The Hawaiian gazette., 1881-03-16
RcP1y &fs
or the Minister Of the Interior to
the Memorial on East Indian
immigration.
Reply
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR,
HONOLULU, Mar. 9, 1881

McttTS, UcO. u. W tJbtQIlS, u. W1QAiJ, u
Bond, D. r. VSdG, and others.
GENTLEMEN In the acknowledge
ment of the receipt of the memorial
Won did me the honor to send me,
promised you an early reply circum-
stances interviewed which caused my
time and attention to be SO fully en-
crossed that have been obliged to
delay my response, and / trust you
viii accept my apology for the delay.
in your memorial you call my atten-
ton to the deficiency and cost Of the
labor supply of the country, and al
Jude to the fact than in other sugar
producing countries East Indians were
employed, and state that you believe
the introduction of these people would
be productive of great and permanent
benefit TO this community.
In considering the subject of the
supply Of labor for the country, it is
the belief of the present government
thai the matter of labor should be re-
garded as subsidiary to the larger and
more important national question of
population that, SO far, It has been
the general policy of the government
to secure for the planters such advan-
tages that the wages of the laboring
classes would be such as to stimulate
the native population to industry and
enterprise, and further to invite the
immigration of men with families, who
would odd to the permanent population
Of the country, rather than to seek sim
ply for the cheapest supply of laborers
without reference to the higher needs
of the country. 1t was hoped that the
exceptional advantages Of the reci-
procity treaty with the United States,
even for eight years, would put the
Industrial interests of the country upon
such footing that they would be able
to maintain themselves even if that
treaty was not continued In operation
after that term.
/ see no reason to anticipate the abb
rogation Of the treaty, or to doubt the
ability Of the country to compete with
other sugar producing countries if it
should be terminated.
You call my attention to the advan-
taEes enjoyed BY colonies which are
able to obtain the services of East In
dian coolies for term of years at APP
parently low rates of wages, and in eff
feet ask why steps are not taken to Sc
cure the sane benefits for this country.
This is no new question, but is one
=aich has received very careful con-
sideration. Perhaps the best answer
Is. because it has never been shown
that either the cause of population or
cheap labor would be served by the
introduction of the class of East In
dian who leaves India as a coolie la
horer: on the contrary, those who
have considered the subject on behalf
Of the government have arrived at
quite the opposite conclusion, and the
experiment. at FIJI which was watched
~;;::h great interest seems to justify
those conclusions +; although it may be
possible that in Malaysia or India
there may be found people from wsko,n
a class Of immigrants could be found
who would recruit the population of
the country, they would hardly be from
the class who emigrate to sugar grow
ing countries as coolies. The lnvestl-
cation of this subject, however, so far
As population is concerned, Is now In
che hands of q Royal Commissioner,
and the government await with inter-
est his report.
Regarding the subject of labor by
itself. the importance of which l have
no desire TO underrate, / am of the
opinion that the advantages enjoyed by
Colonies employing East Indian coolies
have been overrated even If the
coolies could be induced to come to so
distant and to them unknown country
As this 10 labor under five years con-
tracts In the usual form, at shilling a
dav. which is the minimum rate at
which the India government allows
them to be recruited, we must add to
this the cost of passage TO this coun-
+rv. with interest, and of returning
them 10 India at the expiration of their
CONTRACT; the cost will then be nearer
tep dollars per month than the six dol
lsrS -cu mention. The cheapness of
labor does not, as you are aware, de-
mend WAlOllN. On lAle ARAtc Va NoSOSs Oub
rpon the quality and quantity of the
work performed. So far as l have
beer able to gather reliable informa-
tion. the East India coolie compares
verv unfavorably with either the
Chinese or Polynesian.
4 Ina report Of II. B. Ms Commits
s;oDers Of Enquiry into the condition
s1d treatment of Immigrants in British
Guiana,-where some millions OF dol
lars and many years have been spent
n establishing the East India coolle
svsteu-the opinion is decidedly IN
favor Of the superiority of the Chinese
80 the East Indians as laborers, and
rerret Is expressed that the Chinese
;;1SYaiicratioa should be terminated.
Another writer on British Guiana
snaslinr Of the Chinese, states that
tbev ar more sober and reliable
sban auv other laboring class ID the
ooIopy {. snd previous to 1866 Chinese