-
tension of the reclamation system.
An idea of "model farming commu-
mites y in Hawaii is gaining consider
able prominence in the publications on
the mainland Referring to the Haiku
land exchange the National Finance
Magazine of Chicago has the following
to say:
The Territory of Hawaii is prepar-
ing to establish model farming com |
munity. Governor Walter F. Frear, who /
has been the moving spirit in the
project, has been working it into shape
for nearly year past, and has now
brought it to the point where the selec-
ton of the people to develop the land T,
is the next step. There will be open
ings provided for about fifty families
in the first project, and the amount of
low hot ~. !, IA ~.
will be about 1900 acres or about SO
to 40 acres each
g A word of explanation just ct this
point may be enlightening to many Al
though Hawaii is and has been for
many years, an agricultural country,
almost all the capital and energy has
centered until very recently, in the pro-
| duction of sugar. This one production
has been developed to very high de-
gree of perfection and most of the land
suitable for culture has been brought
/ into use. Aside from rice and taro,
grown on marsh lands by Chinese and
native Hawaiians, practically the only
attempts in diversified agriculture was
| left to Chinese and Japanese, and pros
ecuted in the most primitive and desul-
| tory fashion. A large percentage of the
1
to the present time brought in from
| the mainland. and amounts to something
over $3,00o,000 annually Not only
does this include most of the garden
and field vegetables, but practically all
the pork products and poultry and eggs
used, and even citrus fruits to the value
of some $4,000 year. The Indifferent
results obtained in this line of agricul
ture by the Orientais led to the popular
| belief that the climate or soil of the
island is not adapted to growing any
thing but sugar. In less than ten years
this theory has been exploded first by
the wonderful success attained in the
growing of pineapples within this
period, and again by the demonstrations
! of the United States agricultural ex-
, pertinent station, which has been doing
splendid work since the time of an
nexation. Only a small part of the
! arabic land of the Territory is adapted
to sugar culture and this, being largely
the lower coast lands, is the least desir-
} able as a place of residence for white
people. The Territory is now, however,
awakening to the Importance of a large
citizen population of small land owners
rather than a few large estates, which
the sugar business has tended to de-
velop. The present territorial admins
tration is thoroughly imbued with this
idea and has the strongest support from
the Federal administration. Secretary
Garfield, of the department of the in
terror, chief of the reclamation service
Frederick H. Newell, and other govern
ment officials have visited the Territory
during the past year and have thor
oughly studied conditions, and are lend
ing there fullest support to the plans
just mentioned.
"The land now to be opened is located
on the island of Maui, and in one of
/ the most delightful parts of any in the
group. The section has proved to be
one of the most productive in the is
lands for pineapple culture. 1t is be
tween ten and twelve miles from the
seaport of Kahului, and a railroad ex
tends from the latter point to within
about four miles of the district and viii
| doubtless he continued the intervening
I distance within the next year. 4 per
! feet macadam road at the present time
! enables a number of auto-trucks to car
! ~ the product of the large pineapple
| canning factory almost as economical
( as could be done by railroad. The trac
! has an elevation of about one Thousand
I feet above the sea and from aesthetic
! and hygienic standpoint, the location
I could scarcely be excelled anywhere IL
the world.
"The Territory wants to eneourag
= good class of American farmers AM
\ fruit growers to come to the Islands
] AS fast as practicable it is intended t
I subdivide and throw open new tract
\ and there is every reason to believ
\ that many hundreds of American fan
y lilies will be thus enabled to enjoy If
4 under ideal conditions.
I ''Hawaii has something like mi
J lion and a half acres of public lanC
I out of total of over four million
Over half of this comprises absolut
I barren mountain peaks and ancient Law
J fields and can never be utilized fc
agricultural purposes. OF the remain
un der, however, there are about quartz
of million acres which will no d0ut
= be brought under high cultivation
\ course of time.
4 "The spirit of some of the large co
= porations owning great areas of va
a uable;Iands much of which is not und'
o,I+ivoti6u X decidedly gratifying an