The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-10-29


Hon. E. s. Gambler Jr., member of con-
gress from the first district of Missis.
sippi, arrived here last Thursday morn
ing from his trip to the Hawaiian Is.
lands, which he visited as member
of congressional party who went to
the Islands by invitation as the guests
of the Territory of Hawaii.
Upon his arrival here the Alcorn
County Fair was in full blast, and by
invitation he addressed a great audi
ence at the fair grounds IN the after.
noon, receiving a marvellous ovation at
the hands of his people. He was full
of enthusiasm for the Islands and their
great resources and their hospitablc
and generous people. A correspondent
called upon him and requested him to
state some of his impressions acquired
during his visit to the Islands and the
purposes and objects generally which
the party had in view in making their
trip. He cheerfully consented, and in
talking with the correspondent, in sub
stance, said:
Islands Are Paradise.
The Islands are Familiarity called
"the Paradise of the Pacific,'' and no
tiful scenery, enjoy their delightful
climate, or the hospitality of their
generous people without agreeing with
this appellation and admitting that it
is deserved; for, indeed, the scenery is
sublime, the climate most deligf tful
and the people ABOUND in their no pi
tally. While all of this is true, ard
prosperity seems to be pretty genera
among the people, still there are great
problems which must be wisely sol, ed
if the Islands are to be developed and
AmericaniZed. One of the great ques-
tions to be solved is brought about by
reason of the preponderance of the
japanese and Chinese in the Islands.
There will never be any trouble as to
the Hawaiians or Portuguese. The
Portuguese readily absorb American
ideas and make good citizens-in fact,
it was the general impression among
the Americans on the Islands that the
Portuguese were the best immigrants
they had been able to obtain. The
Haw aiians are proud of the fact that
they are American citizens and are alb
solutely loyal to the flag and devoted
to our great republic. The serious
question is as to the disposition of the
japanese situation, for the reason that
the Japanese never become citizens of
any country, but are always loyal to
Japan. They make their money and
send it back to their country, and by
and by, as a. rule, return themselves.
The great sugar plantations almost
universally employ japanese labor, and
the planters say they do not see how
they can do without them, as they have
no other labor present or prospective
TO take their places. The Territory has
agents now in other countries trying to
induce desirable immigration. If they
succeed, then the problem may in this
way, at least to some extent, be solved.
Filipinos are being employed on one
of the larger plantations, and, so far,
quite successfully.
Favors Democratic Plan.
Another of the serious problems is the
disposition of the public lands. So far
the homestead laws of the United States
have not been applied to the Islands,
either as they exist in the States or
even in the spirit of our laws. Most
of the large holdings in the Islands are
in fee simple or are held under long
leases. Some of the leases are expir.
ing, and as they expire the lands are
restored to the public domain for such
disposition as can be made of them UNI
der the law as 1t now stands. The
usual course which Is being pursued is
TO put them up at auction with an up
set price, which is almost in every in.
stance above what the ordinary citi'
zen can afford TO pay, and the result
has been that the large landowners and
he richer planters have bought them In
by paying a small nmonnt above the
upset price aud added them 10 their
already too large possessions, The
homesieads In the Hawaiian Islands
should not be- as large Ss they are IN
tho states Probably a reasonable home
stead there should not be more than
twenty acres 10 each citizen, aud, OF
roufse, nobody but American eitiEons,
They arc tho only ouea who should be-
permitted 10 sniof a homestead, " 10
estimated that on probably all the till
able iand Ia ihr Islands, MAJ eau
make = living on iweaiy aeIes and he
come 90 independent citizen, hoihinR
Noula fopirlbule ~ lfe toward Ampd
fuRlang ihe iHlandH ilaa ~ Establish