The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-04-13
THE DIFFERENCE.


One of the readers of the Advertiser
referring to what was said in it's col
umns about the success of the British
in making good tropica1 laborers of the
white man in Queensland, asks why
we have not made the Portuguese or
other European races, or even Ameri-
cans, the laborers on our plantations,
instead of the Asiatics.
The conditions in the two countries
were different. The population of
Queensland was of British origin, and
it dominated in State matters. A pop
ulation of this kind holding the soil
would not permit any immigration that
really weakened its own dominance.
The British settlers sought homes, as
well as profit, and it jealousy guarded
it's own rights 1t did tolerate the i'm
migration of "Kanakas" and Asiatics
for some years, but it took care that
their numbers should not be threaten
ing. While many individuals would
have accepted an overwhelming alien
immigration, for the sake of profit, the
mass of settlers forbid it, because it
might injure their political status.
In Hawaii the native population
dominated in numbers, and it had no
policy or thought for the future The
few Americans and Europeans living
here, excepting the Protestant mis-
sionaries, were not missionaries who
had consecrated their lives to the work
of building up an Anglo-Saxon nation.
Living here for the purpose of gain,
they naturally looked for what they be-
lieved to be the cheapest labor for the
plantations. No doubt European and
American labor would have been the
cheapest in the end, if all things had
been considered, but they accepted the
view that the most profitable labor was
that which received the very lowest
wages, and they were not strong finan
cially
When the native labor became in
sufficient, the Chinese were employed.
When there was difficulty in getting
Chinese labor, then Portuguese labor
was introduced. When the door was
opened to the unlimited immigration
OF the Japanese then Portuguese immi-
grafton was suspended. Attempts were
made to introduce the Indian coolies,
but they failed for political reasons.
In all of these movements regarding
labor there was no strong agricultural
class. as there is in other lands, the
backbone of a nation, that controlled
the Government and the policy OF the
country, and protected itself. Had the
native population been Anglo-Saxon
or European it would have closed the
door to aliens, just as it has done in
Queensland.
In introducing the Portuguese labor
ers there was no attempt made to place
them on farms, or make them owners
of the soil. 1t was for the interests OF
the plantations that they should re-
main as tenants, so as to serve the
sugar interest Their citizenship was
a minor affair in the mind of the Gov
eminent. The Government itself, the
Monarchy. largely Influenced by the
ideas of the native rulers, naturally did
not encourage the settlement Of any
people here that would encroaeh on
the natives.
The public policy in Queensland has
been to create conditions by which the
farmers could obtain the largest prof
it's. and secure homes. The public pol
ity of Hawaii has been to secure to the
immigrants the least possible profit,
and make them serve the planting in
terest
But neither white merchant nor
planter can be censured for their con-
duct They were controlled by circum-
stances which practically prevented
the adoption of any other policy than
that which they followed. If the Por
tuguese have not received the consid-
Grafton they expected, it can only be
said that no faith was broken with
them, and that the scheme for their |
immigration was not undertaken for |
their benefit.
The obligation the community is
now under, to make them good citizens, |
is another matter.