The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-06-19
HAWAII EAGER TO BECOME 10th STATE
Majority of Island People Favor Statehood Hawaii Contributes
Literally to Support of Federal Government, Yet
Congress Wihholds Favorable Action.

The work of cultivating, cutting and
loading sugar cane Is done largely on
piece basis by the japanese and Fill
pinos and their average earnings run
around 500 a month, to which Is added
free house rent In comfortable homes,
free fuel, cut to stove lengths for cook
ing, free medical, hospital and nursing
services. The lowest fiat wage paid to
anyone Is 81 day, to which Is added
the free rent and all the free services.
There Is no such thing as seasonal
labor. Every employee is encouraged
to work six days Of each week and So
weeks each year II he will. In fact,
a bonus of 10 per cent is paid to those
who work as many as % days In a
month.
Workers in the sugar mills, most OF
them Uhite or native HatUaiians, average
better than 500 per month, and they
too receive free rent and other free serU-
ices, excepting only those tUho get $50
a month or more, WhO are charged a
small hosDitdl fee only.
The islands have total population
of some $4,000 people. OF that num-
Der in $780,. g., 445 were foreign born
aliens. The population is larger than
that found in ten of the present AZ
states of the Union.
The islands pay more taxes into the
federal treasury than 16 states and
they pay their own governmental ex-
pense, except for the salaries Of the
governor and the members Of the legis-
lature.
Hawaiian Status Unique.
In Hawaii you never hear reference
to "the states" or to "the United
States" To the people there it is "the
mainland" and "the islands" The peo-
pie insist on their place as part Of
considered foreign country, and es-
pecially resent such a reference when
made in the halls Of congress by con-
gressmen, as has happened on several
occasions.
The people insist the islands are not a
stepchild as Uds the case tUith the Philip
pines and is The case Uith Puerto Rico.
The islands are not a possession OF the
United States, but have territorial
status and as such are just as much
part Of the United States as is any state.
They are not conquered people.
They sought annexation and did so at
time, in 1898, when the islands repre-
scented tremendous value as naval
base. The people tell you they could
have been admitted as state instead
of a territory at that time, but the
leaders of that time did not believe
conditions then existing made state
hood desirable.
Conditions, they say, have radically
changed in 40 years and today they are
asking that the status of the islands
be changed from that of a territory to
that of the forty-ninth state.
Right to Statehood Cited.
To demonstrate the right of the Is
lands to statehood the people will quote
you many figures. They will tell you
the islands buy mainland products to
the extent of more than $70,000000 an
nually; that there is in the island prop
erty values of 1886, 565,812; that there
are shipped to the mainland from the
islands products valued at over $780,
100000 annually.
They wiH add that the islands haze
1874 excellent public schools employing
2,674 teachers and enrolling $3.50 stu.
dents; that With all OF the mixture of
races there is only IS per cent OF litter.
acy: that from 1900. to 1896 the popula-
ton has groiUn from, $4,000 to $4,000:
that the people Of the islands ot0n and