The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-08-20
A Coast Paper Treats on Views
Of a Leading Citizen.
FAMILY NOW FAVORED
The Negro COnsidered-Future Of
Native ns-Conditions
of a Civilized Country.

The San Francisco Bulletin Of August
has the following on the subject Of labor
in Hawaii
Mr.. J. B. Anterior. 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, il would be wei 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. 1t
Is the single man labOTer 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 man
earnings. The family man naturally OBJ
jects to this unequal competition. The
contract labOrer, from whatever country
he may come, has only himself TO look
out for. He can take whatever wages
are offered, his only care being TO get the
Mr.. Atherton says that in his opinion
the native HawaiianS viii in no respect
be worse off than under former condl-
tions. The native laborer, will, in
fact, be better off, for the reason that
in a short time there will be no laboring
class which can by their exemption from
family responsibilities underbid him in
the labor market. Wages will adjust
themselves on the basis of the necess1-
ties of men who have famILeS TO PROVIDE
for. This may cause some advance in
wages, but the Hawaiian sugar planter
will only be subjected to the conditions
which prevail in competing countries.
These may be said to be the normal con-
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 churcn, are
essential fea lures of modern CiYiliZa ton.
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 If he fails 10
comply with the laws provisions. Has
not this family labOrer right to demand
that the law which takes from him part
of his earnings shall see that laborers
who have incurred none of MS response
bilities shall not crowd him out of his
place among workers? 1t is for the good
of society that the wages of manual
laborers shall be sufficient for the mann
tenance of the family relations, for the
support of schools, churches and other
agencies of civilization.
production is in excess OF cOnSulnp-
ton even with children and a large pro-
portion of women unemployed. There is
no reason, therefore, in the nature OF
things, why system of labor should De
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 Iof
fifty cents a day and finding his own
board and clothes is a cheaper producer
than can be found elsewhere in the
United States. The Hawaiian planter
should, therefore, accept cheerIuIy
changes in the laws which Will deVolVe
uDOn him about the same labor cost IN
the production of sugar that sugar pro-
ducers in other parts of the Union are
compelled to incur.