The Hawaiian gazette., 1881-06-01
Plnntntion Lnborors.

The following letter from one of our prominent
planters will be read with interest by all our sub
scribers it touches upon matter which is of vital
HAWAII, May eth, 1881.
No dear -; / am at my wits end TO know
how to prevent shipped Cinnamon from running
away, how to eaten them after they have run.
During the last six months MY plantation counts
some twelve runawayS, owing me say $3.50, and
have spent at least 500 in trying TO catch them.
Only one man caught by my agents, and re-
turned to work. The expense on him was about
$50, which amount he has Just worked out and on
last Saturday ran away again taking another man
with him. One week ago last Saturday, two men
ran, and sent white man at $40 per month, fur
nishing him with horse and expenses. He was
gone week, and came home on foot and empty
handed. The horse was used up and left on the
road NV man reported Eve other plantation
"makai's' at Laupahoehoe looking after runaways.
have recently visited all the plantations in Hama
kua, Lidgate's and Green's III Hllo. Several of
them have had more runaways than have, and
all complain of desertlon, and but very few
caught. There are large numbers of Cinnamon
travelling mig and day. Deserters are concealed
by their friends. If there We're five times many
policemen as thereare now, and much more ell
cient than they have ever been, do not see that
they could help us much in our distress. When
the planters confidential agents, who are we'll &C
quaiued with TIE men they are looking after fail,
the policeman could not succeed.
do not think the government, can or ought to
be asked to help planters catch their runaways,
except by regular process of law; but 1t can ard
ought to help u.s. well as all other classes of
society. by putting a stop to the illicit trade in
opium and liquor, which is almost exclusively car
ried on by Cinnamon. Large quantities of liquor
and opium are distributed every week by the
Likeliks ana other coasters. FOR instance, the
Likeiiks often lands as many as twenty cases of
liquor IN Hilo. Every week she brings or
less TO, say, two or three parties, all Cinnamon.
The police authorities know as well as others that
it must be for sale. But in order to make case
10
who vii! prove the sale to the satisfaction of the
Court. 1t is nearly impossible to get such testi-
mony, because it is sold the sly, and both seller
and buyer are interested TO keep the secret.
With opium it is more difficult to deal, for it
must come under cover. We all know that opium
Is plenty and that 1t Is pedGled from place to place
10y constantly travelling Cinnamon. The police
are helpless to make arrests without visible
and so the illicit trade goes on and increases.
Plantation laborsTs run away to engage in it. If
the underground trade in liquor and opium could
be measurably stopped, the desertion of contract
labor would stop, and Cinnamon would be forced
to work at honest labor, and thereby bring abouta
better state of things in all outer districts.
1t seems to me that the government through its
Ministry and Privy Council have the right to ed-
tabish police or excise regulations in every port
landing of the kingdom whereby suspicious
persons shall be liable to be examined and made
TO give an account of themselves. And especially
should every firm or store keeper be made to &c
count for cases of liquor when 1t arrives IN sus-
piciously large quantities. l really believe that
such regulations ought to be made and enforced
Suitable men can be found to act in their own
neighborhood as special agents, without pay.
would be willing to DO so, and of course be re-
sponsible for my acts, if they exceeded my au-
thOrity. All managers of plantations, have no
doubt would be willing to DO so. l do believe can
be struck hard blow at the present state of
things By some simple regulation of the kind sug-
gested rs above. Iours truly,
We cannot quite agree with the remarks of the
writer in the latter part of this letter; know
that it is not IN the province Of ths Cabinet the
Priyy Council to pass new excise laws, of course
something might be done through the police. but
we fear not much. We would recommend the
writer to try what has lately been successfully
done on one of the plantations in Kauai. 4 large
quantity of liquor came down in one Of the coast
ers, the owner of the plantation seized it and re
turned to the captain OF the vessel, telling him
that if he brought any more such consignments
down he would not give Man Il pound of freight
from the plantation. We believe that course of
action had the desired effect. GO and do likewise.
Ed