The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-05-08
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
Conference Between Unionists and
Planters-Practical Suggestions
by the Vice President of the
Planters Company.

ment, on Wednesday afternoon, at the
Office OF Messrs II. Haekfeld x Co.,
with the Trustees of the Planters
Labor x Supply Company, to confer
upon the question Of restricting Chi
nese immigration and settlement.
There were present, OF the Trustees,
Messrs. H. F. Glade, Vice President,
lib. Athertop. T. A Schaefer, c. NJ.
Cooke and W. O. Smith. The depu-
tation from the Union consisted of
MesSrs. A. Marques President, ]. f.
Bush, Daniel Lyons and John f.
Smith.
Nr. Marques, rs spokesman OF the
deputation, introduced the subject of
the conference, stating that the Union
being n loss for 4 remedy against
Chinese competition in industry and
trade, had come to the Planters Labor
and Supply Company TO see if they
could not suggest something rs q basis
Of action.
Mr. Glade replied on behalf OF the
Trustees. At the outset he told the
deputation that they ought TO tackle
the question so as 10 get AT the correct
status of things. He should say that
the beginning should be TO ascertain
how many Cinnamon are here, where
are they, and what are they doing.
How to individualize the Chinese is
the difficulty.
There Is only one means OF attaining
TO the end proposed, and that is to
have q law passed, ordering that
within sixty days from a given date
every Chinaman is TO have n passport,
showing where he Is TO be found if
wanted. The Chinaman must be pre-
ever lawfully called upon so to do. II
should contain not only his name, his
signature, but when he arrived here
and, further. where he is working and
for whom.
A. soon n the man leaves his en-
ployer-who is a partner in tins pass
book-if the laboTer has committed
crime, or done anything seriously
wrong, the employer should make the
fact known without necessarily deliv-
ering him up TO justice. If there is no
complaint made TO the Court, of course
the man does not 90 on the judicial
records as a criminal AT the same
time the employer should 60 to the
nearest District Justice and state that
1abOrer So-and-sO has left him.
Mr.. Glade held that the plan pro-
posed would be very good one both
Tor getting at the true status OF the
matter and for assisting the police out
OF the admitted difficulty of enforcing
the Nagrant Act. The speaker alluded
10 the similarity in features of the
general mass of Chinese as they appear
to other people, and held that some
such method as that proposed was
essential if every Chinaman was to be
ussse capable of Identification. He
thought that the measure advocated
could easily be brought about.
The laborer, it was further sug-
gested, should have his tax receipt in
Serted in his book There is no doubt
that very large proportion of the
Chinese evade paying their taxes, and
on this ground singly il would be
worth much to the country TO make
them individually accessible. If neceS- !
sary 10 the constitutionality of such
a measure, ever- man of whatever
nationality might, without any hard
ship, be required 10 have a passport.
To make planters responsible for
laboreTs who have left their employ
would be impossible, because the law
would not allow the planters TO lay
hands on any such.
Mr.. Glade's views were well re-
ceived by the deputation from the
Union, and, upon general exchange
OF opinion between both parties. ii was
agreed that memoranda should be
drawn up on the part of each OrganiZa-
ton, setting forth what legislation
was deemed necessary TO solve the
engrossing problem. A memorial or
petition will probably be prepared and
addressed TO all the members Of the
Legislature, embodying the united
sentiments Of the Company and the
Union upon the matter.
After the conference had adjourned
Alr. Glade gave our representative
further enlightenment upon the sub
ject. He referred to the fact that the
law formerly prevented the Chinese
from coming here except under con-
tract, but the Chinese Government
objected strongly to that, saying that
unless the Chinese could come on pay
ing their passages, they should not
come at all. As a result of the utter
freedom allowed Chinese now ad-
mitted to the country, Mr.. Glade re-
lated striking instance in the late
experience of his house (AIessrs. H. !
HacEfeld x Co. Upon the arrival OF
the last load of Chinese, numbering
about 500, fortnight or so ago, they
sent out a runner TO obtain 81 OF them
for different plantations, but up to the
present day he had failed TO get one (
man except by the month. As the
firm had to pay their passages to
Kauai, they naturally wanted them TO
stay there while Most of the Chi /
nese would not engage even by the
month.
Mr.. Glade, in reply to a question, /
said the Chinese generally preferred to /
go to Maui. A very bad custom had (
come into vogue of having professional /.
contractors for labor, which originated /
at Spreckelsville, but, after futile re- |
sistanee thereto, had gradually been /
fallen into by all of the planters. The /
contractor would rather spend few |
hundred dollars TO get higher wages /
than TO keep them down.
Referring to the conference, Mr.. /
Glade reiterated his conviction that I
the great difficulty in suppressing /
Chinese vagrancy and cOgnate evils 1
was that of individualizing that ma
tionality. How can you find where
All Sam Is unless he has number ?n 1