The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-07-24
rnE LAnoR orEsTIoN.

The plantation labor question is UNI
doubtedly the question of the hour.
Day 10y day the time for settling what
Is to be- done, In our own way is grow
ing shorter. We have. as has fire.
quently been pointed out in these col
umns, the course clear before us for
unravellng the knot, but the time will
come when the knot will not be un-
travelled, but simply cut, and then It
will be hard work to piece the threads
together.
1t is no use any one thinking that
the contract system will go on when
once American law is applied to these
Islands. There are those who think
that period of probation will be al
lowed, but that is now deusive hope.
This rs the period of probation and we
won't get any other. BY the 31st of
December of this year wetshall have
had eighteen months to put our house
in order, if we have not done so, it will
be entirely our own fault.
1t is the nature of man, in spite of all
lessons to the contrary and certainly
they are many and constant, to think
that things will always go on as they
are. Change for the worse few men
consider. if there is to be any change it
is always thought of as change for the
better. Now whether we like it or no
change is coming upon our labor sys-
tenn. That our labor system has been
as bad as it has been painted by in
terested agitators, no one, outside of
that ring and of the intensely preju-
faults, on the other hand, no one can
deny, but good or bad, it's days are
numb, cred, and what we as a people
have to face is that question, and it is
vital one.
The Star is not one of those which
believes that the change in the labor
system is going to result in ruin to the
country. This population is far too
energetic, when matters come to the
pinch, to let any such thing happen.
1t will go to work with a will and solve
it's problem. Indeed there is even every
| reason to think that the problem will,
in a great measure solve itself.
AS a fact the penal clause, which is
chung to because it has been in force so
long, is no vital necessity to the plan
ters There is a beneficent provision of
nature that mankind must eat, it is
very inconvenient for each individual
stomach If it does not get it's daily sup
/ ply of nutriment. In order to get that
daily supply it is another beneficent
/ nf hof
| If no work is done, there is no food
and the stomach starts a whip going
which very soon sets the racalcitrant
animal to work. Now it stands to rea-
son that the 10000 men who are now
employed as plantation laborers are not
going to remain idle, to please them
selves, and allow their stomachs to
grow hungry. There might in some in
stances be a cessation of labor for a
time, but it would be by no means all
labor, and what ceased would gladly
return when no wages was followed by
no dinner.
The working population which we
have has come here voluntarily for the
express purpose of working and saw
ing it's wages, That is the purpose
which has melted every single laborer
to come here, in spite of the penal
clause. The removal of the penal clause
will not alter the purpose of the main
body of the people. They don't want
to loaf away week after week in idle
ness, simply because a penal clause in
their contracts has been removed. They
will work and plenty of others will fol-
low them eager to get work. AS long
as there is work and good wages there
will be means found for bringing the
people who need work into the coun-
try, contract or no contract,