The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-07-09
WHY EMPLOY WHITE LABOR
ASIATIC LABOR IS CHEAP AND
SOME PEOPLE USE IT.
Mechanic Has Something to Say On
Those Who Get Support from the
White Mechanic and Employ Asiatics

Editor Star: The following noble
words are taken from an editorial in
the Advertiser of April 27:
IF employers of labor are honest
they will Immediately begin to I:y
plans for obtaining white laborers.
1t is one thing to say nice things
about the changes that should he
made, and can be made, and quite
another thing to go to work in "A sys-
tematic style and make the changes.
= 1t now looks as if Mr.. Fitz-
gerald had drummed good ideas into
the minds of some of our intensely
practical men and the time has come
for positive, progressive action"
A few weeks ago Messrs. Howard &5
Train, architects, advertised for ten
ders for the erection of dwelling for
c. G. Ballentyne, manager of the p.
c. Advertiser. Believing that Mr..
Ballentyne was acting in good faith,
the various contractors of the city
prepared estimates and sent in their
bids at the specified time in accordance
with the plans and advertised call.
1t requires considerable time and
labor to estimate on a building of
even moderate cost. The amount and
cost of all building material, the labor
of carpenters, painters, plumbers and
common laborers have to be carefully
computed, and estimates procured
from the planning mills for the requir-
ed machine work.
1t is reasonable to suppose, in view
of the above facts, that no contractor
would go to the time and expense OF
furnishing estimates for a building
if he knew that Chinese contractors
would be asked to do the work at a
lower figure after the tenders of 'he
white contractors were received and
opened; or, indeed, if they were TO be
brought into competition with Asiatics
at all
Yet this is just what happened in the
case of Mr.. Ballentyne. A company
of Chinese contractors, who pay theil
men 81 per day and their meals" are
now building that persons house
These men are not restricted to any
regular hours of labor, but work any
where from ten to twelve hours pei
day. 1t cannot be claimed that there
is any scarcity of labor in the build
ing trades. Dozens of white and na
tive mechanics are out of work anC
can see no hope of employment await
ing them in the future. But they ere
not the only sufferers. Every mer
chant, butcher, baker, grocer, milk
man-all who receive a portion of tn,
wages of the mechanic, for their ware
are directly injured by the downfall
of the white mechanics.
Of course but little else could be ex
pected from man like Ballentync
He first gained notoriety in this com
munity by an attempt to foist a broli
en- down electric tram plant on thi
public. Failing in this scheme. w
find him managing" paper that fo
months past has been rabidly anti
Asiatic-for consideration. A NOR
contemplate spectacle of hypocris,
than this ti-Chinese-pro-Chi
juggler presents has seldom befor
been seen in this community.
I hope The Star will, in the interest
of the working classes, publish thi
letter. 1t is the only paper in Homo
lulu at present that they feel they ca
trust and confidently regard as
champion of their rights.
MECHANIC.
WHEELER & WILSON.