A commissioner of immigration (Attorney-General Armstrong) accompanies “Alii
Kalakaua” on his tour around the world, under instructions to make inquiries
in all lands in regard to possible immigrants for the Hawaiian Islands. As
the commissioner will pass through the United States, and will probably make
inquiries, more especially as to the possibility of procuring immigrants
from the exodus of Southern colored laborers, I respectfully commend him to
your good offices.
[Inclosure in No. 148.]
Mr. Green to Mr.
Comly
.
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Honolulu
,
January 17,
1881.
No. 6.]
Sir: I have already informed you, under date of
15th instant, that His Majesty proposes to make a tour around the world,
visiting first some of the principal countries of the East, en route for Europe.
I have now the honor to inform you that His Majesty will be accompanied
on this journey by his excellency William Nevins Armstrong, who has been
appointed royal commissioner of immigration.
One of the main objects of this appointment is to enable this government
to obtain the best possible information, in the different countries
through which the royal commissioner may pass, regarding the different
races which inhabit them, in the hope that some one or more may be found
that may prove, in all respects, a suitable people to introduce into
this kingdom, to assist in replenishing the population, and I have to
beg that you will kindly lend this government your valuable assistance
in obtaining the information they desire.
In order to enable you to form some idea of the kind of information this
government desires, it may be well if I state in as few words as
possible some of our special needs, or, I may perhaps say, some of the
special difficulties with which this subject is surrounded.
This group of islands contains a comparatively large area of productive
land still unbroken by the plow, and it will perhaps give a better idea
of its undeveloped capacities if I say, what I believe is within due
limits, that if the group were peopled as thickly as, say, the volcanic
island of Mauritius, estimating on the basis of arable land in each
only, it could support a population of nearly a million souls, whilst
the actual population of the group to-day is about 60,000 only, of which
the pure native population is not over 44,000, and has been so far
steadily decreasing.
The main and most profitable productions of the country are sugar and
rice, and the demand for labor for cultivating these articles is large.
This demand has been met to a large extent by the importation of the
inhabitants of Madeira and the Azores, Polynesians from various islands
in the South Pacific, and by Chinese. Unfortunately none of these quite
meet all the requirements. The people from Madeira and the Azores are
perhaps a little above the requirements in some respects—that is, as
simple laborers—or at all events they seem more adapted for working
small cattle-ranches or other enterprises on their own account than for
working as laborers on plantations; still they are an excellent addition
to our population and bring their families with them.
With regard to the Polynesians, we may be said to be in the stage of
experiment. Some of those who have taken most interest in them and have
had the most experience, doubt whether we can count upon this race to
form a permanent and fruitful addition to our population. The
circumstance which would seem to present itself as so desirable—viz,
that they are the same race as our own people—may perhaps be the one
which will prevent them from staying the heretofore excessive death-rate
of this race in the Hawaiian Islands.
The Chinamen, of which we had 6,000 in 1878, and large numbers have
arrived since, and indeed are now pouring in on their own account, are
unexceptionable as laborers, whether on their own account or working for
others, but unfortunately they do not bring their women with them, and
it may be necessary soon to forbid the men pouring in upon us without
their families, the disproportion of the sexes and deficiency of females
being already too great in this group. It is also objected that the
Chinese as a body never can become good citizens of any country but
China, and that the franchise and right of citizenship, which by our
laws are so easily acquired here, would not be a safe power to entrust
them with, in view of the large numbers which now threaten to come
amongst us.
A good many European immigrants are on the way to this kingdom,
principally Norwegians and Germans, but it may perhaps be doubted
whether this group of tropical islands will form an exception to the
principal sugar-growing countries of the world, and be able to maintain
a working peasantry of pure European blood. At any rate, some of the
strong and industrious tropical races are likely to prove more
economical as field hands.
In this dilemma the government have been referred to the Eastern
Archipelago, where no doubt industrious and prolific tropical races
exist, but whether it is a feasible project to transplant them at all,
or whether if transplanted, they would, under the totally new
circumstances and surroundings, continue to labor and to increase as
they seem to do in their own islands, are problems which I do not
profess to be able to solve, but I have some doubt about the success of
such an attempt.
A considerable number of our planters and others have often called the
attention of [Page 619] this government
to British India, and to the introduction into this group of what is
known as the British India cooly system. It is a matter of general
knowledge that East India coolies under a system worked out with extreme
care, and by the combined action of the British, the Indian, and the
different colonial governments, have enabled British colonial planters
to grow immense quantities of sugars at prices which can compete in the
markets of the world with the produce of any other country.
It is natural that our planters should look upon a well-regulated supply
of the cheapest class of labor with favorable eyes, especially as having
the advantage of a reciprocity treaty with the United States, which
gives them an enhanced price for their main productions over what they
could obtain in the markets of the world, the two combined—that is, the
highest price for their produce and the cheapest system of labor to be
got—would be very profitable.
To obtain British Indian laborers, a special arrangement with Great
Britain would be necessary. This government has already taken some steps
in this direction, but the conclusion to which His Majesty’s present
advisers have arrived is that it is not desirable to press this matter
upon the attention of the British Government at present, or at least
whilst the British regulations which the system seems to necessitate
remain in force. Could this country obtain from British India a few
thousand East Indians with their wives and families, such people as
could be allowed to remain in the country, become Hawaiian subjects, and
be part of our population, the government would consider it a great
boon, and it is rather in this direction that our commissioner will be
directed to make inquiries. There are no doubt many difficulties in the
way, and perhaps none is more prominent than that even the British
colonies which have availed themselves of East Indian labor have been
unable to obtain the low proportion of 40 East Indian women to 140
people, and the island of Mauritius, which may be said to be almost a
part of India, has a population, mainly composed of East Indian coolies,
in which the proportion of males to females is extremely large, and such
as it would not be right for this kingdom to contemplate as a permanent
condition of affairs.
However, as I have already intimated, this government is of opinion that
it is neither politic nor consistent with the general principles of a
constitutional government to attempt to organize a system for the
introduction of great numbers of mere laborers who could not well become
part of the population, but would be governed by the few who possess the
lands and the capital, but rather it should be their policy to encourage
the introduction of people who, although they might be able to command a
somewhat higher rate of wages, would become part of the people, with the
franchise and other rights of citizens.
In fine, the policy of this government is to endeavor to supply this
country with population rather than simply with laborers, and if you can
kindly by correspondence, printed matter, or otherwise, assist our
commissioner in his efforts to obtain information which may conduce to
this end, you will add another favor to the many great, ones which the
representatives of foreign nations have conferred upon this country.
I take this opportunity to renew the assurances of the high respect and
consideration with which I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient
humble servant,
WM. L. GREEN,
Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
