The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-07-15
HOW ROsENBERG's LETTER 1:
RECEIVED HERE.
Scurrilous and Full of Lies Says a
Prominent Man-Not Calculated to do
Much Harm.

The letter of Ed Rosenberg, recording
and corresponding secretary of the San
Francisco Labor Council, which ap-
pears in another column, has created
much attention and considerable COM
ment about town today. Planters and
citizens who are not Directly interested
in the sugar industry, are unanimous in
condemning the letter as untruthful,
malicious and outrageous.
G. M. Cooke said:-'I do not think II
policy or necessary for the planters TO
take notice of the scurrilous communi-
cation referred to. The general public
knows full well what the labor organl-
cations of San Francisco are. They are
manipulated by agitatOrs who Will not
work themselves and wish to keep other
people from making an honest living.
II do not think the circular will do
Hawaii any harm, nor will 1t effect our
plans of bringing Italian laborers TO
Honolulu. The report of Mr.. Schaefer
the Italian consul in this country, will
have more effect in Italy than all the
letters Mr.. Rosenberg and his assocla-
tes may write. Besides, Mr.. Benton, a
resident of Rome and a man in whom
the Italians have confidence, has per-
sonally Investigated the subject of lab
or throughout the Islands and has sub
mitted his report. He will be one to
personally supervise the shipment OF
| a truthful account of conditions here
Then again the Italian warship recently
here made Investigation and the report
\ of her captain has gone directly tC
| Italy. SO the Italians are so well in
| formed on the subjects that they are
not apt to be led off by scurrilous anc
| ibellous letters from cranks in Sar
| Francisco.
| MIR. Rosenberg's letter is a pretty
| fair series of lies. He speaks of the
whip being used on the plantations t
drive laborers. / would like to see the
luna who would apply the lash to labor
ers in the cane fields. The charge IL
| frequently made by cranks and trouble
makers, but we know full we'll that any
| assault by an overseer upon laborel
is taken to the courts and the assailan
| is punished.
| There seems to be an immense
amount of jealously in San francisco
against the people and industries o.
this country And it is remarkable. too
| Hawaii is today the best market Sai
Francisco has. Take away our trad
and the Bay City would have to lool
long and far to replace it. With al
the advantages derived by the city fror
Hawaiian commerce these scurrilou
slashes are constantly coming up"
A prominent Government official, VIII
did not wish to be personally quoted
Sald.-'l do not think the letter vii
have a particle of effect. Not being
planter l do not wish to be quoted, bu
l happen to know that the planters hav
placed before the prospective laborer
in Italy absolutely truthful informa
ton concerning every detail of condi
tions here. The scurrilous attack O
Rosenberg will amount to nothing
Honesty and square dealing will pre-
vail, and when 1t comes to that tn
Labor Council of San Francisco ha
best stand from under.
II realize this fully We will eventu
ally have labor organizations here. I
may be better that we should. The
will then have the opportunity of STUDY
ing conditions as they are and their fu
ture letters will probably not bristl
with misstatements. l realize full
that the contract labor system mus
soon cease. In fact I think it is bes
that 1t should. But at the same tim
it is unfortunate that labor leader
should misstate actual conditions a
this time"