HAWAII.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5487, 12 February 1896, Page 1

HAWAII.

♦ — OPINIONS OF QUEENSLAND MINISTEES. A .JAPANESE PEOBLEM. [Special to Pbess Association.] BBISBANE, Feb. 11. i The Queensland Ministers report that they found Honolulu in a thriving condition, especially in regard to the extent and rapid development pf the sugar and coffee plantations. Mr Byrne, in the course of an interview, said that there was a lot of discontent among the natives as "well asu good number of the whites. They contend that there was no justification for the overthrow of the monarchy, and that the constitution foisted upon the country practically excludes natives from the franchise and any share in the government; also that they are bound to take an oath never to do anything to assist the restoration of the monarchy, but this they refuse to do. The Japanese and Portuguese residents also are disfranchised. America -mil not annex j the island, chiefly because the; large 1 Asiatic population would at, once have a right of entry, while the sugar-planters would be debarred from introducing contract labour. Mr Byrne considers the Japanese question a most important one. Out of a population of 100,000 40,000 are natives or half-castes, 25,000 Japanese and 15,000 Chinese. With the natives left out of , thecount, the Japanese , , would be the largest element. They have ! demanded the franchise, and he cannot see I how the republic can refuse it. If the '■ Japanese get the franchise they will rule the islands, which will become a dependency of Japan. This, he says, would be a very serious problem, not only for Australia, but for America and Great Britain, because the result would be a large Japanese settlement comparatively close to America, and right between. Australia, and Canada. . 1 yHe thinks it would, be better to ' have r Hawaii in the hands of a neutral power, such r-. the late monarchy, than held by a repuLiij whose politics are- uncertain. Altogether, it is a nicely complicated problem, and the_ only solution in- the interests of everybody is the restoration' of the monarchy in strictly constitutional . form, a change which would be heartily welcomed by both natives and whites.