The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-05-14
0vERMAN
HOLDS STATEHOOD
remote PROSPECT
Many Vital Problems Must Be
Settled Before Hawaii Can
Come Into Own
(From Wednesday : Advcrtiscr)

(FrOm Wednesday = Advprtiscr)
Senator Lee g. Overman does not
think that there IL any immediate pros
pect Of Hawaii attaining statehood.
Frankly he does not think that the Ter
.ritory could afford to hive It at prca-
ent, or that her people are nearly IT.
ted for il.
~ don't think that Hawaii will he
fitted for statehood for another gen.
GRAFTON at least" said the senator
from North Carolina last night to The
Advertiser. There are too many
vital problems affecting the IslanGs
which will have to be satisfactorily
solved before statehood is conferret,
and who knows but that at The ehi
Of a generation frcnn and equally
vexing problems will not have mater
ialized.
"To be frank, don t see what flu
ture there is for the race of peo'.s
that is developing here, thanks to the
operation Of the melting pot They
can Z live off the land, because there
are practically no agricultural pur-
suits suited to white man in the
Islands, diversified industries might
solve the problem and enable the son
of the soil to wrest living from the
land.
Oriental Problem Serious
THE Oriental problem strikes ME
as a serious one, though ! learn that
the rising generation of japanese are
taught to respect the American flag rs
much as that of their fatherland.
| Soldiers and more soldiers should
be sent to Hawaii and / am not sure
that government by commission would
not be the surest solution of many
problems which confroni the Islands
today
Senator Overman Is a firm believer
in the old adage tina: it is an III wind
that blows nobody good. After citing
how the war had unexDectedly bene-
fled sugar conditious i'm Hawaii, the
senator spoke of the cotton industry
Of the South which faced ruin when
war in Earope broke out, but which
is now reaping huge. oenelt from the
demand for cotton, oecasiOned by MIL
Litary and naval operations.
Every time a big gun is fred"
said Senator OverInan, ga bale of
IcOtton II used up. s..
More Attention To Hawaii
The distinguished senator is' of the
opinion that Hawaii win benefit in.
estinably from the visit of the con.
[gressional party. ..,
"Now we are here said he, "w>
are Afforded the opportunity of get.
ting acquainted with conditions first
hand, which is very different from
hearing reports made five Thousand
miles AWAY. From our viewpoint in
Washington, the Hawaiian Islands
seem to be as small as they look on
the map Of the world, but now tina:
we are here we have a chance to see
of what Importance they are to the
United States and to gain authorita.
! tive information regarding their af-
| fairs ! am sure tina; every member
of the congressional party will retrrn
. home filed with feelings Of the
friendliest for these fair isles, and that
in future Hawaii will receive more AZ
tention from congress than has been
the case in the past
Rapid Transit Praises
Senator Overman was loud in his
praises of the local street ear service
''The ears surprised me-" sail ne
"by their size and cleanliness, and the
expedition with which they are ope7
ated would compare favorably any
where. The conductors are well
groomed and courteous: so much ~
that ! sometimes wonder IL the com
pany is not striving to make n goOt
impression during the visit Sof TIT
congressman,
The senator thinks that Hawaii ha'
n great future from the standpoint OF
tourist traffic.
''The trouble is, said he, "that thu
people in the States don't know any
thing about the beauties % Hawai-
and the wonderfully pleasant condi
tions obtaining here. Once they arr
made aware Of these fae;s the Hawa
ian Islands win become Que ~ p 81
great tourist centers of the world"