The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-05-01
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY. MAY !.
The Labor system. Again.

There h. been an unnecessary my-rifcatiJn in
tire discussion u tie aIgr system u thee I-I-
auds, ant while it- merits and dcsucriis lave
been pretty thoroughly cauvu--cl Is writers in
the pres. the ehief question of vital import 20
aIl-rh.fhsr ere shall hare ts5OrerS GRgDf.d % mr.
uGats ar H7f-i- ID nearer solution than when IL
opened. To u all other political questions must
yield in Importance, fr without more population
W abJEcr-. it wiil bc so. o. invite capitalists.
iarmer-. " asriculturi-t- u come here. as none
are willing o. lJcltc themselves where their labor
OF their means wiIl be- h~amTercd by oucrous
regulations. while - MANS fell- for their unrc-
-trietci enterprise are open elsewhere. ON the
ether hand. IL uo Improvement rake- place in &c
gard 70 the supply Of labor. our Resources viii
become depicted hy tie withdrawal 1f LO;i men
and means. leaving ~ each year roore- ia num-
hers and RESOURCES.
The Board Of immigration was established in
l@jj, and st. very hr-t act proved It 20 be u part
Of the vicious system Or Capitalization Of power,
inauzurateI BY the administration on the over
throw Of the Constitution Vi 1852, and which
has since been practiccd by Il; a system, which.
the world over. j. attended with the same blight
Ing influence on commercial prosperity and agri-
cultural enterprise, and which virtually ignores
the existence Of any wisdom outside Of tine clique
that arrOgatez to itself the executive control.
The first act Of this BJard took from the planters
the power to provide such labOrcrs as they might
require from abroad and compelled them to
either abandon their calling or take such laborersy
and ON such terIDs rs it sees TT to dictate.
The law Of 1864, under which the Board WIS
organized, was designed TO enable the Govern
ment 10 cooperate and assist az The Introduction -
contract iaJOTers as usH as free immigrants. Its
provisions DO not forbid. nor were they intended
% forbid, other parties introducing either LthOrers
OF immigrants from abroad. The Board Or I'M
migration, arTUgatinS 70 itself a power not vested
in it by the law, among it, fret acts forbade all
persons, planters and Others, from engaging in 4
commercial enterprise which It claimed to belong
t. itself alone.
For four years past, il has exercised tie most
unlimited authority in all that pertains to immi-
grafton, forbiddins planters AMI all Others at
their peril from engaging in this service, and If
one or two Iartic- have dared to introduce labor
eTs, they have been given 10 understand that
such acts are an intrusion Of the special powers
Of the Government. and warned against rcTcti-
ton. And excepting the expedition o. 1865,
which landed several hundred Chinese coolies,
mostly Of abandDnei character, and the exIeli-
ton Of 1869 % the South Seas. which still . un-
developed, IL has done nothing but stand in the
way Of planters and Others who desire to and
would procure their own laborcrs. As for free
Immigrants, which the law expressly provides
for, not only have no efforts been made by the
Board Of Immigration To Introduce such, but, If
current reports are true. none but PClynesian
racer are desired or will be imported.
This, then, Is tire present condition of things
bere-HO piaHier nor any one eise caH introduce
Iaborers from abroad, h0Irerer pressing may BE- hs
necessities: but must wait the action of the Gov
eminent, which - We have seen, i doing little
else than to .tani in the way and prevent those
who may wish to act. Now this j. all wrong,
and it j. the real cause Of whatever trouble or
anxiety there may be in this labor question.
The consequence j.. there Is a scarcity OF labOrcrs,
ami those who are employed demand. IN some in
stances, large advances. which, when Iaii. not
unfrcqucnlly result IN los or trouble to both
planter and laborcr. All this tie Bard of Im-
migration i responsible FOR, directly or indirectly;
for had il not tabuel al importation OF iaborer-,
there would be M scarcity now. The Board.
therefore. fr not i great failure. Is certainly 10
Improvement over the old system
Let W. -cc tine effects. Not long since, a
prominent member OF tho Government wrote 10
sun Francisco, iuquirins II capitalists could not
De- iuIucei 10 crmc here and establish new sugar
plantations. The reply made was ihat where
capital vas IN =, great demand a. in California.
none could be- diverted t. the Hawaiian Islands.
This was the Osteu-iLlc reason. but the real one
undoubtedly would h. found to he.-a lack OF
confidence in tire labor system, and distrust IN
the interference Of Government IL the matter Of
providing abJrerz. which We all know 70 be the
great source Of anxicty with those whose capital
j. now at stake.
y gentleman formerly engaged in the culture
OF cotton. now residing IN California, informed
W. that be was willing o. undertake the c-tab-
Ii-hncut Of a cotton plantation ON these islands,
provided b. could purchase the necessary land IN
lee simple and introduce all the freedmen he
might require for his plantation. lie was in
fOunsi that the first condition might be carried
out. but ~ regards tie lahOrcr-. none could De
taken there without the permission of Govern
incut. and II be undertook o. serve himself. be
might End obstacles at every step. Being a gen.
tlcman Of ample means. AMI acquainted with the
business. be was unwilling 90 venture on an en-
terprf-c where Dc could not Introduce negro
hborcr-, who having bceu brought W 70 such
labor from infancy. are the best if not tie only
reliable d~cIcudeucr.
The same remark aTIlie- o sugar culsurc-thc
Of America will make the best hhorcr-
20 De Obtained fr our plantations. \ planter
o, o. the o;icr day that II De- could BE-
allowed to Introduce fity ~ sixty og the Ken
taeky freedmen, they wuuII DO all tie work re-
quircd ON lis plantation, and be should have no
further anxiety ON sire subject &c labor. o. hc
one negro worth I've ChiuaIlcu- Here
reaiu the Hseri % Immigration stands in the
WY. and while i. Will not Introduce such intclli-
cent labor ~ j. wanted. taii- those who wpuld.
only rcme'iy = a repeal II the obnoxious or