The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-10-14
October 18th
PLANTERS AND POLITICS.

ferred briefly to the remarkable re-
port of the Committee on Legislation
Of the Planters Labor and Supply
Company. 1t deserves somewhat
closer attention, however, than we
were able to give to it in our last
issue. Were it not presented in all
seriousness by the Committee and
accepted with equal seriousness by
the Company in meeting assembled,
the 'reporp' might pass as clever
burlesque of the salient points of OPP
position policy; but the facts preclude
the idea of its being ''little joker"
hence what otherwise would have
been a clever peFfof nance sinks to
the level of illogical stupidity.
Messrs. Davies and Dole, who father
the report, have at least local repu-
tation for intelligence and ability,
but this performance must raise a
doubt whether they are really deserv-
ing of it.
They should have first made them
selves of their facts before
theY.ventured to arraign the admin
istfation of the Government and of
Justice I'M the minor Courts; but they
neglected this important duty, and
therefore expose themselves to mer-
tied censure and rebuke. For ex-
ample, they report: ave cannot,
however, close our eyes to the fact
that grave complaints have arisen,
and have Influenced other Govern
ments adversely to our interests; and
that whereas they were once disposed
to encourage immigration, they are
now inclined to look with suspicion
upon the mode in which the immi-
grants are treated or neglected here"
There is not scintiIla of truth in
this statement. The official relations
of the Kingdom with the Govern
ments of the countries from which
we h%ve drawn our labor immigrants
nevef were more cordial than at
present. No intimatiOn of any kind
has been received either from the
Governments of England, Portugal
or Japan that would in the most re-
mote degree justify the paragraph we
have quoted. Nothing whatever pre-
vents Portuguese immigration being
conducted on a large scale by the
Government except the lack of
money; the planters may procure as
many Portuguese immigrants as they
desire if they provide the money to
bring them cut here. Portuguese
immigration stands precisely in the
same position as it always did, so far
as the attitude of the Lisbon Govern
ment is concerned.
England has not intimated its dis
pleasure ia any form whatever, but,
on the contrary, the Hawaiian Gov
eminent has been encouraged to look
to India as an available field for i'm
migrants, should it be thought desir-
able at any future time to resort to
that unfailing source of supply. Our
Government is in position to open
up negotiations with the Indian Gov
eminent for that purpose when it is
thought advisable to do so, the Impe-
rial and Indian Governments both
having signified their readiness to
consider the matter as the result of
the visit of our Special Commissioner.
Japan is the only country whose
people recently made complaint of
bad treatment or neglect, not by the
Government but, by their employers.
The Japanese Government sent
Special Commissioner to this country
precisely as the Government of Nor
way had previously done to ascertain
the facts. He investigated these COM
plants, inquired into the provision
made by the Hawaiian Government
for the well-being of the immigrants,
and on his return to his own country
made so favorable a report that our
Government has received assurances
that immigration will go on as before,
and we may expect another INSTALL
ment in November. Further than
this, the Japanese Government is so
well satisfied with the report of its
Special Commissioner, Mr.. Inouye,
that 1t has expressed a desire to regu-
late immigration by Convention
binding upon both countries for a
term of years, instead OF letting it re-
mann As lG Has Uc0us Ii1ilJ 49, uIST6IN
tolerated by Japan. Does this look
like the assertion made by Messrs.
Davies and Dole in their report?
One can hardly treat with any de-
gree of seriousness that portion of the
report referring to the past and pres
ent International status of the Hawai-
ian Government, of course, to the
. disparagement of the present. The
truth is that this country is now treated
with ten times the consideration it
was even five years ago. All its Off
ciaI correspondence is now promptly
answered by the Powers, great and
small, and it stands to-day recognized
and respected throughout the world
"a a member of the family of nations
aud not mere diplomatic express
sion. Numerous examples of this
might be given, but it is unnecessary
to cite them in this connection, and
we ailude to the matter in this place
simply to give a fat denial to the al
legation that the Hawaiian Kingdom