The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-07-28
Action Taken as Result of
Annexation Proposition.
Final Action as to Laborers Will
be Taken on Arrival
of Moana.

From present indications, an embar-
go will soon be placed on Chinese inn
migration. When the annexation prop
osition was made to the United States
one of the principal clauses was that
Chinese immigration should cease. AS
step in this direction, the Govern
ment has decided to issue no more six
months residence permits to Chinese
or to execute any bonds. A Govern
ment official said yesterday:
This preliminary step is taken in
view of the pledge made the United
States on the annexation question. We
feel that annexation is reasonably sure
and, that being the case, it would be
rather a breach of faith to approve
contracts for lot of Chinese to arrive.
The order has not been made final and
will not be until we get the news by
the Moana. If it appears that annex
alton to the United States is a matter
of but short delay, then l believe the
present order will be made peremptory
and there will be no more contracts
approved for Chinese laborers to come
to Hawaii. 1t would be manifestly un-
just to the United States to load up on
Chinese laborers just before annexa-
ton takes place, knowing, as we do,
that it must cease directly the treaty is
consumated. AS / understand it, moth
ing has been done beyond refusing to
1,sxx
permits; the other matter will be at
tended to after the arrival of the Mo-
ana"
Mr. Goo Kim Fui, the Chinese Com
mercial Agent, when questioned re-
garding the Governments action, said:
81 think it is premature for the Gov
ernment to take the step and also, for
the newspapers to publish it. We re-
alize that Chinese cannot come here
after the Islands are annexed to the |
United States, but why shut off the |
Chinese who wish to come here to re-
main for six months, and who are un-
der bonds to return to China at the |
end of that time? From an income |
standpoint, it is bad judg |
ment for, if 100 Chinese come here un-
der these permits, it means 81, 100 rev.
enue to the Government through fees |
and taxes.
"But there is another view to take |
of 1.-THE side of the planters. What |
are they to do if the source of their |
labor supply is shut off? Just now
there are few Japanese, and there will |
probably be no Chinese, to come. What |
are the planters to do? The manufac-
tory of sugar is different from the |
manufacturing of woolen goods or ma
When the cane is ripe, IL |
must be cut; it will not wait for Ia |
Dor, and, besides, the mills cannot |
close down through Overproduction. |
People consume sugar, and the demand |
for it shows no decrease. With other |
industries it is quite |
different.
'T do not believe this action of the |
Government will infiict very great |
hardship on our people, because the |
China of today is not the China of 10 |
years ago. Our people are adopting the |
ideas of Western civilization to a very |
great extent, and miles of country that |
has remained for centuries undevel- |
oped are now being thrown open by the |
building of railways. One line, on
which the work of construction has
Just begun, will be 40 miles long. The |
building of this creates a demand for |
a great deal of labor, and instead of
2 900 or 5000 Chinese coming here to
work for a net wage of S6 month,
thev will remain at home, where the |
climate. food and conditions are more
favorable to them. With the opening
up of this new territory, there will also
be demand for many new buildings. |
In one section an entirely new city is
springing into existence. All this re-
quires labor, and it will be supplied |
at home.
eve do not know what will follow
annexation-if it comes-but you can |
depend upon it that the interests of the |