The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-10-19
THE "BULLETIN " AND THE LABOR
QUESTION.

question:. It's uelecIIOu lEOu the [
cause OF labor and western civiliza-
ton is to be regretted, but it is fact !
nevertheless. 1t said on Saturday:
Mr.. Horner's colleagues generally regard !
that gentleman's remarks on the Chinese !
question as having been ill-advised aud
uttered without due consideration. Several
Of them in open session disclaimed the favor
ing of Chinese immigration. At the same
time. it is not Chinese on the plantatiO
that troubles the country. They would be
all right if confined to the purposes for
which they are admitted to the country.
The evil comes in where cOolie laborers that
have completed their contracts are allowed
to compete, in the Independent trade and
industry Of the country, with people who,
unlike them, live the lives, support the in
stitutions, bear the burdens and stand for
the defense Of the civilized society that con-
stitutes the nation. That is the difficulty
that is to be overcome in this Kingdom, and
perhaps the problem cannot be solved in
any way short of ersdicating the whole con-
tract labor system, and admitting free labor
only of such ns tionalities as would be ac-
ceptabIe for population and probable candi-
dates for citizenship.
This is simply trimming of the
most pronounced character. 1t can
not be denied that Mr.. Horner spoke
the mind and feelings of his class.
The tone of every remark made at
the Planters meeting in this con-
Dection was that wages were too high.
and that the barrier against Chinese
-
On the last day of the meeting Mr..
HOrner made an appeal to the
planters as a body not to separate
and leave the labor question at loose
ends, because ''laborers were in some
cases asking higher wages" That
did not look, he said, as if there was
too great a supply; and ne argued
that so leng as Cinnamon did not
bring their wives there was no fear of
the Chinese making colony here.
Instead of protesting" Mr.. Bald
win said he thought that Mr..
HOrner was about right, and that the
planters should send forward their
orders for labor.
But this is not all. Mr.. Horner
delivered the speech which has raised
this controversy when moving res
olution asking the Government in
effect to remove restrictions from
Chinese immigration. This resOlu-
ton was slightly amended, but with
out modifying its scope or policy in
the least degree. AS amended, the
resolution, after recognizing what
the Government had done to intro
duce labor, asked the Administration
to "put forth like exertions fer sup
plying laborers the coming twelve
months, not only in bringing in POr-
tuguese and Japanese as heretofore,
but permit the influx of free labor
from all countries so far as it can be
done without Injury to other national
interests" The qualification at the
end was added to the original draft,
but it does not amount to anything,
and indeed the resolution is point
less if it did. The Planters Labor
and Supply Company asked not only
for continuance of contract labor,
but also permission for the influx OF
free labor from all countries. Now,
inasmuch as restrictions are imposed
upon Chinese immigration alone,
and immigration from all other coun-
tries is free and untrammelled, it fol-
lows that the P. L. & S. Company
asks for the removal of the legal bar
riers against free, that is voluntary,
Chinese immigration. And Mr..
HOrner, when introducing the resolu-
ton. made the object conspicuously
clear by his speech, which was not
disavowed or condemned by any OF
his associates at the meeting. Fur
thermore, the preamble to the resOlu-
ton, which was adopted without
amendment, read in connection with
the speech of the mover, leaves no
room to doubt the policy and purpose
of the association. It is to flood the
country with free Chinese labor so as
to reduce wages on plantations to an
average of the wages paid in Java
and the West Indies, with which the
planters in question say they are
brought into competition, and let all
other industries take care of them
selves.
Our contemporary will perceive the
absurdity of its position if it simply
refers to its own report of the pro-
ceedings. 1t is a mere blind to say
that the solution of the labor problem
is perhaps to eradicate the whole
contract labor system "and admit
free labor only of such nationalities
as would be acceptable for pOpula-
ton and probable candidates for citi
zenship." There is no prohibition
to-day against that class of immi-
grants. They may come here in tens
of thousands if they please without
astion as to their right. But
ae? What inducement is
81 % to come and settle
e they to do if the
tustry in the coun-
\ VoE A