The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-05-22
HOUSE OF Representatives.

AAOooG vi Mp
Rep. Kaeo reported for the Judicia1
Committee. to whom was referred Sc,
tions As. 104 and the title of Senat
Bill No. L, relating to licenses. Th
committee recommended that Sectio
IS pass as in the BILL and that Sectio
1O4 be changed. 1t was recommends
that the title read "An Act to amend
add TO and consolidate the law relatin
10 certain licenses, and to repeal th
following laws, viz" adding the list {
laws enumerated in Section 1O4.
Rep. Richards reported as follows 70
the committee to whom was referre
Senate Bill No. II, entitled, "An Ac
making appropriations for bills in
Cured prior TO December 81, 1895"
Your committee find upon examina
tion that the items mentioned in the
bill were, as is expressed by the title
of same, expenses incurred previous t
December 81, 1895, and had these bills
been presented before the above-namec
date they would have been paid without
reference to the Legislature, nor would
they now be presented, were it not fol
the fact that the Minister of Finance
wishes them charged up to the past pc
riOd to conform with Act of the pres
ent session.
Your committee therefore recon-
mend the passage of the bill with the
following amendments:
Under head Qf Finance Depart
ment.' Incident4s, Custom House,
S139.50.'
Your committee recommend this
item pass at S49120, which is an in
crease of S351.70 over the amount pass
ed by the Senate. This item of $951.70
covers the amount of bill from w. R.
Castle for legal services in preparing,
revising and drafting Acts, which work
was performed with the sanction of
the Minister OF Finance, consequently
is a legitimate item and should be paid.
Under this same head your COM
mittee recommend to insert the fol-
lowing:
Services of George Carter as Act
ing Auditor-G General from June 26,
1895. to August 26, 1895, two months
at $500 per month, $780,
by adding these items the total of
the bill will be raised to S19,S1S.57, and
your committee recommend that this
sum be inserted in Section 1, line 2,
in place of S,S66.S7."
Laid on the table to be considered
with the bill.
Rep. Richards reported for the FL
nance Committee, recommending pass
age of items of expense incurred by
the late cholera epidemic. Laid on the
table to be considered with the bill.
Labor.
Rep. Kamauoha reported for the
special committee to whom was re-
ferred the petition of the Central Com
mittee of the Uniao Portugueza, an
purporting to represent
the Portuguese population of the Ha-
waiian Islands.
The petition of the Portuguese is
quoted at the beginning of the report.
THE petition prays the Legislature
to adopt measures at this session which
will further restrict Chinese and jap
anese immigration and devise means
for the better protection of the labor
classes" says the committee.
During the sixteen years past there
has been a diminution in the wages of
laborers and other indus
tries. The Portuguese saw the des-
perate conditions and their inability
10 procure work, as stated in their
petition.
1t is presumed that the wages paid
now are the same as in the past, moth
ing as to the rates of wages (that is,
wages per month"; having been brought
TO the notice of the committee.
The decrease in wages, as we'll as
the Portuguese and other
nationalities from obtaining work
which would sustain them and their
families, finds one of its causes in the
large importation of Japanese and Chi
nese laborers within the past few years.
IL is proper, under the circumstances,
for the Legislature to enact laws re-
stricting the importation of Chinese
laborers to the actual needs of the
various industries of the country.
The sugar interests and other indus
tries of the country require sufficient
laborers to carry them on, as these are
the mainstay OF the Government, as
well as the varied nationalities within
the border of these islands, and to neg
lect the various industries would bring
disaster TO the country; but the COM
mittee has ascertained that in the CEN
sus of 1890 there were 15,3O1 Chinese,
L. $50 Japanese aud 9,252 Portuguese.
Increase in importation in the five
years last past were 1,593 Chinese, H.
l47 japanese and 651 Portuguese. To-
Chinese, 23,507 Japanese
and 9,252 Portuguese. These figures
are to be found in the report of Min
ister Cooper before the House, March |
81, 1896. Outside of these are native
and other nationalities,
waiting for work to enable them as
well as their families to live.