The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-07-10
Kohala District Requirements.

Mr.. EDIToR:-Our worthy Rep
resentative kalua kahookano, de-
serves more credit than your Ko-
hala correspondent "* X" of the
Gath ultimo is inclined to give him.
Hitherto the requests made by him
have, in the main, been quite rea-
sonable and cover the actual needs
of our District.
The motion to appropriate funds
for a female boarding school in 10
hala, is a good one and needs more
encouragement from all parties.
This appropriation should certainly
be applied for the benefit of the
present seminary here, which insti-
tuition has already, after only one
years existence, gained wide rep
utation for sound education and
healthy discipline.
Another measure to be encour-
aged is the one being petitioned for
at present in the district, viz: to
appropriate money for the con-
struction of a bridge across the
Walaohia gulch In Halawa. A good
serviceable one constructed of steel
would be the greatest advance this
district has made for years.
Some of our people seem to be
laboring under the delusion that a
representative is responsible for and
the Trainer of the various petitions
presented by him to the Legisla-
ture. A more absurd idea could
hardly be entertained by anyone
beyond simpleton. The petition
concerning contract laborers, for
which he is neither to be blamed
nor praised, beyond the bare fact
of performing a duty, incumbent
upon any Representative of the
people, contains good deal of mat
ter for reflection, and apart from
the shortening hours of labor ques-
ton, the other requests ought not
to effect those plantations in the
least, where they consider the moral
right of and treat with ordinary
Justice those in their employ.
The absurd stuff your correspond
ent gets off, that call employers
would only be too glad if they were
never importuned for any advances
whatever on wages" is not to be
credited for moment. 1t should
be apparent to anyone who cares
to look into the matter that on
many of our plantations, with re-
gard to native laborers especially.
the deeper they get into debt, the
better are their employers satisfied /;
managing to compel those laborers
to work for years and years, under
a succession of contracts, openly
in the face of its illegality.
Exceptions, must however be
made in some cases as we learn on
good authority, that on some plan
tations, and even in this district of
ours, no advances whatever are
given to native laborers, and yet
both master and laborer manage to
exist and they have no reputation
for undue severity, or hardness of
heart either. 1t is the opinion of
the writer, that the practice of ad-
vancing money, to native laborers
especially, is as uncharitable as it
is injurious : in some cases they
being permitted to become hope
lessly involved for years. What
must be the natural consequence of
such system but complete de-
moralization.
Let your correspondent take a
survey of the plantations in this
district and elsewhere, use his eyes,
compare notes, and then report
again upon this modern system of
servltude; and | think ordinary
humanity will compel him to decry
rather than encourage and foster
this existing evil.
Concerning "* KS" suggestion, to
build residences for Government
school teachers his best way of
making doubly sure of its coming
under the notice of our representa-
tive, is to write to him directly con-
corning the same.
Your. correspondents ideas of
making it penal offence for minors
to use tobacco, should not be fav-
ored for an instant. A measure to
compel parents and teachers to ex-
ercise more vigilance in the matter,
might command notice but to
educate the young in our law
courts and jails, the logical Sc
quence of Z" IS" measure, would do
more to minimize the terrors of the
law, and build up a nation of vaga-
bonds and criminals than desirable.
NoMAD.
Kohala. July LIST.