The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-06
HAWAUANS OPPOSE
CONTRACT LABOR
Planters and Citizens Alike Condemn
the Present System and Point
Out Remedies.

This is tropical country and the only
industries that have thus Tar proved
successful are sugar and rice, ana Iak
to say that these could never nave
reached any proportions were IL not
for Asiatic labor.
the Hawaiian House of Representatives;
ex-Inspector General of Schools ana or
the Census of 1896 and now editor OF the
Hawaiian Star, writes:
l am entirely opposed to the penal
clause in labor contracts. L DO not
think special laws should be made with
regard to the protection of employers.
l believe that the law of supply and
demand, which is above all human leg
islation, will regulate the matter sat
isfactori1y.
Wherever there is a demand for
labor, if it is made known to the
proper sources, labor will come. L do
not think that the Government should
NEEDLE in the matter. 1t should be
left entirely to the energy and push
of the employers of labor to supply
their wants.
Edmund Norrie, editor Of the Independ-
ent. writes:
The present labor laws are Infamous
and should be repealed at once. When
employers of labor will be satisfied
with reasonable interest on their in
vested capital and pay proper wages
their investments will be amply pro-
tected.
All necessary labor can be obtained
as soon as fair wages are offered and
the words cheap labor stricken from
the planters dictionary.
DR.. W. S. Noblitt, who has been firm
friend to suffering plantation hands and
poor laborers, writes:
No. Let the present law of no exemp-
ton remain, and then if a laborer vio-
lates his agreement let the planta-
ton garnishee the laborer's wages
when he gets new employment in case
the laborer has not paid the planta-
ton all he owes it.
Let the planters get laborers from
America. There are thousands of able
States WORKING xoE for 81 and md S. q peT
month during six months of the year
and the remaining six months are
practically idle. These men can be in
duced to come here.
Charles L. Rhodes, city editor of the
Hawaiian Star, writes:
l am decidedly opposed to retaining
the penal enforcement of labor con-
tracts. Indeed l would like to see a
special session of the Hawaiian Leg
islature called at once to repeal that
feature of the law. l do not believe
the penal enforcement of labor con-
tracts considered in all its effects and
influences is of any real benefit to en-
ployers of labor; hence the repeal of
this feature would call for no legisla-
tive substitute.
The question of a supply of laborers
will work itself out During the work
be and doubtless will be some embar-
rassment and difficulty. This embar-
rassment and difficulty is matter of
industrial administrative detail to be
dealt with by the individual employers
of labor. The planters, for whom the
greatest concern is expressed, seem to
be addressing themselves with hon.
esty and sagacity to the subject. With
in the principles of freedom to con-
tract and fair dealing they ought not
TO be hampered.
l will close by borrowing an idea from
a distinguished friend who for forty
years has fought the abominable penal
law. He is of opinion that sooner or later
there will be established a company OF
ers against the desertion of their laborers
and secure them against the loss of the
money advanced to the laborers for their
passage money. The field is open.
over 1000 japanese have been landed in
this port within the last thirty days, 1900
more are on the road hither and 5000
others have been arranged for in Japan
and are only awaiting the signature of
the contracts to invade the island. In
course of time these laborerS desert the
sugar plantations for the better wages
of the coffee groves and THENCE migrate
into town or become bodybuilding con-
tractors. An instance in point is to be
found in Hawaii, where Japanese con
tractor has obtained contracts to the
value of $1i 600 out of $17 900; undertaking
both Hawaians and Portuguese, and the
latter are cheaper than Chinese.
1t has not yet leaked out, but L have il
from very good authority that the rep
resentative of one of our leading plan
tations calculated upon obtaining few
hundred Chinese from California, where
the field labor is much cheaper than the
wages demanded by the free laborers
among the Chinese now here and who, IL
all grades of employment, are demanding
higher wages. Believing that as the Stars
and Stripes now waved over his islanC
home it was an integral part of the
United States he proceeded to interview
the United States special agent for Chi
nese immigration, Mr.. Brown, as to the
best and most facile method of importing
them from the mainland.
He was astonished at learning that the
flag cut no figure in this case. Hawaii |:
to all intents and purposes a foreign
country with the ban upon it. While II
is a part of the United States yet Chinese
cannot be imported from any other por
ton of the United States. No Chinese car
land here except those permitted to lane