The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-22
7 Fl e
SATURDAY
THE CONTRACT LABOR CIRCULAR.

THE CONTRACT LABOR CIRCULAR
We regret that the Directors of the
Planters Labor and Supply Com
pany, at their adjourned meeting or
the 18th instant, did not come to a
decision in reference to the circular
of the Minister of the Interior on the
subject of contract labor. IT would
have been very much better if this
had been done, than to keep the
question open, because uncertainty
regarding the action of the planters
must necessarily have an injurious
tendency.
1t must be admitted that the Gov
eminent is interested above all in
aiding the planters to develop the
agricultural resources of the country,
by the introduction of labor adequate
to their requirements, and of class
calculated to build up the Nation by
the growth of population of free
men and women. This being the
case it is evident that the true policy
of the planters is to sustain the Gov
eminent, and not pull against.it be-
cause upon every point of detail they
cannot have their own way. There
can be very little real difference be-
tween the great body of planters and
the Administrator .lIasl this s,ssbiect
ana Whs.tt5d difference there is cannot
affect the general principle involved.
Let it be borne in mind that the
labor system of these Islands is upon
trial before the world, and that any
thing the Government may do of
fcially in this matter will be closely
scanned, not always with the most
friendly eye. Contract labor, at the very
best, is opposed to the most enlight-
ened sentiment of the age, although |
there may be economic and social
conditions which warrant it's use; but |
contract labor, superimposed upon
our law of master and servant, is not
necessarily of the every best" 1t I
has not been SO in every case, and it /
might not be so in any case were the
planters not the humane and con-
body of men they undoubt-
edly are. The right of arrest for
alleged breach of civil contract on the
part of servant is an arbitrary power,
which should not be given to any
man. It is likewise an injustice on
its face, because it makes the penal
condition of a contract uniIateral.
It is one-sided in its operation, mas
much as a servant, or contract
aborer, cannot have his master
arrested for an alleged breach of con-
'ract on his part, no matter how con-
elusive the proof of the fact might be.
And there are aggravating breaches
II contract constantly reported, which
'he laborers have to put up with
1nless their representations to the
Government or their own national
representatives., bring them redress.
should they resent these, however, and
'efuse to go to work they are liable to
srrest. These may be trif1ing mat
ers to the planters or their superin-
endents perhaps, but they are very
erious matters to the laborers, as for
xample, continued neglect to issue
atoms to children as per contract.
Weput this point somewhat forci- ]
ly because we understand that the
hief objection to the circular of the :
Iinister of the Interior arises from
be fact that it contemplates prevent i
1g summary arrests of laborers for t
lleged breaches of contract except 7
y Government sanction. Now, a {
tile calm reflection would convince 7
very reasonable man among the I
Ianters that the circular is judicious /
nd polite, and that rigid adherence t
} the law as it stands will simply t
ave one ending-it will prevent the C
overnment obtaining suitable con-
act labor in the future, while public
,ntfment on the Islands and in the C
nited States will effectualiy check e
ny attempt by the planters to NJ
Vamp the country with unrestricted 2
ninese labor. If there be any doubt In
to the strength and potency of that &C
ntiment among native Hawaiians 81
ID foreign residents, not to speak of T,
e American people, let another A
tempt like that of last year be wi
ade. and those engaged in the en- m