The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-10-27

1
(b) The kind OF labor they are accus-
toned to.
(c) The hours of labor per day that
they are required to work.
I'D The amount of work they accom-
plish.
2. (a) The food-kind, quality, guam
tity and cost.
(b) The kind of discipline they are
used to.
(c) Their disposition to emigrate to
other countries and the attitude of their |
respective Governments in regard to |
such emigration
8. The rates of wages they receive in !
their own countries; and, ii any have
emigrated to other countries, the rates OF
wages paid them in such countries.
4. When emigrating, do they take
their women with them? If SO, what per-
centage of women? |
5. The rates of wages at which they
can be engaged to emigrate to these ISL
ands, and the cost OF passage. TO Homo
lulu.
6. What financial arrangements can
be made for carrying on emigration to
Honolulu; and the best means OF trans
portation."
Mr.. Marsden sailed from Honolulu
December &c, 1890, and visited Yoko-
hama, HOngkong, Macao, Bombay, Goa,
Ceylon, Java and other places, and re-
turned to Honolulu in September, 1891.
His report, which has been published in
pamphlet form, has been distributed
among planters, and is presented here
| with.
MIR. Marsden performed his errand
well, and has obtained information OF
much value.
CHINESE IMMIGRATION.
Various propositions relating to obtain
| ing Chinese under the recent Act Of the
| Hawaiian Legislature have been pro-
posed and considered during the year,
| but the trustees have not entered into
any engagement or undertaking in this
| direction.
The effort of Messrs. L. Aseu and j e.
Brown for private parties has been fol-
lowed with interest. The difficulties and
misunderstanding that have arisen out
of this enterprise are greatly to be re-
GREETED.
Could Chinese laborers be brought
here under proper restrictions and regu-
lations, the result would be beneficial to
this country and to the Chinese.
The subject of labor convention with
China, suggested by the Legislature of
1890, and referred at the last annual
meeting of the Company, has been con-
sidered and discussed. No steps have,
| however, been taken towards attempting
to accomplish such a convention.
DESERVING LABORERS.
The employment of special Japanese
constables to detect runaway laborers
was discontinued in June last, on ac-
count of it appearing to be of little value,
and in some cases these officers were
charged with melting the laborers to
leave their employment.
The complaints of desertiOn during the
year have been very few, until within
the past two or three months
In June, circular letter was sent out
to the planters requesting them not to
employ Japanese seeking work as day
laborers unless they produced either
cancelled contracts, or honorable dis
charges from their former employers. 1t
is believed that strict adherence to
such a rule would be the way to prevent
assertions, and would otherwise nave q
| beneficial effect upon the laborers.
| LABOR STATISTICS.
After the consideration and discussion
of various plans of cooperation, and for
| dissemination of information among
planters, it was suggested that month
ly statement of all laborers employed
and rates of wages paid upon the differ
ent plantations would be of value, and
in June blank forms for reports were sent
to each planter, with the request that
each month the report be made up and
| fn hn Of 40
who would tabulate them and send a
copy to each planter, so that each one
might know the number OF laborers en-
ployed and wages paid during the previ-
GUS month by all the other planters of
the Islands.
The majority OF planters have respond
ed, and a tabulated statement was is
sued in July and each month since.
It is to be regretted that returns have
not been received from all of the planta-
tons, for the more complete the tabu-
lated statement the more valuable they
will prove.
One fact, among others, which sug-
gested the plan was the incorrect re-
ports which are frequently carried from
one plantation to another of the higher
wages paid by other plantations.
Such reports are mischievous, tending
to cause dissatisfaction among the la
borers and to mislead the employers.
And, further, in view of the necessity
of reducing the cost of producing sugar,
the importance OF cooperation cannot be
overestimated.
RECIPROCITY TREATY.
The United States new tariff bill re-
moving the tariff on raw sugars has
greatly impaired the benefits to this
country of the treaty of reciprocity.
The various aspects of the question have
engaged the attention of the trustees,
and earnest consideration and discus
sion have been directed to the subject.
WORLDS EXPOSITION OF 1898.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs in
vited the cooperation of the Company
in having these Islands represented at
the Worlds Exposition at Chicago in
1898, and in August the trustees APP
pointed q committee consisting of
Messrs. w. 0. Smith, F. M. Swanzy and
J. f. Hackfeld to confer with the COM
mittee appointed by the Chamber of
Commerce, and endeavor to ascertain
what can be done in the matter.
1t is to be hoped that hearty effort
will be made, and proper steps taken to
have creditable representation at this
great fair. The benefits that may be
derived may be very great.
RICE.