The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-04-04
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Abbtrtisrr.
SATERDAY. APRIL !.

ca1ly engaged in the planting business, and re-
Elected much ourselves on the subject Of those
conversations. Last week we said that some Of
our practical business men have suggested that
the subject Of advance pay 10 laborers will bear
the application Of thought and possibly Of some
legislation. Every custom Of an important bus
iness necessarily requires much thought, and con-
sequently it appears that the advances have been
the subject Of much thought and consultation
among proprietors and managers. Every one
can understand that proprietors would, if they
could, avoid the inconvenience and risk Of large
advances to their laborers. BY these advances
tie employer takes the risk Of health. willing
Ness to labor, accidents, etc. And if we were in
a Part Of the world where cold and hunger force
the millions to toil--where the contest for daily
bread il 80 incessant that an accident or tempo
rary sickness i a dire ealamity-where in fact,
"Aan begs n brother Of the earth,
To give him leave 70 toH"-
there would be no necessity Of advances, and no
person would feel any temptation to eDdeavor to
shelter the employee from the results of his i'm
providence by legislation would feel no tempta-
ton 10 enact that he should not do what he
pleased with his own.
But as it has been hitherto and is now in this
NOuhNJf hbNAS - Av " ASSAfS - mcH hDm
which to recruit the army Of laborers we are at
a great distance from the centres Of population
cold and hunger do not here impel man to labor;
and the laborer has been able to dictate his own
terms. Inasmuch as the necessities Of his exist
ence arc not his imperative masters, he requires
iHducement 70 labor, and he tells the employer
50 will work for you, 50 long, for such wages, if
you will give me as advance on such wages so
much money On reflection, we are inclined to
the belief that the Representatives or other public
men who by legislation would hinder a man from
making tue best bargain for himself that he
can, would have but a sorry time Of it when
appealing to the people for approval or reelection.
The employers certainly do not need protection,
for they arc amply able to protect themselves.
II they find that the system of paying advances
is such a great evil as to require legislative action,
they are quite competent to refuse to pay adj
vances. But it is said that if one pays the adj
vance all the rest must and we ourselves may
be considered to have said as much last week.
But just what we did say was this" Undoubt-
eddy it is useless for one employer to undertake to
engage laborers without paying advances, so long
as others continue to pay them" And so it
would be useless for one, or two, employers to
undertake to engage laborers without paying
advances so long as others continue to pay them.
But if the larger number think that they ought
and can get laborers without adyances,-by
adopting the principle of not paying they can
- try it on" The worst result that could posi-
bly, follow would be to allow the minority to take
as many laborers as they want, and then enter
the labor market rs equal competitors. The fact
that no one is at present willing to forego the
giving of advances shows that the persons who
are engaged Ii in the business, and who to say the
least Of it represent something quite equal to or
above the average intelligence, think it for their
interest to meet those whose only capital is their
labor by eonceding to them the advantage which
they demand, OF having a portion of their wages
in advance. a
We shall continue those reAaotions na-L- usaAL
and expect to show that by far the best thinkers
with whom We come in contact-and we claim to
come in contact with the best thinkers in the
country-are of the opinion that 1T is undesirable
TO tinker the labor act and in the meantime we
again repeat that our columns are open, and that
we will give the freest latitude of discussion.
WHATEyER APPEALS to voters were made by
Dowager Queen Emma before the election of the
Sovereign, no one supposed she would try to stir
up people against the result Of the vote; for no
one could deny that il was fairly taken. In the
face of threats and attempts at intimidation made
by Emma's friends, the Representatives voted ac-
cording to the wishes of their constituents, and
of themselves. If all the Oahu Representatives
had voted for Emma, the result of the election
would have remained the same. The other isl
ands were almost unanimous for Kalakaua, and
the fact that a party in Honolulu were for Emma
could not affect the vote for King Kalakaua.
The senseless mob that attacked the Representa-
tives and destroyed the property at the Court
House, could have the approval of no respectable
person. Foreign aid was called in simply because
the authorities had prepared for no such unex-
pected outrages as were committed.
No one with human feelings-to say nothing of
friendly feeling for Hawaii-would approve such
savage and cowardly conduct as that of the mob.
As a fact, every foreigner in the whole country,
with perhaps barely an exception, has taken pains
to show entire disapproval of the lawless acts and
to disayow all sympathy with the law breakers.
1t is true that the community is filed with
such rumors as-that the Queen Dowager has en-
couraged the mob, first to expect another vote,
then to expect aid from England for which
she has written to Queen Victoria-and much
mOES' I cluh dDouluitg' AHC HOmCNCI Idiid-
cious and childish this kind of talk may appear
to us, it is undeniably true that among the weaker
minded and ignorant of the native population, if
with no others, it has the effect to create a feeling
of uneasiness and apprehension that is to be dep
recated. 1t may be assumed however as very GER
tain, that everything said or done in this commu-
far as pertains to law and 1rder,-is well
to the authorities and further, that am
pie preparation is made against a second outrage.
We HAVE on our table the February number of
the =" New England Medical Gazette the organ
Of the Homeopathic School in New England and
4 leading journal of that branch Of the medical