The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-04-13
LABOR AND THE CABINET.
AND PLANTERS IN
CONFERENCE.
President Dole Defines Position of
Cabinet-Will Not Assist Immigra-
tion-May be Compromise.

Following were present at the meet
ing of planters with the Executive
this morning on the subject of labor:
Chas. NJ. Cooke, Joseph p. Cooke, j. b.
Atherton, +. A. Schaefer, j. +. Hack
field, F. NJ. Swanzy, w. N. Armstrong,
IL. NJ. Whitney, Jr., f. NJ. Hatch. c..
Bolte, J. NJ. Dowsett, George II. Rob-
ertson and VIM. X. Castle. In OPEN
ing the meeting President Dole made
this statement:
I'm view of our present status, un-
defined, under annexation, which may
be terminated, however, next Decem-
Der and on the other hand may be
continued longer, the Executive has
thought best to take up and handle
in the best possible manner the labor
question. We have no instructions
from Washington on the point. The
Executive is an appointee of Presi-
dent Mckinley, and we are in posi-
ton that we can not afford to iniure
our prestige in our future relations
with the administration by fostering
or encouraging anything inconsistent
with their attitude.
1.-The delay in extending the laws of
the United States to Hawaii has had
up on the mainland strong effort to
defeat our aims to be admitted as a
territory and to relegate us to the po-
sition of colony under the system
proposed for Porto Rico and the Phil
ippines. | need not draw your atten-
tion to the untoward effects of being
admitted as colony without free
trade with the mainland. To us this
For the government to continue
the old policy of assisting Asiatic con-
tract labor into the Islands would
give to the advocates of the colonial
policy a powerful influence against
us. The government has therefore
arrived at the conclusion that the is
suing of further permits will be un-
wise. 1t is the desire to place upon
the planters the burden of seeking
labor by free immigration. The firm
conclusion is that the government
should not in any way assist in the
matter as it has done in the past.
II feel that it would be desirable
that during the next six or nine
months American laborers should be
brought to the country for the plan
tations. There are difficulties in the
the effect would be most wholesome.
Under the profit sharing system as
many laborers as are required might
be secured from the farming elements
of the mainland
w. Il. Castle thought people here
were too afraid of their own acts. lie
did not believe that what the people
of the Islands might do to advance
i'm
any.
Mr.. Dole interrupted to ask ii filing
up the country with Asiatics would
not lend weight to the suggestion that
Hawaii was better fitted for a coloni-
al than territorial form of govern
ment. Half of the population today
was Asiatics.
mo- replied Mr. Castle; this is
not Japanese country and can never
be. The proportions of Asiatics to the
population cuts no figure in the fight
going on nor will it. The party now
fighting to make Hawaii a colony OF
the United States will do their utmost
anyway"
At this iuncture j. p. Cooke read
the statement of VIM. o. Smith, which
is published in full in another column
| AIueE tIle IcdulHS MI SOOhS SldlSO
that several large business houses
were now engaged upon a plan to in
troduce American laborers.
There was a moment of silence, and
then Mr.. Dole suggested that the gov
ernment might consider plan to in
troduce half Japanese and half Amer
leans or Europeans. He added that in
view of the Importance of the ques
| 4 4 IL
sions might be freer the meeting &C
into executive session. This was as
sented to and the newspaper mer
withdrew.
No final conclusion was reached
nor will it in two or three days. There
will likely be other meetings between
the Cabinet and planters before the
future policy is finally settled.
The tendency at the close of the
conference was decidedly toward ;
compromise of the two positions.