The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-05-17

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require to be put on very different basis
to what they are on now
EVERY scrap Of information relative to
the procuring OF laborers is interesting to
our planters and others connected with the
planting interest From recent accounts
from FIJI, it appears as if the planters on
those islands have the danger of being left
in the lurch, without an adequate supply
of men, staring them as surely in the face
as our people have here as far as the Solo
mon Islands and New Hebrides are con
cerned.
The recruiting season commenced at the
end of March, and 13 vessels were on the
point of sailing These vessels receive a
license from the government OF Fiji, bu.
they are not a government venture as our
| StoTnbird, HdindiS and P0ndre were Each
one is under special charter to some private
iirm. Complaint is made that the licenses
get into the hands of the larger planters,
who have also snapped up the coolies who
are expected from India, and. in conse-
quence, the smaller planters seem likely to
be left out in the cold. Here are two
points for consideration. Our system has
| been better in one sense, in that, as far as
We have been able 10 find out, the laborers.
who have been imported at government
expense have been assigned pro rata to the
various plantations. according TO the de
mand for men, without reference TO the
fact whether their plantations were large
or small. The second point is that Fijian
planter, though depending somewhat upon
government aid, helps himself, as our labor
and supply company are proposing to do.
1t appears that the supply of laborers to
be obtained from the New Hebrides and
Solomon group gets less and less every
year. A gentleman who has apparently
lived for many years among them, writes
at considerable length to a FIJI paper
He states that the whole of the labor has
been obtained from the coast tribes. and
that these people have now become 'satu
rated with trade" There is no longer any
inducement for them to leave their homes.
In the interior of the islands there is
very numerous population which would
only be too ready to come If communica-
ton could be opened up with them
The coast tribes are at mortal enmity with
the interior tribes, and are able to keep
them hemmed IN among their mountain
Businesses on account Of having better
arms. 1t is well known that when New
Hebrides man or Solomon Islander re
turns home, his great desire is to take
musket or a shot gun along with him.
Not only do the coast natives keep the
mountaineers hemmed in, but they pre-
vent as much as possible any trade passing
through their Gordon and opening up com
munication; they tell long tales of the
tierceness Of those in the interior, and if
foreigner is seen trying to bend his steps
IN that direction, they will always try to
stop him.
The question is, how to open up com
munication ? The writer alluded to states
that the coast natives at a few points in |
San Christoval and Guadalan It can be |
done; but in the New Hebrides it will be |
very difficult
Having proposed plan for getting at |
the island tribes, the subject next to con |
slider is transport We all know here what |
a farce it was sending little cock-b
south to return with so or 60 souls as the /
result of four to five months work. The |
same thing is felt by the Fiiian employers.
Large vessels are no use, they run too
much risk and are more difficult to man
age IN the intricate navigation of those
'eas. To overcome this difficulty, the
writer proposes to establish a depot on
me or more of the islands. Tracts of land
re owned In some parts by Europeans,
md these, he thinks, would be readily
)arted with. Attached to these depots,
would be several small vessels whose duty
would be to cruise among the islands,
,ick up what men they could. and rendez-
ous at the depots. To these central spots,
steamer might be sent at stated intervals,
ay every month or six weeks. She would
lave to make but a short stay, and would
,rlng up large number of laborers at a
ime. There would be expense in carrying
plan such as has been sketched out, but
t could hardly be more expensive than our
experiments in that direction Our meas
ire of getting a sufficient nucleus of men
las not been eminently satisfactory. We
ould hardly have expected to get more
han was obtained, when we consider how
ur vessels were handicapped. The Ha-
Talian Islands were a new place to come
0, and there was large number of yes !
els recruiting against us. From what we
an gather from the accounts before us, it /;
ppears that we cannot hope to get any
arge supply of labor from the New Heb
ldes, unless some system, such as that
uggested is adopted. And further that {
ntil those laborers, who are here, have re-
urned to their homes, and carried back !
ood account of our plantations, and es- /
ecially carry in their hands desirable ar i
lcles of trade such as hatchets, knives,
luskets, and such like pretty toys. Those
f our plantation managers and owners /
1ho have liking for this class of labor, l
hould consider this, and when their New
iebrides men return, should see that they
re supplied with such articles. After ali,
will only be advertising on not very Z
zpensive scale.