The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-06-27

the question of the removal of re-
stTictions upon Chinese immigration
in the event of the necessity for such
removal being shown" 1t continues:
We believe that the statement mads by
the Committee yesterday must have con-
WINGED Your Excellency that the very grav-
est necessity exists for the partial or tenn
porary removal Of the Chinese embargo,
inasmuch as without a measure Of relief Of
considerable extent and early application,
the plan ting for the coming season must be
seriously crippled The Company have au-
thorized this Committee to present to the
Government statement, showing the ex-
IRENE necessity which they feel exists for an
early modification Of the Chinese restric-
tions.
Then follows the statement, which
estimates that in order to supply the
labor demand of the planters, 1000
men would be needed in excess of
the 600 Japanese expected in Novem-
Der or December, of whom 1900
should arrive before the end of JAM
uary, 1885. "And re beg to state"
the letter continues, "that an i'm
mediate issuance of permits for, say,
1000 laborers to come here, would
probably be sufficient tn prevent a
labor panic during the time neces-
sarily required for the proper settle
ment of The Japanese schemes. In
the event of So tisfactory terms being
arranged for continuance of Japan
csc immigration, 1t as possible that
this single suspension of Chinese re-
striction might be sufficient for one
gear This letter was signed by
Messrs iona. Austin, A. Unna, j. NJ.
Horner and Theo. III. Davies.
On October 81, 1884, His Excellency
Mr.. Gibson replied to this communi-
cation, by a letter, in which he states
that the Government, after careful
elaboration, cannot take the serious
step urged by the P. l.. & S. Co.,
namely: "the invitation by the Gov
eminent of 1000 voluntary immi-
grants from China, in addition to
those who are entitled to come under
existing regulations" His Excel
lency discussed the labor question at
considerable length, and stated that
it might be fairly assumed that two
or more shipments of Japanese might
be counted upon without pecuniary
assistance from the planters, plus the
600 which were expected soon. To
this number shipload of Portuguese
immigrants must be added also, the
returning Chinese. The latter, judg
ing by the demand for passports,
would probably exceed 1000 during
the year. This would be sufficient to
meet the labor requirements without
removing the restrictions on Chinese
immigration. His Excellency then
entered into the question of national
policy, and showed convincingly why
unregulated Chinese immigration
should not be sanctioned and could
not be adopted by the Government.
In the discussion which followed
upon the reading of this communica-
ton, Mr.. w. o. SMITH said the letter
was correct i'm the main. 1t was log
ical, and laying aside the present
necessity, was sound. Mr.. Davies
changed his opinion and expressed
himself as opposed to the intro
duction of more Chinese. He
thought the Government would do
everything they could to assist the
planters. Mr.. iona. Austin expressed
similar opinion, although Mr.. j. NJ.
Horner thought it was to be regretted
that they should be compelled to take
Japanese or Portuguese at $22 per
month instead of Chinese at SIT. The
reply of the p. L. & S. Company of
October %, 1884, closed the correspOn-
dence. There is nothing important
in that letter beyond an expression of
regret that the Government could not
give such an assurance of "prOsecu-
ton in one direction, or relaxation in
another, as would give US the
planters1 confidence that the disas-
trous position the committee have
foreshadowed to Your Excellency
would be averted." 1t should be here
stated that the disasters antici-
pated by the planters never happened.
They secured the heaviest crop ever
produced on tile Islands without any
difficulty.
We have thus presented the policy
of the party represented by the =" Ga
zette," and the policy of the Govern
ment on Chinese immigration, de-
pending exclusively upon the ''Plant-
ers' Monthly" for our statement of
facts We do so TO show past a per-
adventure how the Government and
the planters stand upon this question.
We have not attacked the planters for
what we consider to be a mistaken
policy; but we have demonstrated,
out of their own mouths, the unfair
ness of their own newspaper ally or
organ, in it's attack upon the Govern
meut.
The regulations governing Chinese
immigration are well known. In adj
ditlon to those entitled to enter the
Kingdom by virtue of passports and
women and children, twenty-five
immigrants are admissible by each
vessel. The statistics of Chinese