The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-03-21
In Defense Of the Chinese.
EDITOR BuLLETIN:--

EDITOR BuLLETIN:--
american" in last nights Star
asks il anyone knows Of the Chinese
having lost anything by their re-
clamation Of land in the Hawaiian
Islands. II American" is not a new
conner to this country must, after
reading his letter, write him down
an ass"
lu the United States the man who
reclaims land is usually the owner
and benefits in proportion to the
amount Of the land improved. In
Hawaii the land improved by the
people OF the Chinese race belongs,
usually, to the missionaries, their
descendants, or to natives who have
placed their lands in the hands OF
Central Union lawyers for various
reasons. When land is reclaimed
by the leaseholder the owner derives
a benefit through having his, prac-
tically worthless, land made valua.
BILE, nor does the owner or agent
ever neglect to Increase the rent ais
for the improvements already
done a. well as prospective ones.
These rentals are increased from
time to time until they get too high
for the land to be proiitably used by
the rice grower, aud is surrendered
to the owner, who casts his net for
new victims.
Then there are instances where
large tracts OF land have been leased
To the Chinese who have secured
white men as their agents and have
btained from them advances TO on.
able them to improve their land or
harvest their crop. For such ad-
yances a one percent interest COM
pounded quarterly is usually charg-
sd. Unless success has crowned the
efforts Of the rice grower in such
instances he is closed up and some
one is benefited. Is il the Chinese7
The reclaimed land reverts to the
owner. do not mean to say that
Instances like the latter are frequent,
but every resident OF Honolulu for
the past twenty years will bear me
out in the assertion that they have
occurred often enough to impoverish
some people Of that race.
am not a lover OF the Chinese
because they are Chinese. Nor do |
believe they should be given employ
ment in preference to natives or
whites where either OF the latter
class can, and will, do the same work
even at a slight advan,e in wages.
But am in favor Of such immigra.
ton because il is the best class OF
labor for the field and because each
shipment OF Cinnamon landed at
this port adds To the Golfers OF
the white merchant. II is a faliacy
to say that the Chinese deal exclu-
sively with the Chinese merchants
and they with their connections in
China. For the past twenty years
| have watched the growth OF the
commerce in these Islands and par.
ticularly the business OF the white
men whose dealings are largely with
the Chinese. Failures among such
merchants may be counted on the
fngers Of one hand. do not be-
lieve that you can select from the
races on the face OF the earth men
who will do the same class OF work
better or with greater profit to their
employers than the Chinese. These
people came here poor and some of
the successful ones have become
rich. The same applies to the whites,
the employer Of to-day was the en-
ployed yesterday. The plantation
man is not the kicker against Chin
ese, because he wants laborers and
the Chinese are the best procurable.
II the unemployed Of Honolulu to
day feel that the Chinaman stands
in the way OF procuring employ
ment, he has only to apply to the
agents Of any OF the sugar compan-
les and he will be given the same
class OF work, if he can do H.
IsTo