The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-05-26
THE PACIFIC
GOmmerelalAObett
SATURDAY. MA %.

The RAPID progress of agricultural enterprise
on these Islands, especially noticeable in the
numerous undertakings for the establishment Of
new sugar plantations, which are every day
springing up with increasing activity, forces
the question of agricultural labor still more
prominently upon the attention Of those inter-
ested in such speculations, as well as upon those
charged with the general weIl-being Of the
country. 1t is true that there seems at present
a high degree Of probability, not TO say actual
certainty, that this government will shortly take
steps to introduce into these Islands a number
of families Of the labouring class of East
Indians, as proposed by the Royal Commits
sioners. Some time must elapse, however, before
the government, in the event Of its adopting the
East Indian scheme Of immigration, will be in a
position 10 land the East Indians upon these
shores. Meanwhile the demand for agricultural
laborers upon the plantations is becoming each
day more urgent, and the want Of hands to till
the ground and cultivate the cane, retards the
progress of that enterprise most materially.
While awaiting the final action of government
in the matter Of the East Indian scheme of i'm
migration, the suggestion has been made that a
certain number of laborers could be secured
nearer at band, as a temporary measure, so as
to meet the present pressing and growing want
Of plantation hands.
At the Fiji Islands, little more than the dis
lance from here to San Francisco, a system pre-
walls under the actual English government, of
engaging the inhabitants of neighboring Islands
as laborers, bringing them to the Fits, employing
them for a fixed term of years, according to con-
k.4A .-l EIo~ IL IL -.
own Islands again, if they wish to return.
Now, we are told that a number of these Island
ers already accustomed to the civilizing influence
of British rule in the Fjis, might be induced to come
over to the Hawaiian Islands as agricultural
laborers, after their contract in the Fiis is term
mated. We also hear that at this very present
time, number of these South Sea Islanders at
the Fits have completed their contracts, either
wholly, or almost 80, and are open to new
engagements, should they prefer not to return
to their own Islands. When such pressing want
would be worth while for our government to
make enquiries of the British governor of the
Fijis, whether some hundreds of these South Sea
islanders hitherto engaged as laborers at those
islands, whose contracts there are just elapsed
might not be induced to come on TO these
Islands, for a term of years, with the option of
remaining here for their life time, if they SO
decided and desired hereafter. We hear that
these men only get one pound a year Give
dollars) at the Fijis and their "keep." The
planters here could afford to pay them something
more than that, so that it might be easy to in
duce some of them to come over here. They are
said to be useful, Woodworking people. If a
vessel were chartered to fetch over some hun
dreds of them, they ought to be carried at the
rate of ten or fifteen dollars ahead the passage
money for emigrants from Liverpool to New
York, about the same distance, is not much more.
1t would be worth while for our wealthy planters
here, now so much in want of hands, to join in
chartering a vessel, each paying the rate OF
passage of the number of hands he might re-
quire on his plantation-in the event of this
government being able to arrange the matter
with the Governor of the Fijis, about which, we
suppose, there would be no difficulty. We
bring the matter to the notice of the government,
at the suggestion of some of the parties deeply
concerned in the labor question.