85 



might be produced hei-e in Hawaii just as well as in Japan or the East 

 Indies, providing, of course, that our own algse proves as rich in 

 gelatin or if the Japanese and East Indian seaweeds can be successfully 

 introduced and cultivated here. Some experiments along this line 

 might be very valuable, and they would certainly be very interesting. 

 There are many of our rocks and reefs quite thinly covered or nearly 

 barren of seaweeds, and these might be favorable places to establish 

 new varieties, either from other islands or from Japan and the East 

 Indies. 



GENEBAIi STTMMABY OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE SEAWEED 



INDtrSTBY. 



If the seaweed industry of Japan is the source of an annual income 

 of 12,000,000, it seems possible that our edible Hawaiian algsa might 

 be available for building up a similar industry of considerable value. 

 The coast line of Hawaii is much less extensive and the amount of 

 seaweed of course very much less, yet there is enough material to 

 supply large factories for making gelatin, glue, farina, or other 

 products. If in addition to the present natural sources of seaweed 

 new localities be successfully planted, either with native, Japanese, or 

 other valuable foreign varieties, a still larger supply of algee would be 

 available for manufacturing. It would of course take some capital, 

 business judgment, and knowledge of the seaweeds and their manu- 

 facture to successfully establish such an industry here or on the coast 

 of the United States. If it is so profitable in Japan, why should it 

 not be profitable here, if properly handled? There are enough 

 Japanese laborers here who know all the methods of preparing algas 

 to suit the Oriental palate, and these could be employed to do that part 

 of the work in the factory, while the Hawaiians, who love the water 

 and are such expert swimmers and boatmen, could be employed to 

 collect the crude algse from the sea and bring it to the factory. This 

 would bring employment to the untrained Hawaiians and furnish them 

 with a means of living while they remained at home. The women and 

 children could also help with this work of gathering and drying or 

 bleaching the seaweed for the manufacturer. Some industry of this 

 kind only will bring relief to the mass of the Hawaiians, who are 

 unskilled and undisciplined, so are unable to compete with either the 

 Orientals or Europeans in any branch of labor. The Japanese have 

 driven them out of fishing, at which they are most skillful, because 

 they will not be strenuous or regular enough to furnish the market 

 with fish. Small farming is not practicable for the Hawaiian under 

 present conditions, because it requires more capital, skill, and intelli- 

 gence than the present Hawaiian possesses. Perhaps in two or three 

 more generations the Hawaiian will acquire the skill, the capital, and 

 the disposition to enter agricultural pursuits gladly. In the meantime 

 poverty and distress are the lot of a large class of landless Hawaiians 



