The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1879-04-16
The Labor Question.
HoroLrLr.A April Z, 1879

Mn. EDIToR.-The following advertisement, copied |
from your paper shows the condition to which our
plantations are reduced: Wanted, ten good field
g hands. $50 per month with board and lodging
=" nne hours per day. Also good cook for same
q" (signedl Geo. Gray, Grove Ranch, MakswsO.'
The neld hands here advertised for are possibly
within reach. bat prevented By the opposition OF
. small band Of geutlenen from coming te our shores
These gentlemen, most Of whom are, or lately
were. public Ofscisls, refuse to be bound BY their
own act, and utteranees. Their opposition to
measure almost O.,sbtAtiOusy undertaken by the late
ministry in response TO the pubIic call sanctioned BY
Royal authority now threatens. if persisted in. to
land the planters consequently the entire community
in one indiseriminate ruin. Errss
In the Royal Address to the Legislature of 1876
the following passage occurred II must again call
"your attention to measures which may have
" a beneficial influence in increasing the Hawaiian
" race. and in preserving the people" Hence. with
the great outcry for labOrers Mr. CArtsrs mission to
England. In the Kings address to the Legislature
Of 1875 find this sentence, "The report of the
" Board of Immigration will show you that Efforts
" have been made to obtain immigrants from India,
the Western Islands and Polynesia" These efforts,
far India 10 concerned, have been defeated in
some nysterious and hitherto unrevealed manner.
What can any one do in this case, hut like the
widow in the parable. iterate and rei;srAis his
plants until by continued opportunity be wearies
those who oppose the of recognized evils and
succeed in securing the constitutional right Of pursu
ing and obtaining safety.
At the meeting on Wednesday, the ID inst, their
Honors the Chief and First Associate Justices Of the
Supreme Court, laid aside the judicial ermine, de-
scended from the tribunal they sdorn, entered the
arena of public discussion, and brought the weight
Of their authority bse my efforts to procure fO-
myself and Others the much desired supply Of la
Dor. No present interested in the object sought
will be likely to forget the hostility displayed by
their Honors TO the measure without any adequate
alleged reason. Tho sighting and discoursging
manner in which they discussed the practice of the
constitutional right to nemOrlaEe the King. the
desvOr 10 hush up and tide over Mr.. csrters failure
~ arrange the means whereby our planters can be
supplied with the labor necessary 10 their existence
too evident 10 require any uoti-e 1t my hands
except for those persons who were not present 10
witness them. "a
The replies of Mr.. Carter to the questions of the
Chief Justice telling where he born, the favor
able reception and treatment be met from the British
Governnent, and the knowledge of affairs possesses
by subordinate officials in the British Foreign Once
did not throw any light on the subject. All that
either knew before, did not one straw about
bore but little relation 10 the matter in hand and
did not affect it 10 any manner. Had His Honor
examined Mr.. Carter the cause Of his failure to
make the arrangements, which were part Of bis
mission, and the gentlemen who were ministers ct
the time Of Mr.. CArters appointment, all three of
whom were present, on their strange mistake in re-
porting TO the Legislature that 1.-The famine which
a. prevailed in India presented insurm moUntable OBJ
staeles...to any arrangements which be made
I" available for an immigration from the Indies, "
doubtless should have heard something interest
ing but no information was sought or given that
or another point viz. the reason why the apothegm
Of that ministry that To abridge unnecessarily their
liberty l. e. of those seeking labor abroad) would
:" be suicidal is not as true now as il was a. the
time it written But on the former of these two
points, as HIS Honor told the meeting that be in
Londou AZ the time Of Mr. CArter's visit, and that
they took counsel together, it follows that their &C.
tiUn united TO press for what might be reye-
lstion of state secrets would be to ask for mueh.
All therefore the planters do, the mission having
failed IN making the convention, is to pray the KING
and Cabinet to help them BY making another effort
TO get these coolies from the British Government.
But it would not be fair to Mr.. Carter again sub
ject him to the risk Of wasting his time
trfe their interests his services therefore, might
be dispensed with for those of less gifted ndi.
vidusl. His Honor the Chief Justice being now on
duty viii probably find his time fuyOccupied.
Were these dgnihed gentlemen, the Chief and Frs;
Associate Justices whose benignant demesnor when
enthroned on the Judicial bench engaged in the ad
ninistraton Of justice leaves nothing be desired =
they obivious of the facts that the OF
this East Indian immigration would benefit beyond
all others the Sovereign under whom they serve
That if it ensured to every member of this commu.
nifty full and abundant supply OF labor, with much
trouble and at great expense to those introducing it,
it would at the same time. establish the throne Of
their Sovereign on permanent and solid basis? II
their Honors did momentariy forget these things
they will, perhaps, feel under obligation to
for bringing them TO their remembrance, and SO en-
Abiing them to withdraw gracefully from oppOsi.
tiOn which, uness INDUCED in for much more eogeut
reasons than any hitherto advanced, appears unAc.
eoHntable.
Il is. perhaps proper to explain here that having
had occasion TO mention the Chief and FIRST Associate
Justices of the Supreme Court have thought it
courteous TO designate them BY their official title
than by name. have not referred to them in theii
/ Judicial capacity, but simply as private gentlemen
taking part in public meeting.
| We find ourselves now precisely in the position we
occupied before Mr.. Carters famous but futile mis-
siOu to Great Britain perhaps of in two re-
spec;s first that the wages of sborers for plan
tAtions and servants for our households and the
prices Of necessares of life produced the spot
continually advancing; second that it may appeal
that Mr.. CArters rejection Of, after formal appli
cation for, their kind offices, may have irrtated th,
British Government, and so may eause them TO de
cline entering into any negotiations in future
On the other hand fortified by having
| large additional amount Of valuable informatio
proving oeyond DOUBT the deslrablty OF these Las
1ndisns as mmigrant laborers, while, thanks to th,
unexampled generosity Of the United States Govern
| ment, we have the means to introduce them, aud 81
fx the coping stone the edifee of prosperity
In the AdVertiser of April 5th appears q number o
extracts culled from the small work the East In
diAns in British Guiana, owned by Mr.. Carter. The.
extracts are such as would be compiled by any on
opposed to the introduction Of these East Indian
But what do the objections when CAREFUL,
cOnsideredf Absolutely nothing. They go merely
to chow that these people, all taken, be 1t remen
bered, from the poorest classes of society, Lis
ourselves, not angels that here and there = drunk
ard is found. or, like people, some are fout
of going to law and that etimes poor and sick
people are taken to Guiana, from whom all the wor
thought desirable cannot oe got. They also speak o
the difficulty Of inducing large numbers Of thes
people to leave their native country. But these oh
jeetious apply equally to immigrants from all foreig
countries. Take them whence you will they must b
men and women from the lowest classes in th
world who have something to gain and look forwart
to. None others from any land would come. Wb
should they? The life be led by laborers on
plantation 10 not luxurious as to be sought a
something superlAtivey desirable; still it may be
refuge from something Now, not to speak c
the Invaluable and conclusive inform alton Adorde
by Mr.. Horne, the objections above noted are NOR
than unerbAlanced they actually disApuear befor