The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-04-15
AN ABLE REPORT ON HAWAII.

Director Newels report Hawaii indicates the high es-
Innate of his abilities which was formed while he here by
Keen observation and of generalization The difficult
complications involved in land and labor problems
set forth with cearness fairness probable that in
the following paragraph Newell puts his finger the great
often termed the "sman farmer" movement here:
. Is 1t practicable in face of existing conditions of
land ownership, of character of population, and
Dor to greatly increase the number of small indepen-
dent farmers, men who can and will maintain a rela
lively high standard of living? Can the pioneer white
farmer get foothold the islands where good agri
cultural land now rents each at prices from SIS
to $50 per acre? Will he bring his family to a com
grades of Latin races? will he be content to labor in
his field when most men of his act as over
employers where coolies or peasants are
hired for all manual work? Will he gaining full
title to his homestead sell lease to an Oriental or
be gradually crowded out as has been the white
chanic and shOpkeeper? 1t is evident that he
can obtain OothOld and will be able to maintain the
standard of living and the social and civic ideals of the
Republic, there is little to be gained by attempts to
merely increase population.
Newell shows that there is nothing in the oftrepeated
statement that white cannot do agricultural work
here There are hotter parts of California and
waiting conditions in various parts of the newly settled Wes
where white men constantly do labor hard coolies do in
the caneheds of Hawaii But as Newes questions just
quoted and of his observations point out the difficulty
notion here that the hard work in agriculture for orient
ais and the whites therefore shun it. In other Words it is
not the fact that the labor is hard the rate of
that keeps the white from agriculture in Hawaii
except employer luna but it the rating
the labOrer has come to have in the social scale
Newell, however, by concludes that the problem
hopeless On the contrary he speaks in high terms of the
wholly constructive He to preserve the
perty have and in fact clearly shows that attempts to
"divde up lands do not result in division at all
"The apparently obvious thing to do and the action
proposed by person when he first considers the
subject, is to cut up the public lands the
leases out and distribute the lands in small tracts
to citizens For example, the Territory $4,000
of rich land leased to the plantations and
cultivated in sugar This land has a value of
from $50 5000 per acre, and would yield annual
rental of SIS $40 per more. The ques-
ton is frequently asked, Why not cut up this
land into tracts of 40acre hOmesteads, This to
be simple way of treating the problem. 1t has, how
ever, been put trial, without In general
effect it has proved advantageous to the public
it would have been give to each applicant $4,000
to $4,000 in gold The recipient of this gift would be
greatly pleased but the public treasury would be de-
peted by this amount"
Newell makes suggestion to lands available for set
which doubtless been made by others times
made in these columns several years 1t is
Territory Hawaii if it should prepare consider
able of land for opening and then advertise among
Americas thousands of andhungy citizens the opening OF
would attract the attention of desirable settlers
Basng the prediction upon the facts shown in every big
opening since the Oklahoma rush. declared that an
of such opening here would swamp the
land office with applications. The statement is more evil
IDENTIFY true than ever before.