The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-05-19


shall share the advantage"
This IL the present status Of cane
growing in these Islands. There
must be some more decided associ2-
sion Of interest in the achievements
Of his labor, or the laboFer himself .
will thwart all schemes for the cheap
,sning Of production. II l. greatly 70 I
the credit Of plantation managers that (
80 much has already been undertaken I
in the direction Of co operative cane +
growing.
Closely identified with the so-called
plantation system Of eane-grOwing1 Is
the profit sharing scheme, originated
by Mr.. Jas. 2. Castle, and already II
operation az honolulu By special
contract, the laborer, 81 his option =
assigned land for cultivation with the
view Of sharing n the proceeds Of his
labor. The employer, on his part fur
nishes lodging for the lzbOrer and his
family, medicine and medical attend
2nce, first equipment OF tools, water
for irrigating, seed-cane, and the
transportation Of same, and the priv
iIege Of procuring fuel by the laborer
for himself. The employer, likewise,
clears, plOws, harrOws and burrows
the land preparatory 10 planting.
The labOrer, on his part, plants, cui-
tivates, cuts and delivers the cane on
the cars. All the work Is under the
supervision Of the manager, in the
sense, that, irrespective Of the hours Of
labor, the work done must be satisfac-
tory TO the interests Of the plantation
The employer has the privilege Of
placing other labOrers in the field, adj
vancing wages TO such labOrers, and
deducting the same with interest from
the proceeds Of the original Iaborer's
share.
One-fourth Of the gross receipts
from the land thus assigned goes to
the laborer after deducting advances
made to him. These advances do not
exceed SO per month.
Should the laborer abandon his con-
tract without notice, he receives
nothing aside from the advances al
ready granted him. Should he give
two months notice, he is entitled to
SIS per month for all back time, less
the amount already advanced him.
The employer may summarily dis
charge the laborer at any time, by
payment at the rate Of $50 per month
| for all back time, less advances
made. Should the manager at any
/ borer to cOnfine himself wholly TO the
| cultivation Of the assigned land, he
| can require said laborer to work else
where on the plantation at a daily
| wage of 10 cents.
| From the annual report Of Manager
LOwrie, the following quotation is
| made: "During the year 1891 there
/ have been two attempts made to in
| troduce the profit sharing system.
| The Portuguese are afraid to 90 into
it on account Of the low price Of sugar.
| The japanese don't seem to under
| stand the meaning of it, but / believe
| they will be anxious for it very soon,
/ and / also believe the system will
prove boon to the sugar industry OF
| these Islands"
There are some admirable features
| about this scheme to which allusIon
does not need to be made, inasmuch
as the ground has already been
covered in the Introductory matter OF
| this paper. There are some objections,
which seem inevitable with all
schemes which seek to hold on to the
! plantation system as a basis. They
are, briefly, ~ that the supervision OF
the manager is too arbitrary; ~ that
the liability to friction and abandon
! ment Of contract is not sufficiently re-
| duced; 81 that the disposal of his la
Dor is not sufficiently optional with
the labOrer; a. that there seems lack
ing any suitable inducement to per-
manent alliance of the laborer with
the interests of the plantation.
Another scheme, also identified
| with present plantation management,
| is in quite successful operation at
| Waiakea, near HilO. Land is assigned
as desired, whether to one or several
individuals associated together. The
laDorer is not required to labor else
where on the plantation except at his
own option. Those who are sO-called
contract labOrers, after their daily
task, out Of plantation hours, are per-
mitted to cultivate land in their own
interest. No rent is charged for the
use of the land. The laborer can hire
plantation mules and plows by the
day, when not otherwise employed
Should planter be neglectful
crop is paid for at lower rate pei
ton, based largely on poIarizing tests
as well as general appearance of cane
in the field. The laborer delivers
the cane on board the cars or scoWs
|
$3.50 per ton Of cane. This is equiv.
alent to $29.75 per ton of sugar
| nearly double what is paid to the la.
| borer at honolulu who contracts tC
cultivate assigned land for one-fourtf
the gross receipts, which at present
price Of sugar is about $3.50 per ton
This difference of S12.2 per ton, com
pensation to the Iaborer, is in a meas
ure due to the fact that at Waiakea
the laborer pays for his blowing anG
narrowing, while at honolulu that
expense is assumed by the plantation
Undoubtedly this difference has acted
as deterrent, discouraging the Portu.
guese at least from undertaking con.
tracts under such terms.
Mr.. Kennedy, manager at Waiakea
thinks that the cooperative scheme
as worked there would be undesirable
unless worked in connection with the
plantation system. But the chief ex-
cellence Of the Waiakea system is that
1t so successfully breaks away from the
plantation system. There is no arbi-
trary control or interference. There
IS no friction as to hours of labor
Each man gets a fair return for his
own labor, wholly irrespective of the
quality and amount of other mems
labor.
The main objections to the Wal.
akea system are % that, without
modification, it is unsuited to dis
place the plantation system; and u
that it does not offer adequate induce
ment to a permanent settlement OF
laborers of the right class on the
| assigned lands.