The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-02-09

dure. On Kauai, the Oldest and most
| northdrly of the islands, we have
undulating plains and other evidences
of great geologic age. Along the
shores the coral insect is still build
ing its beds of lime, and some of
these have become Ile foundation for
the richest fields upon which sugar
cane is grown. For instance, in Eva
basin, near Pearl Harbor, we have
the enormous yield of thirteen to fif-
teen tons of sugar per acre, contrast
ed with some two tons to the acre
raised in Louisiana.
The highest mountain heights are
bare, and in the winter are clothed
with a mantle of snow. Koa, a native
mahogany, and ohia, furnishing an IN
surpassed railroad tie, grow above
the limits of the land suitable for
raising cane. Sugar cane grows from
the lowest level to an elevation of
some 1900 to 1000 feet. 1t demands
rich soil, scientific fertilization, proper
cultivation, and an adequate supply
of water. When raised with hordes
of Asiatic laborers and sold in Amer
lea, duty free, it is a most profitable
commercial venture, and consequently
the handful of multimillionaire sugar
man in Houoif &c, vino ~ IOrnnH
the dreams of avarice.
Hawaii is a land of contrasts. In
the deep recesses of the valleys and
on the windward slopes of the noun
tains, tropical tree ferns grow in
abundance; while on the arid plains
nothing fourishes but the lantana, the
algaroba and the cactus. When water
is brought to the arid plains in irri-
cation bitches, fields of green spring
up, as it were, in a night.
The people are as varied and in
teresting as the scenery. The native
Hawaiian is good humored, courteous,
hospitable, skilful, a creature of sun
shine, made for fair weather. The
/ Chinese are plodding, industrious
thrifty, alert. The Japanese sunny
courteous, companionable, but rather
unstable. Hawaii is an experiment
station, in which many races of wide
ly different traditions and points OF
view have been brought together to
stand shoulder to shoulder under
modified American institutions, and
be tried out under that surest law OF
nature, the survival of the fittest.
First came the early traders and
explorers; then the American mission
aries; next the great fleets of whaling
ships. Following these the sugar plan
tations gained prestige, and Chinese
coolies were brought in for field la
borers under penal contracts. After
working three years in the cane fields
their contracts having expired, they
became free laborers. Some of them
/ turned to Independent pursuits. They
leased swamp lands and converted
them into rice plantations; they estab
lished retail stores; they opened tailor
shops; they raised market vegetables
some even became millionaires.
Shortly after the first Chinese were
imported, Japanese were brought in
and then Europeans. These Europe
ans were brought in in the hope OF
saving the islands from becoming es
sentially Asiatic. Scotch, English
Germans, Norwegians, Portuguese
American negroes, South Sea Island
ers, Spaniards, Koreans, Porto Ricans
Filipinos and even Russians from 81
IBERIA have been successfully intro
duced, and some of all these peoples
have remained.
l think it is something of a tribute
to those who have administered af-
fairs in Hawaii, that with such a
population, and lying as it does on
the crossroads of the Pacific, it was
while Independent, trusted by all ma
tons to administer justice in its own
courts, and that it discharged that
trust with substantial satisfaction to
ALL
It is something Of a record that in
all those years few claims for errors
or wrongful seizures of property or
oppressive punishments were pressed
by foreign governments; that for a
century there had been no wars, no
bloodshed, no active rebellion, and
only one bloodless revolution, al
though there are five separate islands
in the group; that ever since courts
were established one could sleep
nights with doors and windows open
and leave his house unlocked and UNI
occupied at night, or walk along the
darkest streets, and never have a
thought either for the safety Of HIM