The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-05-09
A KNOTTY POINT.

The Cabinet has made a step towards
closing in part, the doors against Asia
tic immigration. 1t is not a sudden or
a decisive change of policy that is pro-
posed. Between now and October LIST,
all the Japanese laborers that the
planters may desire, can be brought in.
After that, until the final act of Con-
gress, which win bring the Islands I'M
der the American labor laws, only half
the labor will be Japanese, the other
half is to be either European or Amer
lean. ".t. t...
OF cburse this will cause considerable
controversy. There are two sides in
the labor question Those who would
have the present condition of things go
on and like Mr.. Micawber trust to
something turning up and those who
would have, the government wash Its
hands of labor matters in the way of
permission, now and for ever.
Those who are of the former way of
thinking live in the hope that Congress
will, in some way or other, bridge the
difficulty in the labor question, they do
not know how, but that there may be
at the last moment some special dis
pensation by which the American labor
laws will not be extended to the ISL
ands This is a vain and fallacious
hope. Congress will not take into con-
sideration our individual case, and in
dealing with Hawaiian legislation,
there is nothing that will be laid more
stress on than the change in the labor
of Congress may seem to the on-looker
the people whose wish is father to the
thought" will not believe it, and will
denounce strongly the action of the
Cabinet, considering that it is thwart-
ing their enterprises and imputing all
kinds of evil motives as the handspring
of the action taken.
On the other hand. those who wish to
see immigration of Asiatics stopped en-
tirely, will be far from satisfied. Those
also who would have the government
wash it's hands entirely of all labor
matters will be dissatisfied. 1t was
the idea of the Cabinet to NEEDLE no
more in labor matters but that idea
has been given up. 1t has started in to
up it's mind in rather half-hearted
way. 1t evidently does not want to In
cease the Asiatic labor more than 1t
can help, and it does want to increase
the immigration from either Europe or
the United States. Under such Circum-
stances it has taken the motto 'in
medic tutssimus ibis"-a middle
course Is the safest-to heart and has
divided itself among the two opposing
schools of. thought. This may be the
best course towards tapering off to the
final application of the American laws,
but it is assuredly one which will sat
isfy neither party to the controversy
The question which a good many will
ask is whether this decision of the Cab
met is final and irrevocable, or whet-
her during the ensuing months it will
be reconsidered. There will undoubt-
eddy be strong pressure brought to
bear to bring about a reconsideration,
and whether it will be able to with
stand the pressure and keep on the
course it has mapped out, will be an
interesting study of stability of pur-
The labor laws of the United States
will not cause so much disintegration
of the labor system, as many think,
however. They will do away with the
contract system, but many plantations
even now do not employ contract labor
ers. When once the whole planting In
terest has the contract system swept
away, people will he surprised how
smoothly things will work without It.
In places where cheap labor is required
on the mainland, there has been no In
superable difficulty in obtaining IT.
And we shall find the same thing here.
But we have been accustomed to one
system so long, that we SILVER like chill
dren on the edge of a pool not daring
to plunge in, when a change is con-
templated. All changes that have
taken place of late, have been for the
ultimate good of the territory. The
great change that is coming will be
found to be beneficial after all.