The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-08-23
ON ISLAND LABOR
A Coast Paper Treats on Views
Of a Leading Citizen.
FOREIGN FAMILY NOW FAVORED
The Negro Corsidered-Future Of
Native HawaiIans- Con nditions
OF Civilized Country.
FOREIGN FAMILY NOW FAVORED

The San Francisco Bulletin of August
has the following on the subject Of labor
In Hawaii:
MIR. j. j. Atherton, "A sugar planter
in the Hawaiian Islands, strikes the key
note OF the labor question In the remark
that ~if we can get the family class of
negroes. the class who bring their wives
and children and pastors and churches
with them. 1t would be well both for us
and for them" The family class of lab
orers from any nation do not disturb
the condition of the native laborer. The
foreign family man works under about
the same condition as home laborers, and
Is subject to the same responsibilities. II
II the single man laborer who makes
pretty much all the trouble. The single
man enters "A field In which family men
are laboring and cuts wages because he
Is exempt from the expenses that con-
sumo "A large part of the family mans
earnings. The family man naturally OBJ
iects to this unequal competition. The
contract laborcr, from whatever country
he may come, has only himself to look
out for. lie can take whatever wages
are offered, his only care being to get the
job. ..
MIR Athcrton says that In his opinion
the native Hawaians will In no respect
bo worse of than under former condi-
tions. The native laborer, Will, in
fact be better off, for the reason that
In short time there will he no laboring
class which can by their exemption from
family responsibilities underbid him in
the labor market. Wages VIII adjust
themselves on the basis OF the necessi-
ties of men who have families to provide
for. This may cause some advance In
wages. but the Hawaiian sugar planter
will only he subjected to the conditions
which prevail i'm competing countries.
a l...g gh.aV sln-
ditions of a civilized country. Industries
based upon rates of wages which only
provide for the laborer are out of line
with Christian civilization. The family
home, the schoolhouse, the church, are
essential features of modern civilization.
They are features, however, which cost
money. The law of all civilized coun-
tries requires "A man to contribute to the
support of wife and children. 1t requires
him to send his children to school, and
subjects him to penalties II he fails to
comply with the laws provisions. Has
not this family laborer a right to demand
that the law which takes from him part
of his earnings shall see that laborers
who have incurred none. of his RESPONSE
bilities shall not crowd him out OF his
place among workers? II Is for the good
of society that the wages OF manual
laborers shall lie sufficient for the main
tenance of the family relations for the
support of schools, churches and other
agencies of civilization.
production Is In excess OF consuInp-
ton even with children and a large pro-
portion of women unemployed. There ~
no reason, therefore, In the nature OF
things, why system of labor should be
| tolerated which establishes rates OF
wages only sufficient to provide for the
necessities OF the single-man laborer the
| coolie laborer working In the Islands Tor
nfty cents a day and finding his own
board and clothes is n cheaper producer
than can be found elsewhere In the
United States. The Hawaiian planter
should, therefore, accept cheerfully
changes In the laws which will devolve
upon him about the same labor cost Ia
the production OF sugar that sugar pro-
ducers in other parts of the Union are
compelled to incur"