The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1884-09-30
TIL PACIFIC
COMMERCIAL, ADVERTISER.
Tuesday, Sept. so, 1884.
THE LABOR QUESTION.

Within a month from now large
representation of the planting interest
of the Kingdom will meet in conclave
to consider all questions that bear
upon their business interests. No
matter with which they will have to
deal can be more important than the
future supply of labor and ats price.
A truly conservative national policy
has dictated restriction upon the in
flux of Chinese labor. That policy is
not only sound and safe, but it has
had the approval of all classes of the
community with. perhaps, the ex-
ception of the Chinese employers of
labor, and these have not apparently
deemed it politic to give any public
expression to their feelings on the
subject. But a pinch is now begin
ming to be felt. The Chinese are go
ing away rather freely, and though
some of them return, majority of
them appear to have no desire to do
so, in spite of the tempting range of
wages in this country. The influx Of
Portuguese, though fostered aE great
expense to the country, is not large
enough to supply the immediate
wants of the planters. In numbers it
hardly does more than make up for
those laborers of various nationalities
who withdraw themselves from the
labor market, either tc leave the
country or to enter on more congenial
pursuits than the hOeing of weeds or
the stripping of cane. To replace the
Chinese the Government has made
most strenuous efforts to secure an
immigration of Japanese, Thanks
to their persistence, to the careful
manner in which they have repre-
sented the case to the Japanese Gov
eminent, and to the diplomatic abil-
tiles of Colonel Iaukea and of Mr..
Consul General Irwin, they have sue
ceeded where the governments of
some very important countries have
failed. The Legislature. led by the
Government, and sensible of the ex-
treme Importance of the labor ques-
tion to the country, has made an ap-
preparation of as liberal a character
as it could venture upon to carry out
the Government scheme of Japanese
immigration, and to continue the inn
portatfon of Portuguese. The Gov
ernment and the Legislature have
done everything that seemed to be
feasible and within the means of the
country.
The earnest work of the Govern
ment, and the sanction given to their
proposals by the Legislature will,
however, be rendered almost abortive
if that essential element-money-
be not forthcoming. Everyone knows
that the carrying on of the work of
i'm migration is wholly dependent up
on the sale of our Bonds. The Gov
ernment had made it's arrangements
for the sale of Bonds, but that very
section of the community to which
the importation of labor is of the
most vital Importance stepped In and
upset those arrangements. First, by
use of certain technical legal |
objections, they forced upon the Gov
ernment the breach of the contract |
into which it had entered. Then, led |
away by few demagogues who |
worked upon their business jealousies,
they raised cIamor against the only |
individual who, having the means at |
has shown warm dispo- |
sition to befriend the country and as
sist its progress. Not daunted by the |
manner in which the |
country broke it's engagements with |
him in the matter of the first sale of !
Bonds, he proposed to establish bank
here which would have assisted the
finances of the Kingdom in the same
way that during the first century of |