The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-09-15

and that If the homesteader succeeds
in cane planting he does so by reason
of the altruism of the neighboring
plantation. In other words he be-
comes a plantation adjunct. Now al
truism never made an American VINO
would stand up with ms chin out.
Therefore in demonstrating this coun-
try there is furnished the opportunity
to build up diversified agricultural in
dustry. Hang on to your sugar, en-
courage IT, do your best for it, be-
cause it has carried you through many
grievous years Even if we are so in
conceivably foolish as to believe that
the sugar industry should be dethron-
ed, it ought to be apparent that this
dethronement should not occur until
something has been provided to take
Its place. The best way to help SUI
gar is to fill your Territory up with
homesteaders who are producing other
things There is no room for CON
t1ict. Sugar lands are sugar lands
they will produce more value in this
commodity than in anything else The
homestead lands are not the sugar
lands and you will be right in the ma
jority of cases if you suspect the mo-
tives of that man who demands a
homestead slice out of a growing plan
tations. The bonafide homesteader can
generally find land better suited to his
purposes elsewhere
Now it is a well known fact that
homestead schemes have been tried
here repeatedly and have failed.
have visited the scenes of some OF
those failures and inasmuch as l am
guest here it would be impolite for
me to express my real opinion of some
of them. Others have been well CON
ceived. The one truly successful one
that | have seen, that at Kalaheo on
Kauai, is the one in which there has
been conferred upon the settler the
greatest amount of personal risk and
independence and the smallest amount
of perniciOus soup kitchen paternal-
ISM The Kalaheo homesteader pays
for what he gets and it is up to him
ket, chance to get his products there
at reasonable price, competition, some
thing to lose and something to gain,
and these are the conditions that will
create an outstanding American.
Among all the deterrent features
that have ben encountered in success
full homesteading, there is one which
persists throughout except in the case
of Kalaheo. This difficulty is confined
not only to homesteads but indeed to
every interest and industry in the
Territory. The one great reason why
so many thousand acres of Hawaiian
soil remain unproductive at the present
time is lack of transportation facilities.
You have heard this long ago, but still
lack transportation. Until transport
tation is provided on a par with other
parts of the United States and the
world, the climate, the soil, worthy
market and all the enormous public
spirit of the citizens of this Territory
will fail to produce results. Hawaii
can produce several distinctive crops
that can be raised and claim an ex-
elusive market on the mainland, but
the fact is of little value. The home
steader can make very little use OF
his crops if he cannot get them trans
ported to market at a price which will
still allow him reasonable profit.
The first transportation difficulty is
seen in the highway system, although
the highways of the Territory are as
toundingly good, yet they are usually
the main highways and do not extend
to areas that are most favorable for
homesteads This will be corrected
in time, but the fact remains that your
highways should go ahead of your
! homestead settlements
The second difficulty is the lack OF
railroads on the islands. Each island
should be belted by well equipped
road which sends spurs into the in
| terror, and moreover, the construction
| of these roads must precede extensive
homestead settlement; especially will
this be true If the Reclamation Act is
! extended to these islands. 1t is not
likely that the Federal Government
will eXpend vast sums OF money to
reclaim homestead lands unless there
is guaranteed in some way suitable
railroad outlets to harbors. Right
here we must face the fact that the
bonds of any railroad constructed in
advance Of traffic or terminal outlets
are not saleable at the present time.
This difficulty is a practical one so far
as railroad construction is concerned,
but it does not change in any degree,
the necessity for the railroad construc-
ton in advance of settlement in TINS
Territory. 1t is plain businessllke
proposition that in order to secure the
construction of such roads the interest
on the bonds thereof should be guaran-
teed by the Territory. A socialistic
| proposition is 1t not | grant that 1t