The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-03-24

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i, that further legislation is required Il
continue the present equilibrium among
the laborers of the country and brins
about a state of affairs more favorable
to the advance of the American and the
European.
| The Chinese restriction laws passed
in 1892 stand in evidence of the convic-
ton of the people of this country that
the time has come when the agricul-
tural labor of the country must be kept
within certain bounds No one with the
best interests of the country at heart
has opposed the restriction laws already
on the statute books, and we fail to see
why there should be opposition to sup
Elementary laws that will result in more
effectually carrying out present stat
utes. The act restricting Chinese immi-
grafton passed in 1892 provides that mo
Chinese except women who have rela-
tives by marriage or blood residing in
this Kingdom, children under ten years
of age who have parents residing in the
Kingdom, clergymen. teachers and mer-
chants heretofore residing and doing
business in this Kingdom" shall be al
lowed to enter the country except upon
the condition that while here he will
engage in no trading or mechanical oc-
cupation other than domestic service
or agricultural labor in the field or in
sugar or rice mills
This law also provides that when any
Chinese shall cease to follow the voca
tions designated he shall leave the
country.
This is the law, and we take it for
granted that it is acceptable to the body
polite of the nation. After this law has
been in operation about three years it
is stated by the planters that Chinese
coming to the country under its proyis-
ions are constantly deserving the plant
atoms. Where do they go? No one
knows. There is no way of tracing
them. During the last three or four
months about $500 Chinese laborers
have been brought to the country for
the plantations, and of that number |
fifteen or more have deserted and can
not be found 1t is we'll known that these |
men did not desert in order to go to an
other plantation.
So far as the Chinese are concerned,
the Registration Act is simply sup
Elemental law, made necessary in order |
to make the present statutes effective.
While it may be looked upon as a relic |
of mOnarchical rule, the fact still re-
mains that we have peculiar condition
to face, and must use the best possible |
methods at hand in dealing with it.
We have now large proportion of our
population who are escaping taxation
merely from the lack of ability to keep
run Of them. 1t is estimated that the
crease the revenue of the country by at
least $4,000, and the chief of the tax
bureau is authority for the statement
that the amount realized will be even
larger. 1t is clearly demonstrated that
the expenses of carrying out the law
will be more than covered by the in
come derived from the enforcement of
the registration. The opposition that
has arisen on the ground that the law
will work hardship on account of
citizens being required to have their
papers on hand when
from one part of the
country to another is decidedly trivial Z
when the general benefits to the Ameri-
can, the Hawaiian and the European
are taken into account. 1t is not for
the particular discomfort experienced
by law-abiding citizens that the meas
ure is advocated, but rather for their
protection from the inroads of those
classes who will attempt and now sue
iced in evading the existing statutes.