The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-05-20
Honolulu, May 2, 1898.
CHARLES NoRDHoFF,


| asked Mr.. Claus Spreckels to-
day whether he would not give to
the Herald his views on the island
situation, which he has been care
fully studying since his arrival here.
He readily consented.
Il am opposed to annexation" he
said, "because it would ruin the su-
gar industry on these islands. This
industry, the only considerable one
here, has been built up with great
expenditure of capital and labor. 1t
is the only great industry possible
here; on which all other business
depends, and what seriously affects
that must be matter of grave i'm
portance to every man on the islands
who intends to stay here. But sugar
depends on labor. For many years
the question of labor and the posi-
bility of securing sufficient supply
to meet the requirements of the
planters has been the subject of
many experiments at great ex-
pense.
"Laborers from different parts of
the world have been brought to the
islands; but with the exception of
those of the Asiatic type the expert
ment has always proved failure;
either from the fact that it was i'm
possible for laborers of the Scandi-
navian class to do field work in this
tropical climate, or by reason of the
great expense involved in obtaining
laborers from Portugal and similar
countries. Realizing these condi-
tions, the island planters have been
compelled, in order to compete sue
cessfully with other sugar raising
countries, to negotiate for class OF
labor competent to do plantation
work at rate of wages which would
admit of a profit to the planters.
The Hawaiian Legislature realizing
the condition of the sugar culture
here, and its great Importance to the
islands, was induced to amend Ger,
tain parts of the laws which form,
erly restricted Chinese immigration
and to allow, under certain condi,
tions, the admission of a limited
number of Chinese laborers. As
this, however, was entirely made
quate to meet the demand of the
plantations, convention was en-
tered into with Japan, by which
labor from that country was assured
in sufficient quantity, and to-day
about sixty percent of the laboI
employed on plantations is Of this
nationality, all of whom came origi
nally on three years contract. The
Importance of the contract system
is easily seen; for not only does il
secure to the plantation the pay
ment back of the heavy advances
which are made to transport thu
laborers from their native country
but it also protects the sugar plan
ter against strikes, which might oc
cur at any time under free labol
system, and which, from the pecu
liar nature of the sugar business
might prove ruinous to the sugar in
dustry here. | will add that no
onl y is the contract protection tC
the planters, very necessary to them
but it was one of the condition
under which the japanese govern
ment consented to let it's subject
come to these islands, as the con
IrdcJ assures Jlle ldDOTeT TeSuld
employment and the faithful observ
ance of the contract by the EN-
ployer.
IL and no doubt majority OF tn
other planters would prefer fre
labor if there was sufficient on tn
islands to guarantee us agains
strikes and labor combinations, sucl
as would, if begun about harves
time, result in disastrous loss to tn
plantations; and, until the suppl.
Of labor is fully up to the demand
the contract system is clearly tn
onl y way on which we planters cal
rely for the safe prosecution Of on
industry. But this system necessar.
to US is contrary to the laws of TIN
United States; it would be broker
up by annexation. While any on
! can see that there would be som
gains to us from our becoming
part Of the United States, it is clea
to me that any political chang
which would annul our present labo
+ system would only ruin our suga
plantations. and the Unitgd State,