The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-01-18
CONTRACT LABOR.


of those interested in plantations they
urge that it should be among the first
things brought before the coming leg
islature.
The contract system when looked
into is really a survival of old whal-
ing times. In those days the Hawaii
ans and others used to sign articles
for long voyage and receive an lad
vance" for outfit. The advance was
usually spent within day or so and
the man would go on board and have
to get into debt with the ships slop-
chest for warm arctic clothing. So
accustomed were men to receive this
advance that when the plantations
were started all laborers were willing
to ship" at an advance" which
reached as high as SIS within the men,
DRY of the writer. 1t was very COM
mon thing for a native who had com
mitted some offense to ship" on a
plantation and pay the fine and law
yer's fees out of the advance
But this has all been done away
with. A very large number of laborers
upon the plantations are not under
contract at all, in fact some managers
object to contract men. Now the adj
vance is made to laborers who come
from abroad in order to pay their pas
sage. This is practically. the only rea-
son for the survival of the contract
system, and recent experience has
shown that laborers can be secured
without making such advances, so
that the only reason for continuance
of the contract system has practically
been removed.
Some suggestions for bill in this
direction for abolishing the contract
system have been made by a friend of
Hawaii, which will bear careful
thought by those interested, and are
here given publicity in order to call
forth comment from planters through
out the group. The following would
be the line of his bill:
tD That from and after the first
day of July. 1898, no contract for per-
sonal services. made or entered into in
this Republic of Hawaii, should be
specifically or penalty enforcble.
(2) That from and after the first
day of January, 1899, no contract for
personal services, made or entered in
to abroad, should be specifically or
penalty enforcible in the Republic of
Hawaii.
az That this law shall not apply to
contracts for services of seamen. The
seaman's law to be left practically the
same as it is.
"a That this law shall not be con-
strued to repeal any existing law in
30. far as it applies to any labor con-
tracts now in existence, or which may
be entered into prior to the date above
indicated
The Trainer points out that this will
enable all parties to accommodate
themselves to the situation long
enough beforehand to prevent it from
operating harshly or causing any dis
location of the business of the country.
IT. will cause the system to lapse grad
rally and not throw everything out of
gear by ,ceasing at once.
These suggestions are valuable. and
seem comprehensive enough, though,
when the Legislature meets there will
probably be many others to he offer
ed. The contract labor system has
been the one thing which has kept us
out of line with American conditions
aud methods of labor. 1t is a legacy
left us from an industry that has pass
ed away, which has become grated
upon the main industry of the country
and at one time permeated~ domestic
service. That it can be done without
has been demonstrated. Thirty years
ago all domestic servants were under
contract. Now such thing as "A
contract servant is practically un-
known, and yet the domestic service
is better done There are, as has been
already noticed, large numbers of free
1aborers working on the plantations
The thin end of the wedge, as it were
has been driven in; it only remains 10
complete the work.
When any system gets grated upon
country it is hard work to get rid of
it. People think that it cannot be
done without. II will be a matter of
surprise to find howseasily it can be
banished The abolition of the CON
tract system viii prove an unqualified
blessing 10 the country in more wuys
tl,,, ana