Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-09
OF COIORS BY GOVERNOR TO 3RD REGIMENT IMPRESSIVE
RELATION OF EXPERIMENT WORK
/ TO ISLAND AGR ICUITURE IS Seen

output Of the chief agricultural product
Of the islands.
Seeks Other Industries
The work OF the Z. s. experiment
station Is and has been devoted pri-
marily TO the DEVELOPMENT Of agri.
cultural indus; ries other than those
of sugar production. IL has been felt
BIZ great many individuals and cr-
ganizations that II is net good eco
ncmic policy 10 depend entirely upon
the .success OF r single industry for
the prosperity CT a city. county. terri
tory or e state. Il, is well known in
financial circles that the bonds of a
community depeLden. upon a single
industry find much less favor among
careful Investors than do similar bonds
OF communities having number OF
industries UPON which they base their
prosperity.
The agricultural conditions in Ha-
wall are unique in many WAYS. The
present price Of sugar makes the pro-
duction Of this staple so profitable that
the utilization - potential sugar lands
for any ether purpose ordinarily brings
in results which financially make it
seem good business to keep such lands
entirely in sugar. There are, however,
considerable areas OF land which are
not adapted to sugar and which by
careful attention can be made to grow
good crops Of ether staples. it is on
these lands that most of the work OF
the II. s. experiment station is be-
ing centered. There are number OF
crops which are agricultural possibili-
ties bHt which under the present status
OF the sugar industry are not economi-
cally profitable 1t is the policy of
the experiment station to maintain at
least in an embryonic condition as
many Of these crops and agricultural
industries as possible, against the pos
sible day of cent sugar. II such a
time shall come there Will be urgent
questions asked regarding other crops
which can be used to supplement or
replace the sugar crop, especially on
the lands not especially adapted to the
production of sugar cane.
Helps for PREPAREDNESS
The possibility of International diff
ficnlties also would make it appear to
be good business procedure from a
far-sighted economic standpoint to
produce as much as possible of the To-
cal food supply for the islands. The
cheap freight rate to Honolulu makes
it easy for the broad fields of the
western part OF the United States to
compete successfully in the produc-
ton OF many food crops which must
necessarily be produced largely by
hand labor in hawaii Water will not
ordinarily flow up hill without some
artificial pressure. Neither will CAPT
tai ordinarily Invest itself in agTicuI
tural enterprises which are not fmme-
diately profitable or which are iess
profitable than others at hand wait
ing for such capital to be invested in
them. IT is not inconceivable that it
would be good business on the part
OF the territory to arrange for some
sort OF subsidy to encourage suf-
ficient development of the diversified
industries of the islands as to make
certain that the islands would be able
in case Of emergency to feed and
clothe themselves.
Seeks More Small Farmers
The land policy of the Hawaiian
Islands IS not in the hands of the
U. S. experiment station, but the at
titude Of the station is to do its utmost
towards solving the problem OF the
small farmer and homesteader so that
he viii lind it both pleasant and profit
able to actually live on his land and
to cultivate it himself for his family.
The Importance of having in our midst
o large number of contented, reason
ably prosperous American citizens on
scattered small diversified farm units
can hardly be oyer-estimated. A part
OF what this would mean to the ISL
lands car be summarized under four
heads.
l. The small farm units would act
each as a center for the real Ameri-
canization of the islands, the rational
spreading OF our ideas and ideals.
2. They would act as source of