The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-03-29
THE LABOR


That the pressing need Of the country in order
to the proper development Of it's great natural
resources is labor, Is a fact that is patent to
everybody, and its importance has often been
urged upon the attention Of Government in these
columns for years past, both cditorially and by
correspondents. Not only cheap labor, as a re-
lief to the necessities OF the agriculturists, but
immigrants with families to settle here and
rceuperate our waning population. Successive
Governments, imbued more or less strongly with
these views, have inaugurated several schemes
looking to a supply Of these needs, none OF which
schemes have as yet been more than experiments.
First we may mention the unfortunate q" Mana
hiki - enterprise, undertaken during the reign
Of Kamehameha Y. We say unfortunate, for the
natives Of that island are an efc innate race, I'M
used to agriculture, and most Of those brought
here, men and women, sickc~ed and died.
The Portuguese Of the Western Islands, many
Of which nationality have in years past settled on
these Islands and proved to be an Industrious,
liw-ubidiHS people, have Tong been thought Of rs
desirable immigrants. Through the inquiries
and excrtions Of DR.. HiIIcbrand, n former resi-
dent here. and now the accredited agent Of this
Government no Madeira, one hundred and twenty
LlGi Ai4A htllEA htlG llllAGtQ last iult 10 GtnlETdtG
to these Islands, arriving here in September.
These have in one particular quite answered our
expectations, as making a valuable addition to
our population, as soon rs a sufficient time has
elapsed for them 10 become familiar with their
new surroundings. But, with some few cxcep-
ti0ns, they have not engaged as plantation labor
ers. In this connection we may state that the
ship Rqrenscraig. chartered in London. was to
leave on the 18th Of the present month for Ma
deirt, to take on board six hundred more Of these
people for Honolulu.
The experiment Of procuring labOrers FOR the
plantations from the islands to tie south and
west in this ocean, appears to give promise of
success. The first voyage OF tue Storm Bird
brought eighty-fyc; tie second one hundred and
ihirty-lOur and the vessel Is now absent on 4
third cruise. 50 FAR as We have heard reported.
these SJuth-Sea islanders have proved good plan
iatiOn hands,-with the natural drawback of
their unacquaiutancc with our language. But
they are generally quiet and tractabIe. One
Encouraging fact IN connection with the South
Sea island immigration Is the large proportion of
emales obtained. In the first lot received there
twenty-three Of these out Of the eighty-fve,
IN the second lot Of one hundred and thirty-four,
- N@r-"eNr --r RAfahE AAG NA4IA IAb-
states that there were more women than
men. When we remember the great disparity in
he sexes among the native Hawaiians-about six
males TO one femalc-the fact tLat We can get an
unlimited supply Of females of a cognate race
rom abroad Is a very important one.
As 1. the Chinese, though 50 undesirable a
in many respects, they have been and still
re our principal resource for plantation labor.
1t one time tie Government imported them
lircct from China, under the appropriation for
be encouragement Of agriculture and immigra-
ion, but some four years ago, such was the
iatiye dislike to them that q o. rider % was added E
o the usual appropriation to the effect that no I
Of the sum named should be used for the i'm I
,~ortation OF Chinese. But they are now brought :
ither by private parties, and principally from
'alifOrnia-Snd these are VIGOROUSLY 4 much )
rorse class than those coming direct from China.
he worst feature about this Monaghan immigra- ;
ion il that they bring no women with them, II
Several years ago lin 1870 the Hon. W. VI. n
iibsOn eudcavOrcd to interest the Government
nd people in the idea OF attempting an immi-
from the East Indies. With the people 1
e succeeded to the extent that seyenty-two Of the 81
aiding merchants and others of HouUlulu signed a.
memorial to the King. urging upon His b
the importance and feasibility Of an =
IMMIGRATION from " the vast human hive Of 10
sia, in order to recuperatc our population. 8;
ut the Ministry Of that day had no sympathy =,
it'll the scheme, and tile memOrialists were an =
yered in terms Of labored but undisguised con-
mpt. But when, under a new administration. 7
lie Hon. Mr.. Carter was sent to Europe on an a
lp0rtant diplomatic mission, j; was incidentally a.,
ade a part Of biz duty 20 make enquiries in the Isl
-oPer quarters A. 10 what might be tie prospects i-
our obtaining an immigration Of coolies from
itish East India. Tie result Of those cuquir- n
,. made Of persons 10 tie British Government =
st qualified 10 know in regard Co the matter. a.
j. o. the effect tIuf while tIg Home Govern fI
~ IS.