The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-02-04
Registration of Every Male
Resident.
WILL STOP ASIATIC COMPETITION.
A Sugar Man Says 1t Is Absolutely
Necessary-The White Merchants.
VIII Be Greatly Benefited by 1t.

A gentleman largely interested
in the cultivation of sugar ex-
presses the opinion that the regis
tration bill which passed the lower
house of the Legislature of 1890
and was mysterious1y lost before
reaching the upper house, will
probably be introduced in its orig
inal form in the next Legislature.
'This BILL" remarked the gentle
man, twill prove the leaven to the
Asiatic loaf. The immigration to
this country from China has not
resulted in exactly the way the
average merchant believed it would.
"Asiatics were brought here to
work on plantations, but at the ex-
piration of their contracts many of
them drifted into Honolulu and
engaged in pursuits directly in
competition with the white me-
chanic and merchant.
"As a result of this competition
the onus for the present condition
of affairs is forced upon US. l can
not say that l believed, when the
tide of immigration began coming
in, that it would result as it has.
"These men were brought here
for specific purpose but the desire
of the men to work on the planta-
lions at comparatively low wages
died when they learned of the posi-
bilities for gain in the cities. AS l
understand it this will all be regu-
lated by the provisions of this
registration bill. A man who
comes here as laborer remains a
laborer until he leaves the country;
he cannot switch about from one
line of work to another without the
Government being cognizant of the
fact and action will be promptly
taken to keep him at what he was
brought here for.
"No, l cannot give you the ex-
act provisions of the bill. Mr..
Marsden, if l remember, was the
father of it, and if you will see him
you may get the information. l
remember the Chinese strenuously
opposed the bill, and c. w. Ashford
represented them in the debate
that took place, but, with all his
arguments, the bill passed the
House. As to its loss, that was
never cleared up. There was a
rumor going around at the time
that it cost $4,000 to lose it, but the
matter was never touched.
Mr.. Marsden was seen at his
office by reporter for the ADvER-
TIsER, but he was too busy with his
mail to go deep into the matter of
the Registration Act. He said:
"The Act will provide for the
registration of every male resident
of the islands, without regard to
nationality, and when it is in act
i've operation it will prove an abso-
lutte protection to the whites
against Asiatic competition. The
japanese, of course, are free by
treaty, and with the exception
of voting, stand in the same rela-
tive position as citizens. as the
white resident.
81 calculate" continued the COM
missioner that the registration act
will increase the amount of taxes
collected at least twenty thousand
dollars per annum."
"By what means ?"
Simply by stopping the gangs
of Chinese gamblers who roam from
one plantation to another preying
upon their countrymen, declining to
work, and consequently not re-
ported by plantation managers, as
in the case of contract laborers."
"These men dodge the tax-col-
lectors, and the Government is
poorer by the operation"
"But will not the registration of
the entire male population curtail
their liberty to certain extent 2"
"By no MEANS" replied Mr..
Marsden. Everyone on the ISL
ands will be as free to come and go
as they are now, but he. must re-
port his whereabouts to the regis
trar of his district, who, presume,
will be the tax-assessor. If you are
a resident of Honolulu, and you
decide to remove to Kauai, you will
simply report your intended re-
moval and when you arrive at
your destination you will notify
the assessor of the district that you
intend remaining there as a resi-
dent"
"Just so long as a man obeys
Al L., L. ill not bo offocfod ar