The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-03-15
GOOD PROSPECTS.

The adjournment of Congress with
out extending the immigration laws to
this Territory, removes temporarily at
least serious menace TO the great
prosperity .oftlhe sugar industry.
In spite OF the eleven thousand two
hundred male Japanese laborers, i'm
ported from January 1st, 1898, to
March 1st, 1899, there is still need Of,
it is said about ten Thousand more.
Had Congress at the last moment ex-
tended the immigration laws to this
Territory it would have, before many
months, produced serious crisis in
our labor market But the way is now
clear for the general stocking up of
the plantations with an abundance of
Japanese laborers during the year SO
that there may be am easy labor mar
ket for several years TO come.
The fact that Congress has adjourn
ed without crippling our labor supply
must give great strength to the in
vesanent and speculative movement in
sugar stocks. The condition now pre-
vailing should create even "crazy
market" The growing probability
that Cuba will not become a competi-
tor in sugar production for five or six
japan, serve to take the brakes off
conservative movements, and generate
the widest booms.
All that the conservative can now
say DIS, that the unexpected may hap
pen, and bring revulsion; that some
new political action may be taken in
Washington; that the labor supply is
not yet assured, and the prices Of it
not definitely fixed
These views do not count for much
mite labor supply and PROSTATE
Cuba
So, for the year to come, the people
of these Islands will probably eat,
drink and be merry.
About a year ago, our government
cruelty turned back to Japan over
eleven hundred poor immigrants who
had with much sacrifice managed to
secure the means which brought them
TO these Islands This act, cruel in
fact, if not in motive. was justified on
the ground that the Islands were in
danger of being overwhelmed with a
Japanese invasion. And there were
several other motives for declaring
~ hn icrra
But the Flag brought MS light, and
enlightened us, and dispelled our dark
forebodings about ''invasions," and
convinced us that the invasion was,
after all, blessing 1t is we'll that we
now feel contempt for the miserable
superstitions which led our govern
ment to cause much suffering among
those eleven hundred brown men last
year. We are all wiser now, and take
broader views. The laws of the great
positively forbid the system of as
sisted Immigration existing here.
These little Islands alone-a needles
point in the extent of the national
doh1airl-are not reached by that law.
The Flag covers us, but the law does
MOTIVE may and do utterly disregard
the spirit of that law, because the
letter of it is not yet for us.
While this condition permits us to
do what no other State or Territory
can do, it gives rise TO the question:
Are. we after all an integral part OF
the United States? Can the three
thousand Americans here make money
out of assisted immigration while the
other 100000 are not allowed the
privilege?
Whether the argument has force or
not. it will be urged in the next Con-
xress. that we are not an integral part
OF the nation, because the national
laws do.not reach us, and we are there
fore to be elassed with the Philippines
At the same time the Japanese imml-
grafton is lawful. <