The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-10-08
JUSTICE FREAR ON THE LABOR
QUESTION.

QUESTION.
The remarkably able paper on the
labor question, read by Justice Frear
before the Social Science Association
on June Is, 1897, is republished in the
San Francisco Chronicle of Sept. 23d
1898. It's contents should be familiar
| to every planter, or person interested
IN our sugar production. 1t groups in
one paper, besides it's original matter,
valuable material and discussions
which are only to be found scattered
| through many books and pamphlets.
1t cOmbats the practice of accepting
| popular notions on the subject of labor,
which are plausible, but incorrect.
| Men who deal with practical mat
| ters, and are confronted daily with
practical questions, are prone to de-
| spise the opinions of the economic
writer's. And frequently they are JUS
titled in it, because much that is
ers are either theorists, or are unable
TO obtain the facts which must furnish
the basis for correct theories. The
history Of business SHOWS that the ma
jority of business men are not accur-
ate observers of facts of a general
nature, because the demands of bust
ness do not require it.
Justice Frear's paper covers several
viewed briefly. And yet these points go
to the very life of our sugar interests.
We shall discuss several of them from
time to time.
For instance he says, that it is gen
orally believed that Capitalists who
pay high wages cannot compete with
those who pay low wages In at
lacking this belief, he asks those who
accept it to
Explain the fact that the California
farmer pays high wages, high prices
for his implements, the expense of
transportation by rail to San Francis
co, and by sea $4,000 miles around Cape
Horn to England, the expense of in
terest and insurance during this long
voyage, and is still able to sell his
wheat in the same market and at the
same price as the English farmer who
has paid much lower wages, has not
had similar expenses Of transportation,
interest and insurance, and has obtain
ed his implements at lower prices?"
He also cites the case of the cheap
labor of India competing with the
high priced labor of California, without
depriving the California farmer of a
fair profit in ordinary times.
He finally declares that the facts in
the cases cited and in many other
cases, prove that high wages indi-
cate low cost of production" This is
settled as principle in finality by the |
enormous expectation of American
high-priced labor goods to low-priced
This paper takes bold and just
ground regarding Asiatic labor in these
Islands 1t states that, white or high
priced labor is not prejudiced by Chi
1aborers are paid more. 1t is not be-
cause they are white men, or because
they want more, or because it costs
them more to live, but because they
are more capable or have better oppor-
tunities and can earn more
While these propositions are. strictly
true, doubts arise in the minds of men
not accustomed to reflect on the sub
ject owing to the fact that the rule
is not universal. While sober, in
dustrious American mechanic is more
capable of earning high wages than an
Asiatic. a careless, though skillful Am
erican mechanic, with unsteady habits
is not. And besides there are some
superior Asiatic mechanics who are
capable of earning the best wages paid.
But the proposition, as stated by
Justice Frear is correct in general.
But the conditions under which high
priced labor may be employed is an
other and important branch of inquiry.
THE PASSING HOUR.