Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-05-14


incidental reluctance. Some med
dlesome fellows lately discovered
that planters could pay a few
dollars more in taxes without
serious violence to the principles
of equitable assessment. The
discovery was made public with
the evident intention of forcing
an increase of their contributions
to the exchequer. But rs such an
issue would have been very pain
full, enterprising statesmen COM
promised the mater and filled the
aching void by licensing every
thing in sight. The manifest
trend of events and legislation
has been to make this a planter
and coolie country.
A CLEAN of hope irradiated the
faces of workingmen when the
Labor Commission was appointed
to investigate the labor problem
and their hearts throbbed with
expectancy that an adjustment
would be reached giving them
the right and chance to live. But
the CLEAN faded to ghastliness
when the researches of the Com
mission developed that the only
condition which needed ameliora-
ton was that of the unhappy
planter which could only be
assuaged by more cheap labor.
Merchants were alarmed at busi-
ness depression and a profound
inquiry into the subject showed
conclusively that the only remedy
for the existing state of affairs lay in
additional importation of pauper
labor, it being a well-known
maxim of political economy that
the more nothing you got the less
something you may expect. 1t
cropped out that stores would not
make much by such scheme,
but then stores are not expected
to make anything except enough
to pay taxes.
Steamers are constantly arriving
with fresh loads of Asiatics.
Two hundred and fifty laborers
are assigned to one plantation,
five hundred to another and SO
on. The inference that these
plantations have been running
short of their quota of labor is
rudely dispelled by corresponding
accessions to the population of
Honolulu from said plantations
of displaced laborers who come to
swell, divide and crowd still
further our overcrowded labor
supply. No proof from planters
has ever been exacted that more
laborers are required. The fact
that they want more is sufficient.
There can never be a surplus of
labor for these gentlemen. The
slope of Punchbowl is alive with
Portuguese who need employment
and the purlieus of the Japanese
and Chinese quarter are dense
with unemployed laborers. When
these are more alive and more
dense the large. hearted planter
can dictate the price of labor to its
inhabitants. The little melodra-
ma goes on and white mechanics
and laborers will continue to divide
their time between a wrestle for
existence and an amused con-
temptation of events until forced
to get out.
Having obtained everything
that reasonable heart could de-
sire one would suppose that
lplanters would now rest content.
But no! They want our
thumbs.
Gentlemen, you may congra-
tulate yourselves on having pass
ed the most outrageous,
ridiculous and infamous meas
ure on record. In des-
potic countries of Europe
where precaution is the price of
existence, some severe passport
regulations are in force, but these
regulations are directed against
travellers and sojourners. In no
other country than Hawaii are
such obnoxious requirements ap-
piled to bona fide residents. And
what apology can be offered in
extenuation? Does public safety
require them? No. Then what
ldoes?T ?The same reason and the only
reason that exists for anything
on these islands-the plantation.
To enable a plantation to recap
ture a runaway Chinaman or Jap
anese, forsooth, every self-res-