The San Francisco call., 1899-08-20
HAWAHANS FAVOR REVISION
OF CONTRACT LABOR LAWS
Prominent Citizens and Planters Suggest Remedies
for the Evils Now Existing in the
Islands,

the labor market will be sufficiently pro
tected by aboltshment OF all opslacIes tS
free immigration of laborerST 81 ron llann ali ali
the doors for free labor immigration Wloe
open from Japan and other countries, ex-
cept CHINA: Not to interfere ~Ieh ehoearc EN-.
ployers paying for the passage OF laborers
should they find it possible, without the
penal clause
Fred H Hayselden, stock raiser and
planter of Lanai. writes:
II am in favor of contract laDor law
without the penal clause and would sug-
gest that percentage of the wages OF the
ployer for any loss owing to the tallure
of the laborer to fulfill his contract the
matter to be decided through the tourts
or by special commission appointed un-
der the law.
II think we shall have to depend upon
Chinese, Japanese and Portusuese lapor +
ers, as heretofore. do not think white Wit
men (no disrespect intended to the Por-
tuguese) can or will do the necessary
field work on the plantations ana II tney
could the, cost would be too hlgh ior the
planters
A well-known planter in Hawaii who
prefers to withhold his name writes:
mo. Penal contracts do not OBTAIN on
the mainland, where BILLIONS OF capi.ai are e
invested in enterprises. The Worklngnan
in the United States is better OH than
anywhere in the world; Compare MN
with one in the same walk or NE IN Eng
land. and yet the rich grow richer.
penal clause is un-American. IL the CO.
operative system of labor has been salts
factory at Eva let that be the gulolns
star. Invite Americans and europeans
to come and have the plantations oiter
such inducements as would assure sup
ply. If this fails reduce diVioenas py III
creasing wages" ,,
Hon. John NJ. Horner, planter, writes;
IL am in favor of a contract labor law
without a penal clause. AS tne woei ul
meaning of our present contracts as ~ ~
terpreted by some spiteful writer's, al,
though not word of truth IN themi yet
their writings are so extensively clfcu.
lated that they will always count agalhst
their grumbling and their holding US up
to the world as 'grasping, cruel, IN
Christian slave-drivers. woulo stIlhe at'
it out for that reason and nave peace Ill. ~.
the family Besides, l don't see as our
penal clause, as now administered, Is OF
any rectical value, as 1t neither prevents
desertion nor returns deserters oiliy Al CA
ceptional cases. So.
Further / believe as many desert now
as would desert If the penal clause dld not
exist. AS laborers are not all olsuolest, :, :
approximately not more than 4l1e-elst me Seet
They are mostly spendthrlfts, ealhp'els
and dissipated, who run away not pecauSe .,s
they are abused by the planters Dut run
away from their debts and their alsSrace.
The other nine-tenths have the same OPP
portunity to desert as the one-tenth, put
they are too honest to do that. 1hey par
gained to work certain time ana tney
are determined to work it out honestly.
Then they can go with their heads up and
their certified honestly filled contracts IN
their pockets This they value, as II II
proof of their honesty. We had Japa-
nese who deserted and was gone year.
His conscience or some other power pre-
vailed on him to return and, work out ms
contract which he did voluntarily and
faithfully 1t Is hoped we may be permit
ted to make contracts with our labGrcrs
for six months, one year or three years,
as the case may be. In the States farmers
Cd tn with n laDOTEr
for work. and they are held by Donor
more firmly to fill their contracts than
they could be by penal clause These
laborers are very particular to fill their
contracts honestly, knowing that should
they desert without good cause they
would not get another job in that nelEh-
borhood as every employer in that dis
trict would hear of it and refuse to hire
them. This course worked well there.
never knew a laborer there TO abandon
his contract The same principle Will work
here if intelligently inaugurated. In fact
il is already working. Undoubtedly it was
the honest desire of the nine-tenths above
referred to to ill their contracts honestly
and not its penal clause that kept them
from deserting. If all employers refused
to hire a laborer unless he produced q
certificate of discharge from his last en-
Dloyer there would be few deSerters. This
would have Il tendency to make honesty
the best policy and be wiser and sound
more humane than penal contracts, and
! believe more effective. / have this alsu
10 say: If our present and future Gov
ernment will so favor our industries as
10 permit them to get labor where 1t is
to be had. then there will be no check to
our material prosperity, but if our Gov
ernment continues its present policy OF
refusing 10 permit the Importation Of la
Dor from Asia unless certain per cent OF
Europeans or Americans are also inn
ported and do not let 1t be known where
and how they can be obtained, then a
dark cloud overshadows our industries
although prospects are bright but for this
dark shadow"