Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-31

, different We can grow neither whea
nor corn successfully. 1t is Impossible
for US to compete with the continenta
United States and Canada in eithe
cereals or folders; We can not begil
TO compete with California in citrou
fruits, nor with ths Pacific North
west in potatoes or vegetables. Gu
area OF arabic land is very small, i!
scattered around the fringe OF TIT
} various islands, and is cut up int
small tracts by deep gulches. Mos
of the land requires expensive irriga
} ton. With our remoteness from
market and with our limitations o.
climate, physical conditions, and high
cost of transporting freights, it is i'm
POSSIBLE in Hawaii to successfully
produce anything except a relatively
high-priced commodity, such as sugar
Hawaii. has spent literally millions
in trying to diversity her industrial
production. At one time it was be-
lieved that large coffee industry
could be built up, and more than 81.
000, 900 was sunk in that effort before
the impossibilsty of competing with
Brazil was proven to US. Similar eff
forts have been made to develop the
cultivation of sisal, cotton and rub
Der, but they have been commercially
unsuccessful. Pineapple growing has
been developed to profit-yielding
basis, but for this the market is
limited. Aside from pineapples and
certain limited areas that will pro-
tduce tobacco, we have been unable.
even by the aid of long and costly
experiments, to find other crops to
take the place Of sugar = .-.
desire to make 1t very explicit to
congress that free sugar will mean.
In the case of Hawaii, not merely the
loss of capital invested in one Of
several industries and the expense of
transferring to other lines, of produc-
ton as here on the mainland: it
means for Hawaii the clnsing down of
four.fifths of her industrial unities,
with no other crops available for sub
| stitution. II must also be remember
ed that absence of fuel and raw ma
terials make It impossible to build up
any manufacturing industries in Ha-
wall. ~ =. -
In making this small statement of
fact that free sugar will mean in
dustrial disaster for the Hawaiian Is
lands, frankly recognize that con-
gress would have an excuse for en-
acting such legislation II 1t would
permanently confer benefit on the
people Of the United States. I am not
in the position to contend that the
100000 of people in the United
States should re taxed to support the
sugar Industry of Hawaii and the beet
sugar states. But hold to the fact
that this government, through, the
power OF congressional enactment, will
bring disaster to- Hawaii without per-
manently benefiting the people here
by giving them cheap sugar. Il. 49,. >.
Sugar now constitutes one of the
chief sources of revenue OF this gov
eminent. do not believe that con
gress should enact law that will
both cause the loss of that revenue
and at the same time cause disaster
to the entire people OF Hawaii and
the valuable industries in Louisiana
and the western states, without first
having 1t at least clearly proven that
the American people will be assured
OF an important gain to offset this
serious loss. 81 ~ =. =
The economic effect upon our is
lands of this drastic legis lation will
be to change Hawaii from a one-in-
6Gstry to noindustry country; but
wish to so beyond that to point out
its probable effect on the future OF the !
of Hawaii.
4 During all the years since a1aexa-
ton, the Federal Government has
been advocating the "Americanization
Of Hawaii by inducements to Amer
lean and other Caucasian immigrants
to displace the original population of |
those islands. = Within the last four /
years the Territory of Hawaii, through |
It's board Of immigration, has expend- |
ed about three-quarters of a million |
dollars to promote and assist Cauca
Sian immigration. 4"
These funds are raised by a special |
income tax OF per cent restricted to
persons and corporations with an in !
come in excess of $4,000 per year. In
addition to that, the sugar plantations
have directly aided the movement TO |
the islands by yoluntari-
" paying higher wage to citizen !,
IsEor and Those eligible to become citl-
zefs., As a result of this, there is now
D steady decline in the percentage OF
oriental labor engaged in plantation
work. Their has ben no oroental immi
;ratiGn to Hawaii for the past four
years, while there is a more 0 less
.tead, stream IF oriental departures.
What, then, must be the inevitable
effect of free-sugar law on the labor
md citizenship of Hawaii? The weak
II plantations-the ones producing
sugar at the highest cost-will at once
,e forced to close. This will include
Dt only some small plantations, but
wo at least of the larger ones which
lave never paid dividend. The effect
IN the stronger nlantafions will be to