Newspaper Page Text
THE MAUI NEWS, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1914.
T H E MU inewsP
Entered at the Tost Office at Wailuku, Maul, Hawaii, as second -claes matter.
A
A Republican Paper Published in the Interest of the People
Issued Every Saturday.
MAUI PUBLISHING COMPANY, LIMITED,
Proprietors and Publisher!
Subscription Rates, $2.50 rER Year in Advance.
Kafaofliuni Raiilroaid Go. s
WILL J. COOPER,
EDITOR AND MANAGER
SATURDAY,
NOVEMBER 21, 1914.
PLIGHT OP THE HAIKU HOMESTEADERS.
The Haiku homesteaders are struggling to survive. Many of the
members of that most promising community declare that the coming
year will sjiell out success or failure for the whole undertaking. Some
declare that the tide must turn within six months if the. enterprise is
to survive. Starting under most auspicious conditions two years ago,
most of the settlers turned their attention to pineapple culture. The
banks at that time were willing to loan money for planting this crop
up to $100 per acre, and most of the settlers took advantage of the
opportunity. At that time pineapples were bringing $20 or more per ton.
The homesteaders harvested their first crop this last summer. Instead
of $20 per ton, they received from the local canneries $11.25 or less,
and their fruit was subjected to unusually rigid inspection. The most
authoritative estimate of the cost of raising a ton of pines is from
$14 to $15. As if this were not bad enough, the fruit ripened with
unusual rapidity during one of the wettest periods known for years in
'he district, and the cost of hauling owing.to all but impassable roads,
was trebled or quadrupled, while a large quantity of fruit did not reach
the canneries at all but rotted in the fields. On top of all this, almost
incessant rains for weeks produced an amazing growth of grass and
weeds in the fields, and at the same time made it impossible to cultivate.
The result of this is that at the present time growers are paying $25 to
$30 per acre to get "their fields clean once more.
Now the settlers are attempting to organize a cooperative association,
and capital sufficient to build a cannery of their own, in the belief that
with the canner's profits they will be able to make good. True, a con
siderable number are under contract to furnish all their fruit to tin
present canneries, and these contracts have five years yet to run; but
there is sufficient land in the community not thus tied up to amply
support a cannery, and it is on this that the community is banking its
hopes.
But the difficulties of organizing successfully such a corporation are
very great. The corporation laws of the Territory are illy adapted to
the purpose. The homesteaders need a law that will permit them to
draw profits according to the amount of fruit they contribute to their
cannery, and not according to the amount of capital they have in the
plant. Also the law should permit the limiting of membership, and
should base the voting power on other qualification than ownership of
capital stock. Without these safeguards, if the enterprise gives promise
of success, it will be almost impossible to prevent the control and profits
from getting away from the growers.
Seventeen states now have laws providing for such form of cooper
ative societies, but Hawaii has none. It is the intention to try to have
a bill of the kind passed by the legislature this coming winter. Whether
it benefits the Haiku settlers, or whether it will come too late, is a ques
tion, but it will simplify matters for similar enterprises yet to be con
ceived.
8 8 8 8
THOU SHALT NOT KILL.
"Twenty-two murders on the Island of Hawaii to one hanging may
satisfy those humane persons who shudder at the idea of a legal exe
cution but it is a mighty sorry presentation," comments the Advertiser,
which goes on to prophesy in the following words: "If twenty-two
quick executions had followed the twenty-two murders the homicide
rate on the Big Island might not have been one every two weeks for the
past six months."
And the Hawaii Herald takes a like view as follows: 'Sympathetic
jurors and fluent lawyers have, between them, allowed twenty-one
slayers of human beings to live always with a chance of at some
future time, repeating their crimes depending on "mercy" to save
their necks."
But it takes just such evidences of forbearance in this day of whole
sale slaughter, to bolster up one's fainting faith in modern civilization
and in Christianity. No one can question that the taking of human
life is un-Christian. Nor does the legalizing of the killing by man-made
stalutc change the matter in the last. THE MAN WHO IS A TRU1
FOLLOWER OF CHRIST CANNOT SANCTION MURDER BY
THE STATE IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE, NOR THE SLAUGII
TER OF WAR IN THE NAME OF RIGHT OR MIGHT. Until
this principle is recognized generally, there can r.ot be a Christian world
or a Christian nation.
East week the stale of Oregon abolished the death penalty for crime.
Everywhere in the United States it is becoming more and more difficult
to draw a jury of twelve men who will impose the death penalty, despite
the sophistry of courts that the jurymen have no responsibility other
than to declare whether or not the accused committed the crime charged.
Some day it will be altogether imossible, and when that time comes we
may with better grace call ourselves a Christian people.
8 8 8 8 8
MR. McCARN STAND-PATTER.
District Attorney Jeff McCarn is quoted as saying: "I have no ex
planations or apologies to make for anything I have said or done since
coming to Honolulu. The policy under which I announced I would con
duct my olhce has not changed in the least.
Inasmuch as Mr. McCarn has been unable to win a single case of
any importance for the government in all the time he has been here,
while he has succeeded in arousing an immense amount of antagonism
in every circle of society, it is difficult to see where this stand-pat policy
ia g"g iu miumiuiMi mum lor uie i erruory, or airenginen me au
ministration which insists in keeping him here.
8 8 8 8 8 ' '-1
"How about a Special Fund for the Payment of Losses Caused by
Graft and Incometence in Public Office, the said fund to be collected
by a special tax on citizens who neglect voting? Hilo Tribune.
8 8 8 8 8
Wonder how many communities other than Wailuku would without
a kick, submit to having the postoffice close outgoing mails two hours
before tne sailing time ot the boat that is to carry it.
8 8 8 8 8
The question of the hour is: "Who did the supervisors have in
mind when they passed that anti-saloon resolution.''
Merchandise Department
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Tel. No. 1062. : : : :
Kahului, Maui, T. H.
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