The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-09-13
KAPPA, KAUAI. Sept. 5. 1879.
To the Editor of The Pacifc Commercial -fdpertiser:

To the Editor of The Pacific Commercial -ddrerttser:
DEAR SIR II have read with regret several
articles in your valuable paper relating to the
Chinese labor question. l say with regret
because the articles referred to have struck me as
being of a character to give a bad impression
abroad regarding our condition, and very likely
to be used by the enemies of the Reciprocity
Treaty to our prejudice with the people and Con-
gress of the United States. Perhaps a few simple
remarks over my own signature will induce ADLER
pens to take up the question and convince you as
we'll as others of the iallacy of your arguments.
The "head and front" of the ofense which you
SO persistently decry, is the encouragement afford
ed by sugar planters to the importation of male
Chinese laborers a policy which you claim is
suicidal" and will end in the ruin Of Hawaii.
You admit that there was reason for bringing such
labor into the country while the plantations need
ed the same, but you think the need no longer
pressing. as you are advised that ''laborers are to
be had in sufficient numbers to meet requirements
at fair wages"
Now, Mr.. Editor, right here is the point, and the
only point upon which wish to take issue. You
say you are advised" that so and so is the case,
and you proceed to publish statements which are
far from being the truth, but which carry weight
in other countries as coming from the Islands.
How to handle the abstract question Of "labor" in
any country has puzzled the brains OF smarter
men than you or me. Mr.. Editor, and we will not
discuss it in that view now. But it only needed a
little investigation on your part to show you that
you had been lily advised, y and that labor for
our plantations is not to be had at fair wages and
as required.
You quote the arrival of Portuguese and the
prospects of South Sea Islanders as a relief to the
planters. When the Board of Immigration sent
for the aforesaid Portuguese l agreed to take a
certain number, and my proportion oil the lot that
came amounted to about 50 men and 70 women.
l went among them personally, and offered TO ship
the men at $40 per month with board for them
selves and families, and Sc per month for the
women, when they chose to work. This might not
be called fair wages" by your adviser. but 1t is
more than many a man is earning to day in the
United States or Europe, and, counting the ex-
pense of feeding the man and his family at $40
per month. is more than any sugar plantation can
afford to pay for labor. | thought to work them
into positions that the Chinese cannot fill to advan-
tage. and thereby get my money back. But most
of them refused the offer and demanded from $l5
to $50 per month with board for themselves and
their large families.
Now, again MI. Editor, we are paying China
men $l2 pen month and board, which costs So to
Sc more, and the last lot from China demanded
$l20 advance on those wages. Does this look as
though the labor market was glutted. and that the
country sis filling up" with Cinnamon !? Are the
natives being cro,0ded out and denied employ
ment when they refuse higher wages than they
ever thought of receiving before the sugar plan
tations created a demand exceeding the supply?
Do you suppose that there is a planter in the
country who would not be willing to give employ
ment to any good native, man and woman at fair
wages? If you do you are wOefnlly ignorant OF
the condition OF the country. Mr.. Editor there is
not labor enough in the country for the needs Of
the country, and consequently we are compelled 10
pay blgh wages Tor Such as we can get, or stop our
works. To do the latter would be to stop many of
the valuable industries of the country. Your
newspaper amongst others. We have a soil and
climate admirably adapted for the cultivation of
sugar cane, but in many instances it is necessary
to expend thousands of dollars in building water
bitches, &C., before the land can be made avail
able. No sane man will attempt to start a plant
alton without a prospect OF good returns upon
his investment, and you might as well attempt to
run your printing office without type as we to run
our plantations without labor. Following the
comparison, you wonld not object to paying $1,000
for a new font. if the profits Of your job room
would be thereby increased neither would we
object to paying a dollar a day for labor if we
could nett ten cents per pound for our sugar.
Who so capable of deciding the rates OF wages as
those most interested? | would be willing to
''give the Caucasian a chance" and employ only
white men at 81 to SIS per day if | could make a
living for myself thereby. But If you will go into
the business of making sugar and drop" $780,
600 as the cost of a few years. experience, you
will not need to be s'advised" as to the necessity
OF having cheap labor and plenty of it.
You think California will find fault with us un-
less we stop Chinese immigration, | do not.
California is supplying rs with a great deal OF
at good prices. To shut down on Chinese
labor when we have no other to replace it would
be to stop the demand for California supplies. and
possibly raise the price of sugar in her market.
The duty which she fails to collect through the
Reciprocity Treaty is not her loss. but the General
Governments, while the proit she makes is all
her own.
You quote a paragraph from an oregon paper
which you call significant. l call it "bosb." If
Major Bean concluded not to settle at Honolulu
because be was afraid of coming out 'second best"
in the competition with Cinnamon l should say.
Honolulu is no loser, and l will Tot believe that
the Chinese have ''gained control of the Islands"
and driven their American competitors to the
wall, - until | see All Sam or All Fat in the edito-
rial chair of the COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER.
You have a correspondent who signs "N. o. M"
and enlightens US on The Danger of Unrestricted
Chinese immigration" This gentleman does not
want the country. "developed" in too much of a
hurry. He thinks we have capital enough here if
we would only 90 sloto and develop the resources
ourselves" 1t occurs to me that this country tried
developing its resources in the sugar line for about
twenty years, and that up to the time of the pas
sage of the Reciprocity Treaty made rather a 'bad
FIST of it"! AT least the number Of failures of
plantations that tried the "home enterprise and
home industry plan would seem to be sufficient
to prevent any further attempts in that direction.
The fact is, Mr.. Editor, it requires something
more than irind to run q sugar plantation. We
must have climate. soil aud water and then sniff