The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-09-17
The Labor Problem.

EErroR GAzETrE:-we have looked and won
dered, and time goes on and experience ripens
and information multiplies wonder still more,
that hundreds of thousands of dollars should be
expended in searching over the world for laborers
and bringing them here, running both the govern
ment and planters into debt to do 1t, when China
men come here without cost If permitted TO do 50.
For rough Eork-''Hewers of wood and drawers
OF water, all things considered, none equal the
Chinese As they industrious almost beyond
comparison, they will hunt for and perform low
class of labor necessary in our civilization, that
no others will perform. They are such reliable
and constant plodders, that for most plantation
labor we believe they preferred TO all Others
by four hfths of the planters on these islands.
They are our labor ssandbys; all the other classes
are too few tn make more than ripple upon our
labor market The Cinnamon easily con-
trolled upon plantation as SO many sheep, and
about as harmless, and if hired from some bust
ness Chinaman, dozens of them are no more
treuble than one native Portuguese family, in
TACT less so, if the planter assumes to satisfy the
demands of the latter's stomachs and to remove
all their real and imaginary ills
The running In debt to bring Portuguese, jap
znese, or others here is certainly expensive bus
mess If not unwise policy, particularly at this
sage OF our sugar interest Many may be ruined
~ taxation and debt while experimenting for
cheap labor in this costly and tardy manner when
us as good and cheap and abundance of it,
esz be obtained from China free; only say Come
5oEn After all this expenditure and debt, the
cheaper labor if Cinnamon are shut out. The
Portuguese and others brought here at such great
expense are rdly sufficient to fill the depleted
ranks Of the labOrers- How then can it be expect
cd that labor will be cheapened if aborers do not
increase In number! Many Cinnamon go into
business on their own account; manufacturing,
nee culture gardening. etc, and instead of being
laborers, they become employers OF their own
coHntrTTnen by scores and hundreds, besides many
go into trading, peddling, cumming, etc; some
die and many leave the country thus, from many
causes, labOrers become fewer in number, and It
Is grave question for planters TO face, whether
they will not have % pay higher wages instead Of
our hard times Indeed, the planters of Hamakua.
Hawaii, are not so confident now. as thew were
/ one month ago, that they will be able to retain
their present help for the month of October with
out raising their wages.
The low prices of sugar and depression Of pusi-
only effective way to cheaper IL is to multiply it.
aud that can be easily done without money by in
Titing more to come. And let them come until
the labor market Is fully supplied. Not supplied
at 80 per month, bat supplied at So to Sli per
month. Ihat would be as large wages IS paid
by any other sugar producing country for the class
of labor performed by Cinnamon.
Ihas our labor problem would be cheaply and
satisfactorily solved; not only would our present
necessities be thus fully supplied but the iucreas-
ing demand arising from increasing bgsIness and
new enterprises which low prices of labor would
put IN motion, all planters scautily supplied
with labor at 81 per month, could prOhtabiy en-
ploY many more, If Sli would pay a months
wages This would be economy that would En-
able us 10 oompete successfully With the sugar
producing countries Of the world, and enable sew
eral plantations that ara doubtful of future
success 10 pull through, notwithstanding the low
price Of sugar. JSo. n HoKxKR