The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-12

tor finds this plea sound, well and good;
the sick man is properly doctored and
nurSed and allowed to lie idle till he is
well again Procedure in cases of sham
ming differs on different plantations, Of
course. Sometimes a man with raw
hide whip follows the doctor. The per-
suasion afforded by a few blows from
TINS instrument of torture is invariably
effective. Such treatment doesn't seem
right? Well. the Hawaiians understand
that 1t won't go under United States laws,
ready as fast as they can for the newt
able change. 1t isn't universal now, by
any means; the law allows the sending
OF recalcitrant contract laborer to jail,
and this course is often adopted. Besides,
there are other methods of bringing them
10 time, but most Of theme would hardly
be allowed here.
"The quarters furnished contract labor
ers on the sugar plantations of Hawaii
are much better than the homes they
would provide Tor themselves. and are
quite as good as those furnished to the
Tree laborers. They consist of low one
story frame buildings, incloscd with rough
boards as rule and whitewashed. Each
building will accommodate five or six
men. They sleep IN hunks and cook for
themselves. They live chiefly on cheap
rice. imported from China, which eau be
laid down in Hawaii at from 81 to SO per
lvJ pounds. about 81 q hundred less than
the going price of the Hawaiian grain.
The free laborers are better paid than
the others. say from $18 to so month,
they do more work for each dollar of
wages than the orientals. They do not
make as much net for themselves, though.
Tor 1t costs them more to live.
The employment of contract labor in
Hawaii began in 1876, and has, there
fore. been in force for twenty-five years.
II is attended by many drawbacks, not
the least of which is the fact that quite
two-thirds of the earnings of the labor
ers IS boarded and taken out of the
country for expenditure. Thus each of
a n
gold from Hawaii every month. That is
the equivalent OF 500 600 a month in the
years this would be $4,000 900. Under the
system Of free labor the vast sums of
which Hawaii is now being drained
would remain right there and contribute
to the development of the islands. This
circumstance alone is enough to make
all thoughtful Hawaiians welcome the
coming change.
PLANS OF HAWAIIAN PLANTERS.
1.-The Hawaiian commission consists Of
Senators Cullom and Morgan, and kep-
resentative Hit for the United States,
and President Dole and Judge trear for
the islands,, said Mr.. Shingie. .'HheSe
men are ali now in Washington, save Mr..
Dole He VIII be here in a short time.
They will recommend that the entire con-
tract labor system be wiped out within
a reasonable time and as / have said the
sugar planters themselves are preparing
as rapidly as they can Tor the change.
Perhaps the most interesting steps
are being taken by the Hon. j. b.
Anterior, president OF the hawaiian
Sugar Planters association and also
president OF the EVA pronounced EY-aD
plantation, unquestionably the largest
single tract OF Iand under sugar cultva-
ton in the islands. Under his direction
w. j. Lowrie, manager of the plantation,
recently spent some time in California,
where he arranged with twenty-five
Americans to go TO Hawaii, taking their
families with them for the purpose of
n
operative or percentage plan. Under this
plan the corporation viii allow each man
a certain number of acres for cultivation.
All cane raised under this arrangement
viii he ground at the Eva plantation
mill, the farmer receiving a percentage
of the proceeds in payment for his cane.
The plan has been very carefully wrought
out ana it is estimated that the net
earnings of the best men will not be less
than $40 a month; the most indolent and
unfortunate cannot easily drop below $40,
while tho average will be not far from
$50. The twenty-five Americans arrived
in hawaii late in November, and are
probably now beginning their work. This
experiment will be watched with the
greatest interest by all the Hawaiian
planters and if it works well on the
EVA plantation the same plan will be
adopted in other parts of the islands.
Within a few days another solution of
the problem has been suggested by GER
tain interests in st. Paul and Mime
aoolis. As every one knows. much land
:
also in Manitoba has been settled by
Danes ana SWedes. They have been so
well satisfied that they have written
glowing letters to their friends at home,
and now a steady stream of Scandinavian
immigrants is constantly flowing into
that part of the American continent. 1t
Steamship company through its general
northwestern agent that a part at least
Of this stream Of desirable immigrants be
diverted TO Hawaii, the object of the
n n no inc -iter
| geSuon being, Of course, to secure the
carrying 0f the immigrants
SOME POSSIBLE DIFFICULTIES.
Under the present contract labor law
of the United States these Scandinavians
could not be imported direct into
employment Having once landed on
American soil, however, they can I'M
doubtedly be transferred to Hawaii at
least without violating the letter of the
law.
Some of the sugar growers favor the
Importation of Italians and Portuguese
to work on the plantations, but, of
! course, upon the ultimate status of the
/ Philippines. There has been some talk
according to Mr.. Single, of engaging
negro laborers from the United States,
I but this proposition has not advanced be
You'd the talking stage. The Hawaiians
are evidently a little cautious about add
| ing new elements to the already COM
plicated race problems existing in the
Il
1t would be hard to estimate accur-
ately the magnitude of the interests in
volved in the Hawaiian contract labor
| problem, for the planters have always
/ been extremely reticsnt as to the money
value of their holdings.
The Eva plantation, largest on the
islands. employs about 1000 hands; the
yield last year was $4,000 tons Of sugar. 1t
will be 2500O tons this year. The Spreckle-
vile plantation. on the island of Maui,
owned originally by Claus spreckles, later
! by his sons and recently sold to new
proprietors, employs about the same
number of hands, but yields less. The
! island of Hawaii largest of the group,
| has hitherto raised most of the sugar,
| but MolCkai will perhaps lead in future.
| II was chiefly owned by the estate of
Berenice Pauai Bishop, till recently, but
is now in possession of a syndicate of
/ Boston capitalists represented by Arthur
NJ Daggett. This syndicate will put
nearly all the island into sugar and it will
| then be by far the greatest sugar planta-
! ton in the world.
| Chill LOREN At POLICE STATION