The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-12


not weaken, hut have tonic effect. Is cents
The only Pills TO take with Hoods Sarsaparlla-
mainder Of his natural life. AS a matter
of fact there are large numbers of return
ed contract laborers both in the Flowery
Kingdom and the Empire of the Rising
Sun who are now subsisting on the inter-
est of their savings in Hawaii, put away
an three years.
you can see therefore. that the lot of
the Oriental contract laborer in Hawaii
is far from hard according to his view
point. He may undergo some privauons,
to be sure, but they are of mis- own choos-
ing, since he is not obliged 10 save as ne
does, and when his contract is up he rs
ready to go home and pass the rest of his
existence IN idleness ike any other capital
ist retired on his money. II should also
be understood In considering the pay OF
the Chinese laborer in Hawaii that he aver
ages a better net income than any officer
under the rank Of captain in either the Jap
or Chinese army. Such officers get about
the same gross sum as the laborers, but
out of IL they have TO bear many speclal
expenses sucn as the keep of horses, CLUB
dues, SNOWY uniforms, etc. Instead OF
$40 or Whereabouts net, realized by the
laborer, the Jap army officer of low grade
is lucky 10 have any net at all at the end
of the year and the majority run a title
deeper an debt every year waiting for the
better pay that comes with promotion be-
fore they can pay up"
The Rawhide in Hawaii.
at would be altogether impracticable
for the Hawaiian sugar planters to depend
on the Orientals as free laborers, for the
simple reason that were they privileged
to work or not as they please at any given
time they might easily ruin planter
through sheer laziness. The Oriental con-
tract laborer is unquestionably The most
indolent, most obstinate human being awe.
He doesn't propose to work at all II ne
can help it, and when ne does so out lie
does as little as he possibly can. Inc
treatment that is accorded him in Hawai-
may be harsh according 10 the ideas OF
American laborers but the adoption Oh
other tactics with the coolies would GER
tainly result most disastrousiy.
THE Oriental contract laborer's uniVer-
sal method of getting out of work is to
feign illness Every plantation employs
one or more doctors to look after the
health of it's employees, and the majority
of these doctors have their hands fun eV-
cry morning examining those who say
they are not well. They rarely describe
their symptoms. 'Vellee sick! Nellee sick!
being the extent of their statements on
such occasions as a rule. If the doctor
sick man is properly doctored and nursed
and allowed to lie idle till he Is well
again. Procedure in cases Of shamming
differs on different plantations, of course.
Sometimes a man with a rawhide whip
follows the doctor. The persuasion afford
ed by a few blows from this instrument
of torture Is invariably effective. Such
treatment doesn't seem right? Well, the
Hawaiians understand that it won't go un-
der United States laws, and that is why
they are trying to get ready as fast as
they can for the inevitable change. 1t
isn't universal now, by any means; the
law allows the sending of a recalcitrant
contract laborer to jail, and this course
is often adopted. Besides, there are 9TH
er methods of bringing them to time, but
most of them 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 for themselves, and are
quite as good as those furnished to the
free laborers. They consist of low one
story frame buildings, inclosed with rough
boards as a rule and whitewashed. Each
building win accommodate five or six men.
They sleep in hunks and cook for them
selves. They live chiefly on cheap rice
imported from China, which can be laid
Z
dred pounds about 81 a hundred less than
the going price of the Hawaiian grain.
/ The free laborers are better paid than the
others, say, from SIS to $40 a month, and
planters prefer them, as rule, since they
! do more work for each dollar of wages
! than the Orientals. They do not make
/ as much net for themselves, though, for
| it costs them more to live.
THE employment of contract labor In
! Hawaii began In 1876, and has, therefore,
/ been in force for twenty-five years. 1t
/ is attended by many drawbacks, not the
| least of which Is the fact that quite two
4 thirds of the earnings of the laborers is
| boarded and taken out OF the country for
expenditures. Thus each of the 10000 la
borers virtually takes so in gold from
1 Hawaii every month. That is the equiv
aent of 100000 a month in the aggregate
or 81, 100000 year In twenty years this
would be $96OOO,OO0. Under the system of
free labor the vast sums of which Ha-
wall is now being drained would remain
| right there and contribute to the devel-
opment 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 consist OF
Senators Cullom and Morgan and Repre-
sentative Hit for the United States, and
President Dole and Judge Frear for the
islands," said Mr.. Shingle. "These mer
are all now in Washington. save Mr.. Dole
He will be here in a short time. They
will recommend that the entire CONTRACT
labor system be wiped out within a rea
sonable time, and, as I have said. the
sugar planters themselves are preparing
as rapidly as they can for the change.
Cooperative Cane Raising.
Perhaps the most interesting steps ar,
being taken by the Hon. j. b. Anterior
president OF the Hawaiian Sugar Planters
Association, and also president of the Ew;
pronounced Ev-a) plantation. unquestion
ably the largest single tract of land un
der sugar cultivation in the islands Tn
der his direction. w. j. Lowrie. manage
of the plantation, recently spent SOM