The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-01-22
More LabOreTS or Coolies
which?

The agents of sugar plantations, together with
such planters as were in town (Which includes
the Ministers of course have held one or more
meetings during the past few weeks, at which 1t
was decided to request the Board of immigration
to send Mr.. S. e. Wilder to China for the pur-
pose of procuring more laborers or coolies. That
gentleman is understood to accept, and the Board
of immigration will probably commission him
for the service. 1t is simply the completion OF
the plan devised some three months ago, which
the so-called Planters Meeting was called to
endorse.
The discussion at the meetings the past week
is understood to have shown a disposition to en-
courage free laborers, if they can be obtained on
any terms which promise success but that the
immediate necessities demand bonded coolies I'M
der the old system. From what we can gather
the planters are much more liberal in their views
as to free labor than the administration, but this is
not strange men who have held to the belief
that they are infallible are not easily Influenced,
or converted from obsolete ideas.
The plan of free labor which meets most
favor is, to procure three or four hundred Chinese
immigrants, free from any contract except a
verbal understanding to enter into service ON ar
rival on certain conditions and n written obliga-
ton to refund the amount of their passage money
and any expenses attending their immigration.
The plan so far as developed meets favor, and we
understand that several gentlemen directly in
terested in plantations are ready to adopt it, as
the most rational r9ode yet suggested. On trial
it may be found not to work SO well as anticipated,
but on this point nothing short of actual expert
ence can be taken as proof.
Under this arrangement the laborers would
land here with a general understanding that they
are to serve with any parties whom they may
contract with, and a special engagement to re-
fund from their earnings, or otherwise, their ex-
penses to this port. Could this be carried out,
the offensive character of the coolic trade would
be at once done away with, and our labor system
placed on a new, more economical and healthier
basis, which would doubtless receive the sanction
of all.
From various quarters we have information
which satisfies us that there is n strong feeling
ground among the planters themselves to
try the free labor system, and to abolish the de-
testable system of advances. If the changes we
have advocated can be fairly tested, and are
to work even tolerably well, and if the
system succeeds, it will be money in the
pockets of all interested in plantations, and tend
to reduce the labor expenses very much.
If any one wishes to see how a plantation con-
lucted with free labor succeeds, let him visit the
Laie Plantation on this island. There he will
ind from forty to fifty laborers employed, not
me of them under written contract, but all
CRYING, so to speak, on their honor and faithful
less. He will find that not Il dollar has been adj
'anced to a laborer, and that at the end of every
month each is paid his wages in full. The result
s, with the laborers, that they work faithfully,
re contented and happy, and all are anxious to
%ontinue. Indeed, the manager informs us that
lie has constant applications to take more labor
and had he the work for them, could as easily
'btain one hundred as fifty. The result of this
ystem, in favor of the plantation, is that more
york is performed each day and month than
double the number of hands on some other
with less cost and trouble, and
With greater profit in carrying on the business.
he labor system of the Laie Plantation and it's
are certainly worthy of the attention of
IL interested in labor in our islands.