Nuhou, Volume I, Number 6, 9 December 1873 — The Country Needs Relief. [ARTICLE]

The Country Needs Relief.

Wōrk no doubt is the chief salvatioD of a couDfcry ; but work alone will hardly save us, 1 We are two thousand miles away from the world; we are no parfc of any political syBtem ; we are nofc convcnient to any labor inarket; and the | natural inarket for our produce is unnatufally | 3urrounded with heavy hindranceB ; and so, db what we will ; though our work of production j may givc us ainple siii>mstencej ifc will nofe aflbrd ' U8 any commercial or nalional prosperifcy, ! We do nofc need mueh to promote a native | competency ; but our civilized c6ndition requires, | in order to be prosperous, some help and stimulus 1 from tlie outside world. If great Ameriai with ■ her marvellous abundanee of land and prod\ictionj i has soughfc and obtained, again and agam, the capital of older Statee, in order to improve her facilitiee of production, transpoitition and eommunication, ihay uot poor and isohted Hawaii seek with propriety some little of such aBsistance ? She toils in vain to produce sugar,—increasing her producfc year after year,—-whilBt money is so dear, whikt traiisportation from tlie plantation ; the port of shipmenfc eosfcsas mueh as from thence to a market; and whilst fche charges ot a markefc are nearly double the cost of production. But the help we speak of~somc eheap capital~—would • greatly improve the condition of tlie country aml plaee it in the highway of prosperity. We don'fc believe thafc mere borrowing to pay #ld €lebts will prombte prosperifcy. But if we ean borrow at balf the present cost of money, and ean havc a pafcient, long waiting government for a creditor, instaad of au anxious, hurrying foreclos-! ing private party, then we bave made a great | ohange for the better; and we ean pusii aud improve the industries of th? country, and labor on in peaee and hope. How would our plantcrs feel,—haviug all the money they necd afc 6 per cent. on ten years time, and the Hawaiian Govcrnmeufc as tlieir credifcor, ! instcad of Bhorfc money at 12 per cent on short! timc 3 and a banker or a San Fransis( o sh\ik for a | creditor ever rcady to eling tliem arouud by tlie ■ bair of their licad ? They would eill *uch>n! improved finaucial $ituation prospenty, and why ! is not possiblc ? Ifc is not possible to the mere ? business cntcrpiisc or commercia! credit of tlie | counfcry fco efiect this financial improvement; bnfc \ i.t is possible to the statesmanship of the eountry - and upon one basid, and thafc is an atowed aud| determined policy to mainiain the integrity of) our dominion and the iudependenee of thte Ar- ! ehipelago. i The Government of this Kingdom, by exercis-! ing a judicious diplomacy, ean borrow $1,000,000, or half thafc ainounfc, at 4or 5 per cent t aud! then advance ifc on a first morigago on land produetive enterprise, at a elight adyance, and ou \ long time ; and then planters could mcrease and improve their facilitics, eoukl take tlie!r own time in going to and so Baving m interest aud ■ expenses, they would bc prosperous, wlueh pros-! perity the whole country would feel, J * *

Erkata.—-Our seTentli page» owbg to au uu~ usual prcs6urc of work on oiu* hande, couLuus a good many ovrors. In socond eoluuin &ccou<l lino, Bubstitutē qiiestion for rea«on ; In fort)*-K>coud line, ?nju?t for ignoro, m fortj-fiftU ;uxd fortvslsth Īlnob, ioad insptre3mā vtew. In third eolumn twontj-third Hne, road' cars; and In joke about corsct omH the word /'; pnnee for pr!nN