LITTLE JOURNEYS THROUGH PARADISE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 22, 19 March 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

LITTLE JOURNEYS THROUGH PARADISE.

No. 7. (Rights Reserved.) By Jas. H. Stevens.) The exports of Hawaii include over half a million tons of sugar, 24 million tins of delicious pineapple, such as we never taste, many cocoanuts, bananas, etc. In the sugar industry alone the inconceivable quantity of 600 million gallons of water is raised by pumps daily some 300 feet high tor irrigation. The Islands have inexhaustible supplies of artesian water, without which the glowing red volcanic soil 20 feet deep would be barren. A recent Government proclamation names certain things which it is forbidden to export to the United States, with the excellent object of checking the spread of pests and diseases. This document disingenuously refers to an embargo upon "forbidden fruit," which, for a legal enactment, is what the \ankee would ca'l- a tall order! Sugar forms 93 per cent, of the total produce, pineapples 5 per cent., live stock, etc., 2 per cent The Post Office is conducted on ditferent lines to ours. We enjoy penny postage to America and to almost every other place in the world: their postage to us and to most others is 2Jd. Ever since 1873 the Department has shown a large annual deficit ,ours always a substantial surplus. They do no telegraph, telephone, insurance, tax collection, or registration work, etc., as witfh us. "You make me ienviious, said the Post Office Inspector, when told of the treatment accorded to our officers. , To register a letter here costs od., or more than double ours. The name and address of the sender must be endorsed in ink. Our abandoned systems of cumbrous entries are still used. The Post Office Savings Bank established last vear is a monument of antiquitv. A "brief study of the regulations "will show that they pay only 2 per cent, interest, provided the money remains one year; that £2O is the maximum amount which may be deposited in anv one month; and that only individual deposits are accepted. No firm or institution mav use the P.O. Savings Bank. £4OO per month is the average total deposited in a prosperous city of 50.000 people. In such a New Zealand citv it would average five times as much per day. With their prohibitions and restrictions the marvel is that these folk get any deposits. The regular printed bulletin shows that mails close for Sydney; but Ne*v Zealand is not mentioned, though the volume of correspondence is considerable. In fact U.S. stands for Us with a capital U every time. Even the officials think New South Wales and New Zealand are one. To cope with the requirements of this polyglot people, included in a staff of 31 employees of the local Post Office, there are isix different nationalities, each man an expert in the language of his own country. To deal with all departments as we do they would employ 150 hands here. Owing to the huge operations of the United States Post Office, it is easily understood why they are reluctant to make improvements which entail changes of procedure, though of course this suicidal policy must have an end. In many things they are literally 25 years behind us. One mav prepay 100 circulars in cash at any time with us; but here a month's notice to obtain a permit from Washington is required. There are no licenced or automatic stamp vendors; and recording stamping machines may not be used by merchants. Sheets of cancelled postage stamps for use on parcels are sold to authorized firms. The recently established parcels post will interfere with the legitimate functions, and primary objects of the Post Office, for the reason that their maximum weight of 50 lbs. is too high, and that the charges are by mileage. The railways, about 80 miles in length are mostly used to convey sugar •andf tinned pineaptfles to the port, sugar cane and fresh pines to the mills, soldiers to and from their camp and their pleasures, and workmen to and from their homes. A profit of 45 per cent, is realised by the shareholders in the railway, and their shares cannot be bought. The cost of land is on a par with its marvellous productiveness. Asking at what price we might purchase from 10 to 50 acres, the reply was, "I guess it can't be bought for money Mr." The removal by the U.S. of the duty on foreign sugar is, however, a serious blow to Hawaiian planters. Asiatic labour, soil, sun, and water combine to make the rich richer and at the same time contribute to the comfort of all. Many public companies make from 10 to 25 per cent, profit for their stockholders. A few examples at random from to-day's Stock Exchange report: Electric Supplv Co. paid up 100, selling at 240; Pineapple Co. 2048; City Tramway Co. 100-160; Telephone Exchange Co. 10-30; Sugar Co. 20-50.

Pests.—The pineapple, sugar, banana, and in fact the whole of their industries are threatened with extinction by pests which thrive in this frostless climate. The sugar fly lias now been almost exterminated by an imparted parasite, to protect which, bird life is lining sacrificed. The Mediterranean fruit fly, a diminutive creature, one fourth the size of our ngaro or house fly, is the terror of the Pacific. He is said to insert some potent poison in the fruit which makes it unfit to oat by man or bird, then deposits an egg. There is great danger of its introduction to us by tourists carrying seeds, etc.

The U.S. Army officers with whom we often chatted, assured us that their men and officers frequently contemplated war with European powers as difficulties appeared on the horizon; but that possibility never entered their minds when Great Britain was concerned. It was as improbable to them as would be a civl war. The jingo press does speak of it; but no soldier even thinks it. They have no less than 10,000 troops here, with 5,000 due to arrive. Its strategic position as the cross roads of the Pacific, affords the reason lor this, and for the establishment of one of the greatest naval liases of the world, the headquarters of the I.S. Xavv, a hold off for Japan, which is the only country still tentatively object ing to the annexation of these islands by the U.S.

The troops purchase 200.01)0 ]|, s . n f beef per month in Australia at a rest of 43d. wholesale, but they do not like our butter, owing to the lack of -alt in it. The acquisition by Amen-a vr me about thus. Tt having bee i shied that England had dealt har-i'dv ulih the Hawaiians by taking their r.o.ntry, Admiral Thomas was v ,it net en dowed with plenary powers to . noiie and decided that Ha»\iii war f. - <>r' Hawaiians. Ouenn f"-il i iok-,1. >j v fs restored to the" throne, hit <.', ..■t'v caused a revolution by her nalhe ;.ut - cratie rule. The Americans, |.-t ;,i their friendly little wav, s'eppe.J in r.n.l settled up in one act of u: rnv«.i«'it |. ..<■- session; but there is i : n :,{>•• ri ri rre insidious, and a less o\.-i ~ • rrti.,,< of conquering a coun . . ; o e p '„'■■. U

will within 10 years jirevad ,o\vr a.l armies and navies here: "iui:si:iar;ition by the Jap. There are about H 5.000 working patiently, content to serve until the proper time. They co.i-i-ieJ with apparent honesty in the desir3 of America to refrain from augmen*. 'g their numl>ers, "except by naT.r*'. increase," with the result tint 20,090 Japanese residents have imported 30,000 "wives" within the last 6 years, other than which it is said not a Jap has arrived. The treaty is verbally kept! These Japs are the workers, and to see hundreds of carriers driving from one to five mules in every description of vehicle, each with a yellow umbrella of huge dimensions fastened above his seat, is suggestive of a Gilbertian farce in every street. The Japanese will attain education, and he deserves to. Here they have their own schools, at which children attend from 7 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The regular public school hours are devoted to thenEnglish education in addition. Their born capacity for imitation enables them to assimilate knowledge rapidly.