The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-03-09

timekeeper, keeps strict account o.
working time and the payroll is mad,
out from his report.
Generally the months wages are
paid on a fixed and convenient day be.
tween the Ord and 18th OF every month
for the previous calendar month. The
Individual presents his Identifying tag
and receives the amOurl that > TO the
credit of that number.
Whether i'm the field or In he mill
the men work in gangs varying In
number. and supervised by an over
seer who directs their work. corrects
mistakes. instructs the ignorant and
stimulates the lazy. He leads them
out in the morning and gives the sig
nal for cessation at the proper times.
The oyerseers are generally white men
and a successful one must be patient,
firm, fair. energetic and judiciOus. Of
ten he is time-keeper and always a
monitor. The character OF the over
seer often will determine whether
there shall be contentment or trouble
among the laborers.
Force. in constraint. is not allowed
and is fast giving place to other meth
DDS. Tact. a withdrawal OF privileges
and recourse to legal fines and impris-
onment are the means used Rewards
for good behavior are not uncommon.
Medical Attendance Furnished.
The physician employed by sugar
corporation occupies peculiar posi-
ton with reference TO his patients and
his employer. Il must be remembered
that usually in the rush to make the
season. the manager demands
every available man among his EN-
plOyees and looks with suspicious and
jealous eye upon every one who claims
exemption through sickness. On the
other hand The labOrer wishes day off
now and then and often can make more
money gambling in the night than
working in the day, and IL so Is scarce
ly fit for work after a night so spent.
Also when had weather comes or dis
agreeable work is in progress the ten
dency is to have a greatly increased
sick list. Now, it becomes the duty of
the medical man to determine between
the really i'll and the malingerer, and
naturally the malingerer often goes
away dissatisfied. The sick are treat
ed at the Office if able to present them
selves. or at home if more seriously ill.
Naturally. among a mixed and a low
class of this kind, treatment is ursat-
isfactory and carried out with very lit
tie aid from the patient.
1t is becoming now the custom TO
provide hospitals for serious ailments.
I believe there are IA already main
tanned principally by plantations. The
more common serious ailments are
Dysentery. Remittent fever and Beri-
beri; which may be charged to the
water, the food and the opening of new
land as well as the stirring up of old
accumulated filth. However. the whole
range of practice is represented more
or less.
The Actual Conditions.
To take a general view of the real
state of affairs one must consider that
every labor camp is a busy hive. Work
is going on and work is paid for. and
is what they came here for.
Now, what are their hardships? The
main one is compulsory work under a
master. Here the law compels. At
home need held the whip. The expect
ed to work when they came but the
comparison with free men. as TO com
pulsion, turns this into a hardship.
Generally they are contented. The
sewing machine is common in every
camp. The tailOress plies her trade.
The petty storekeeper. with his room
nearly filled with goods. drives his bar
gains with his countrymen All day
long the simple laundering is in pro-
gress. The mother works with her
baby near at hand while the older
children are at school. The happy
chatter OF women's tongues does not
evidence discomfort. There is food
enough. A place to eat and sleep and
live in, equal in comfort TO that they
left behind. Conveniences are multi
plying The labOrer returns to his home
in the evening and every repression IS
relaxed. Sunday is "A day for rest. in
deed. in most cases. The barber Is in
demand. Clean clothes are donned and
the pipe and cigarette lend solace. No
one would dream of hardship 10 look
in their faces. Discomfort is not
thought Of. Internationally / may re-
mark that a labor camp is no place for
a sick person. For amusements there
are wrestling matches. peculiar dramat-
ic entertainments and gambling games
with all sorts Of counters.
But let some real or fancied griev-
ance break the monotomy and the
scene changes. A tin pan Is beaten
noisily to alarm and summon the camp.
The motley camp gathers, generally ut
night The leaders harangue their fol-
lowers and the mob, most Of them ig-
norant of the real cause, rush of TO
demand redress or punish the offender.
The grievance is generally an as
sault by the overseer upon some labor
er. fine considered unjust, compulsion
used to obtain unwilling work or a
privilege withdrawn. The grievance is
to the individual and the crowd makes
it -heir own. II is not generally felt
very deeply and in most cases a little
tact smoOths out everything and the
even flow Of events is again attained.
Why Laborers Desert.
The question may be asked, why. If
they are contented, do they deert?
There are several reasons. Natural
causes may render the work disagree
able and extra burdensome; as rain,
cold, mud and overgrowth Of weeds. A
severe Overseer will render all discOn-