The San Francisco call., 1899-08-03
NEGROES To- WORK
THE PLANTATIONS
The Suggestion of P. c.
Jones of Honolulu.
LABOR PROBLEM PUZZLlNG
ITALIAN PLAN BELIEVED TO
HAVE FALLEN THROUGH.
Some of the Best Results Have Been
Obtained by Men Working I'm
der the Profit Sharing
System.
Special Correspondence of The Call.

HONOLULU, July 25.-The best minds
of the city are giving great attention TO
the labor question at the present time.
p. c, Jones thinks that it would be
wise thing for the planters to employ
some thoroughly competent person to
study the matter up and present report
upon it to the representatives OF TIE
planters.
"The fact is, said Mr.. Jones this morn
ing, "the gentlemen interested IN the plan
tations are too busy to make an exhaust
i've study of the subject. but a clear re-
port laid before them could be easily mas
tered and understood Moreover, If there
were anv flaws in the report they would
easily detect them. For this purpose no
cheap man IS required. 1t must be man
conyersant with labor conditions ana OF
more than ordinary capacity. am ho
longer a member of the Planters AsSocla-
ton but | feel convinced that TINS Is the
best way of acquiring the information ana
evolving q definite plan to meet the crlsls
which is coming -. :.
Another thing that [ advQcate-but II
does not meet with unanimous approval
Is the introduction of about 1000 negroes;
We have too many Japanese. nave reau
much that has been SAID agalnst me Lne
negro. but that does not apply to the class
/ mean What we want is men that VIII
come with their families. II 2OOO are scat
tered among sixty piantauonS the ;S LaSl
ANY one who noticed the negro regiment
that passed through must have been
struck by the fine physical development
of the men and their excellent behaVior.
OF course, they We're under dlsclpllne, put
| believe that just as well behaved men
are TO be found ready to come here with
their families. a,
Another aid to the solution of our diff.
culties | believe to lie in the adoption or
the profit-sharing system. About a year
ago | read paper on the supJect ptaoIe 94Iod :,
who heard it seemed to think the scheme
a good one; but 1t has rested there. L
believe that the owner OF an estate WHO
sugar and better results from his planta-
tion than the owner who has merely paid
labor, however cheap it may be- Not only
is profit sharing a key TO our own situa-
tion but it is one to many complicated
problems the mainland.
LAS to the penal clause in the contracts,
/ have urged it's abolition for long time.
1t should have been done at the last ses>
sion of the Legislature"
S. NJ. Damon is of the opinion that the
Legislature cannot be called together to
abrogate the penal clause. If it could be
1t would be a step toward the solution of
what must be solved only one way six
months hence. Others have suggested
that the penal clause be allowed to be-
come a dead letter, but that could only
be by united action.
j. b. Atherton says that now the Italian
plan has fallen through and the attention
of the Planters Association is now being
turned to the Portuguese scheme of w. G..
Irwin and to possible immigrants from
Russia. 1t has been plain to every one
that the penal clause would come to an
end when the United States assumed full
control, and therefore many people had
not interested themselves in It. When an
nexation was accepted the penal clause
was by that acceptance doomed.