The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-06-30

We RETURN to the subject of the introduction
of South Sea Islanders as laborers upon our
plantations, about which we have made some re-
marks on moro than ono occasion already. We
are credibly informed that II. b. Ms Commits
sioner and Consul General, previous to his re-
cent departure for the continent, left in the
hands of the government an open letter address
ed to the British Governor of the Fills, as well
as to officers commanding Ii. B.. Ms war cruis-
ers in the Pacific, on the subject of the scheme
at present entertained by this government for
the importation of South Sea Islanders. The
British Governor of the Fills is therein in
formed of the intentions and wishes of this gov
eminent in the matter specified, and His Excel
lency's cooperation is requested. The officers
commanding British war cruisers in the Pacific
waters also are thus made acquainted with the ma
ture of the proposed scheme, so as to prevent the
possibility of any undue interference on their
part with any vessels which may hereafter be
employed by this government, or private indivi-
duals acting as its agents, for the purpose of
conveying these South Sea Islanders to our
! shores. The letter in question cannot fail to
prove very useful to this government in the
course of Its very laudable endeavors in this
important business. The demand for labor on
the plantations is growing more urgent daily,
and this scheme of importing South Sea Island
ers, if successfully carried out, will help to supply
in part the want so preseinglY felt, as we have
already remarked. This government is evident
" prepared to do its own share of the business,
and already may be said to have taken the initia-
tive by having secured this letter from Major
WOdehOusp
But, as we stated in a former article, it is not
the intention of this government, we understand,
to convey those South Sea Islanders to these
shores at the cost of the Hawaiian Treasury,
and the planters and employers of labor here are
expected to defray the cost Of their importation.
We hear that blank forms will be issued by
this government, to be filed up by parties de-
sircus of obtaining a certain number of South Sea
Islanders on their plantations, on the condition
of paying the cost Of their passage here. As
sUUu rs the government hns thus received appli-
cations for n considerable number of those
Islanders-say, 500,-we are informed That it
is the intention of the government to place the
business in tho hands of some comm ercial house
in this city, which will be authorized as its
| agents, to treat with q commercial firm at the
ElllS. anu lllelIu AuGLA ~ SudAtCA IL NGSSC!i "a
more, according to the number of islanders
aYuilable, and engage, with the sanction of the
Governor of the Fjis, previously obtained-a
batch of time-expired South Sea Islanders, under
an agreement to proceed by their vessel to these
Islands as plantation hands, at q fixed rate Of
wages for n term of three-or better fve-years,
with the condition of being sent back to their
own Islands, at the expiration of the term OF
their engagement here,-in case they do not
feel disposed 10 settle definitely upoa these
Islands, with the in~ducement Of grants of land
from this government. Nothing could be more
businesslike than the course which this govern
meut has decided to adopt, and it is plain that,
it there are time-expircd South Sea Island
crs ut the Fits, OF others 70 be found on their
own Islands who may be disposed 20 come here,
this government by following tho course lust
stated, will have no difficulty in obtaining lot
Of them for our plantations.
We believe that government will require each
r. ur ..- ... - o ".-E,'- r-~.L-- "
these hands to disburse the cost Of their passage
on arrival. We presume howeveg that the best
course to be followed here would be much like
that liz practice in the States, where parties de-
sirous Of bringing oyer their friends or relatives
from Europe arrange with an agent. to that
. effect, and pay into his hands the money requir-