The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-10-20

pro prDi apparent lu pul planters ut
q htltcunont of their situation from
rise in the market. The BrhtuN
has been shown table OF the prices
that have been ruling for many years
back, which shows that the price Of
sugar, when the duty is left out OF
the count, is really higher to-day
than in those years when our planters
were making large dividends. Thus,
leaving out 1889, when an cXtraor-
binary price was obtained, the aver
age price, not counting the duty, for
several years past was 3.34c., which
is less than the price Of free sugar
at present in the New York market
With this almost certainty of CON
unued low prices for their product,
our planters have to face competition
with sugar-producing countries that
have much cheaper labor than they.
Therefore they claim that they must
have cheaper labor in order to enable
this country to support itself as it
has been doing by the sugar indus
try. Where they can get the cheaper
labor is perhaps not so difficult a
question as how. They can doubt
less get thousands more of laborers
from Japan. But some if not most
of themselves consider that it is not
advisable to satisfy all their require
ments from that country. Besides,
an agitation has been already started
among the voters, similar to that
which has stopped the increase of
Chinese, against flooding the coun-
try" with japanese. Efforts to pro-
! cure cheap labor from China, under
the enhanced restrictions of last ses-
sion, passed to prevent the laborers'
entering other than agricultural en-
ployment, have thus far failed.
There is great trouble over the few
that have come in under the new law.
Mr.. Marsden has discovered on his
Oriental tour source of labor sup
ply that to his experienced judgment
seems very adaptable to this country.
This is in certain districts of India.
AS to this, the only question remain
ing seems to be whether arrange
ments can be made with the British
Government for allowing East In
dams to come here. Negotiations
with governments, however. are apt
to take longer to mature than sugar
cane. The introduction of Indian
coolies may therefore be put some
distance beyond the period when the
planters will most need them TO tide
over the present emergency.
Perhaps in this crisis most of the
planters would declare for cutting
the knot instead of trying to unite it.
They may ask that the doors be
thrown wide open to untrammeled
Chinese immigration. This could
only be done by the Legislature and
it is impossible to conceive of a
Legislature at this stage of Hawaiian
national existence being elected to
make such bold stroke. Not only
for reasons that have been ringing
in the peoples ears for many years,
reasons that have been accepted as
sound by all parties, but because the
planters are not certain that unre-
stricted Chinese immigration will en-
tirely solve the problem of cheap
labor, it is to be hoped that the
planters in council will not miss the
attainable by expanding their mental
energies on discussing the unattain-
able. Now when parties are organ
izing for the coming elections, 1t is
very desirable that the planters
and the rest of the people should
have an amicable understanding
on this labor question. 1t ought
not to be battle ground of party at
all. 1t will not be so if both sides
are prepared to concede what is in
evitable. That is, that the planters
must have cheap labor, and the other
people must have protection against
the competition of such labor out
side of agriculture. Perhaps basis
of agreement could be found, so far
as Chinese immigration is concerned,
on a stipulated number being admit
ted each year for from three to five
years. This number will not need
to be very great if Mr.. Marsden's
discovery can be developed.
KEEP IT OUT OF THE PAPER.