The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-09-02
What the People Say.
..Penny wis. aud Pound rsorI.h

"Penny Use and Pound Fsolish.'
Ma. EDTroR, Some one who writes under
this head draws attention to the fact that the
present Ministry have sent orders to stop the
shipment of Portuguese labor to these islands,
and L deem 1t a very proper course TO put an
end to the past arrangements. which were costly
and unsatisfactory, as the labor was not selected
from the most suitable class of people. From
an announcement in your to-dsy's issue. calling
on the planters to send IN indents, 1t Is evident
that Improved arrangements have been made to
continue the supply of the labor at q less cost
to the planter and taxpayer, aud that measures
viii be taken TO protect these immigrants during
their passage, to ensure humane treatment and
thereby offer the best inducementto these lsborsrs
dessirous Of contracting in the future. 1t is a
notorious fact that proper precautions were not
taken to select suitable persons, and many have
been shipped physically unfit to discharge the
duties required of them, either from age, de-
hility, or from chronic diseases, which proves
that they underwent the merest mockery of
a medical examination, and the shipment of
such subjects was an actnal fraud on the Govern
-aent, the planter, and the patient taxpayer.
The past agency at the Azores Is really double
distilled essence of the Penny wise and pound
foolish " system, as for the sake of mere head
money most unsuitable and costly people have
hitherto been shipped. thus causing our Govern
ment to stop the little game and inaugurate a
better arrangement.
trust the present Board of immigration will
well be able to show how very much the penny
and pound abuses obtained in former ventures,
ard that they Will appoint an intelligent repre-
sentative, who is familiar with the planters re-
quirsments. That no person will re recruited
over 81 years of age, that the age on the con-
tract list shall be verified by that on the official
passport, that children of tender years THAT Is
under II shall not be contracted as physically
fit for minor labor, and that their parents shall
receive pay for them as such Ia fraudulent repre-
sentation), and find them rejected on arrival
here by the planter. That the ships medical
officer shall have an opportunity of personally
examining every soul before embarkstion. That
the person in charge has had personal experience
of experimenting a large number Of persons on
a voyage. That proper provision suitable to
their taste and necessary for their health be put
on board to feed them during the voyage. That
the hospital shall be furnished Will bedding and
utensils suitable and requisite to the comfort of
human beings IN sickness during a voyage, That
proper sanitary arrangements are enforced by a
paid staff, and thus ensure a proper treatment
of the laborer during the voyage to his new
home.
The recent appointment by our Government
of a protector, the enactment of a law providing
proper and sufficient lodging, and the stoppage
of the past system of recruiting and transport
ing Portuguese labor is highly creditable to
those in authority, and put the extinguisher on
the old 60 penny and pound" arrangement, aud
this action will assure thesPortuguese and other
Governments that this administration will and
are using the best endeavors to secure proper
treatment to any foreign subject entrusted to
their care.
Recently an extract OF q letter OF AoSSrS. dOH-
nung and Co.'s was published, stating that they
had made complete arrangements for labor on
the Portuguese main land-that their affection
and loyalty for the Government and the well
being of these Islands caused them to refuse the
offer of $25 per head from other applicants "a
sum stated by Hoffnung and Co. to be in excess
of the profit made on their contract with these
Islands), and much more claptrap of the same
nature. Well, we have evidence by authentic
report that the HRnsa, now en- route, called at
Oporto. shipped the available labor there, pro-
ceeded to Lisbon, on arrival at the latter port
the treatment of those already shipped at Oporto
had been so satisfactory the emigrants, who,
we are told, are very poor and ill-fed people in
their own country, that they went on shore and,
together with the Lisbon detachment, refused to
proceed on the voyage. and the Hansa left with
out any labor from the main land.
This is the best illustration of the Penny
wise and pound foolish" arrangement which
our present Ministry have stopped, as, no doubt,
it is treatment such as this that would justify
| and cause the Portuguese authorities to stop
their subjects frsm leaving the country unless
they can be assured that they will be treated
properly.
And lastly the public will allow that if the
Board can obtain better selected Portuguese
labor for $75 per head costing under the old
system $1O0), a d guarantee as far as human
foresight can arrange for their better treatment
during transit, that they will receive the thanks
of the community for putting an end to the
system advocated in to-day's Pres viz.
'Penny wise and pound foolish" Z.