The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-08-15

he should rush oft and misbehave him
self, he had plenty of walking dele
gates and stirrers up of mischief. and
at the first blush he refused to work
save at eXorbitant wages, and then
ony when he chose, while he consider
ed he had a proscriptive right to his
cottage, his plot Of land, his wood and
his water, which all belonged to his
employer.
But these things have begun to right
themselves already. The laborer has
found out that he cannot live for an
unlimited time upon his savings. OF
course he thought that he could hold
out some time and then by getting high
er wages might recoup himself for his
period of idleness. But striking as a
free laborer and striking as a contract
laborer he has found to be a totally
different thing. Under the latter cir
cumstances his employer allowed him
to retain the use of his cottage until
he came round, and even were he i'm
prisoned his wife and family were COM
fortably provided for. But as a free
laborer, he has either to work, or else
he has to quit his quarters This has
given rise to some friction and one or
two riots, but even the ignorant Jap
anese is beginning to see that he can
not occupy property belonging to an
other unless he pays for it, which he
does when he works.
Thus a large number of the better
class of laborers has returned to work.
and though in some cases the work is
not as well done as formerly, still
good deal is, and as the stimulus of
competition is bound to come sooner or
later, the inferior class of laborer will
be weeded out and only the better class
will remain. This is a certain solution
of an economic problem.
But there is aonther phase which will
require all the diligence of the police
to encounter and keep in check. Many
of the Japanese have quit labor alto
gether and have opened small stores all
over the country. These stores are fit
ted up with a shelf or two on which
are few cans of doubtful salmon, some
yellow soap some cards of matches,
some Japanese food dainties of power
full odor and a back room. These places
are, almost without exception, gam
bling dens and Illicit liquor joints. They
are a menace to the hard working and
saving laborer, as they entice him to
lose his money by gambling and ruin
his health and strength by filling him
self full of sake, sand paper gin, and
an occasional brew of methylated
swipes.
Another set of idle vagabonds has
come down to Honolulu and has set up
in the procuring business, but most if
not all of these have been gathered in
by the police and the trade is not re-
garded as a profitable one, so the would
be procurers have given up and some
have gone to work, while others have
Joined the country gambling and liquor
joints.
If we have our vagrant laws strictly
applied, if the country police are vigil
liant in breaking up the gambling and
liquor joints, and we get a little COM
petition in labor as we hope to do in a
short time, this crucial question win be
settled and we shall have very little
trouble after a year or so. The plan
ters have faced the matter with a
united front, and as long as they keep
united and work together, they will
find that the difficulty which doomed
up so large, and which looked so black
a cloud will gradually melt away and
leave the blue sky of prosperity illu-
mined by the sun Of success.