The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-05-30

To The Editor Of the Pacific Commercial Advertiser:
Statements have been made 10 the Legislative As
sembly, according to the Honolulu papers. touching
the labor question and its particular aspect at La
haina, which n regard for truth and solieitude Tor
our own honor will not allow US to pass unnoticed.
However reluctant We may feel personally to take
oognizance. though the public press. Of the doings Of
the Legislature or Of the biased and positively un-
truthful speeches Of the memhers-Go -Lahaina we
are bound in justice to ourselves to do - ON this oc-
easion. Silence on our part might be misconstrued
by other members, who are no, in a position 20 ascer-
tain what are the real facts Of the case. into a lAeit
admission Of guilt. The Hons. Mossrs. Aholo and
Napaepae, in their speeches in the House haSe pre-
ferred grave charges agains, the milI owners and
managers in this district, which. IL correct. place the
said owners and managers in a light that common
humanity abhors and detests But bare unsubstan-
tiated assertions do not prove the position assumed
by the Lahaina members on the labor question and
all thoughtful and inquiring men will require some
thing more to satisfy them that the LahsinA ssgRr
growers are such ~culpable individuals as represented.
Especially will those who have a knowledge Of the
character and past history Of the men. who are the
instigators Of this TRADE on the sugar interest Of the
country, be cautious in receiving their word and
slow in subscribing 10 it as accurate. Men Of recti-
tude, honor, and conscientiousness command the
assent of their auditors. by their kneFwru6lrAS2.
swerving adherence to truth. Their character 10 n
sufficient guarantee that they will advance nothing
positively until n thorough investigation. has satisfied
them of its credibility.
Such are the men who have raised an uproar in
the Legislative Hall. about the Lahaina mill owners
depressing their workmen. asserting that " the men
are worked like animals, without mercy, from day
light till dark"
We now turn from the men who originated this
outcry to the charges brought forward. We, whose
names are hereto attached, speak for ourselves, and
allow the responsible officers Of tho other mill to
speak for themselves. We most decidedly and unre-
servedly deny that our men are worked like ami
mails, from daylight till dark, - or that they are Ia
any way oppressed" We treat our employees
with consideration and humanity, aud sndeavOr in
every possible way to advance their comfort aud
make them contented and happy. We even consult
our own interest in doing 70, well khswihRtha the
most eHectual method Of inducing eficiency g..
securing full value for our money is TO make our
men satisfied with their employers and willing 10
perform the work allotted them. Our men go into /
the field at about half-p past six in the morning, and
leave again at five, being allowed thirty minutes for
breakfast and thirty minutes for dinner. SO that
their time Of actual labor does not amount TO ten
hours. And frequently the field hands leave At tT0-t
anu thfte q cIOCks having coulpIetcu tieh uhyss
work. MANY of the men employed in and around
the mil receive fifty cents per day, lthoug&as'Sy
are all shipped at ten dollars per month, thus being
paid more for their services than the contract entities
tnem 70. ngaap, sinOe rOoo Tas Neooue 30 nIgn rn !,
price we have procured il ia large quantities at
wholesale rates, so as TO supply our men Mt about
two-thirds Of the price they would have TO give for it
in the markets. Then, when any Of our employees
are incapaciiated for work by sickness we bot only
provide them with medical attendance md medical
comforts gratuitously, but very frequently with food
and clothing also; and all who wish 10 20 10 the hos
pital at Honolulu are sent there AT QUIZ Npense.
ALEC, most of those who die in our emplH Aage eof- I
fined and inferred at the expense Of the fiffi. More
over, as far as we can ascertain, our men are thor
oughly satisfied with their pay, hours Of labor. and
general treatment. They 60 c~heerfully and unrom-
plainingly TO their work, and appear contented with
their lot. No complaints are laid at the Court House
either with regard 10 overwork or ilLtreatment.
Now, We would ask any uDpreju Iced individual IL
this savors Of Z" oppression - and " unmercifnlness %
We are bold to affirm that those are things which
have no real existence among the employees Of the
Pioneer Mill, but are found only in the excited and
frenEied imaginations Of the two thick-beaded Repre-
s~entatives sent to the Legislature by the people Of
Lahaina; and who, we may add, we took no part in
sending there, and would have prevented from being
elected had il been in our power.
The foregoing are facts which we can attest by
volumes Of ncontrOvertible evidence, and substan-
tate by a cloud Of living witnesses. We challenge
Messrs. Aholo and Napaepae to ~disproye them.
CAMPBELL < TURToH.
M