The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-01


If the Chinaman can not obtain a long
term lease he accepts a short one. He
takes possession and in a few months
what was weedy pond with a few stray
Cling shoots of taro here and there be-
comes regularly laid out, thrifty look
ing garden, or perhaps, the tract will be
converted into a rice field.
From the beginning TO the end of his
term the quiet Celestial will be laying
the foundation for a renewal of the lease
and the chances are hundred to one that
he will obtain it long before the term is
up. He may think the owner is "maitai
wahine' Qair woman and marry her for
the native women do not dislike Chinese
husbandS-they are good to them and let
them have money and buy them fish. poi
and gin enough TO keep them fat and hap
py.
The Japanese Newcomers
The Japanese have not been brought to
the Islands in large numbers until within
the last few years. Now they make up
by far the greater portion of the contract
iaporers on the sugar plantations. There
are considerable number of Chinese en-
ployed by some of the planters, but the
majority are what are termed free la
borers; that is, their contracts have ex-
plred and there is no imprisoning them If
they refuse 10 work.
Each nationality is housed separately
Si' CNNiS is numbered, Th6
houses usually contain from two to five
rooms, twelve by fifteen each, with an
average of eight single men to each room.
Ii married, one family is allowed one
room. There is usually one kitchen to
each house 10 be used by all in common.
The two nationalities are kept apart more
on account of the difference in their foods
and cooking, however, than because of
fear lest strife may be engendered be-
tween them; although, of course, there is
some degree of race antipathy and jeal-
ousy.
Tn laborers' quarters are selected with
a due consideration to the water sup
ply for thousand or more laborers re-
quire almost as much water as fair
sized village people by whites. While not
a cleanly race in sanitary sense they
are fond of bathing, nevertheless. The
field laborers ususl!y battle once a day,
and it is interesting to see them, hun
dreds at time, scattered along a stream,
each with bucket of water before him.
vigorously rubbing himself with a coarse
towel. Camp police, generally natives,
stand guard over them and see that they
do not contaminate the water supply by
getting into the stream, or in any other
way disobey the sanitary regulations of
the camp.
The company physician has a small hos
pital and dispensary at some central point
near to the quarters and 1t is generally
estimated that one-tenth of the men will
remain about the camp on account of sick
ness, aches and pains; for the Asiatic
working on a contract is an entirely diff
ferent man from the Asiatic working for
himself. In the latter capacity he is all
energy, industry and frugality; in the for
mer he is very ready to discover some
threatening illness, or, when on duty to
make a serious pretense of doing a great
deal of work without actually accomplish
RI Ia
consist of from twenty TO 100 men in
charge of a white luna native word for
oVerseer.) The luna has one or more JAP
anese or Chinese Interpreters assisting
him, and gives his orders to Them which
they translate 60 the laborers; or, If he
becomes impatient with the waya laborer
is working. the luna may rush over and
catch the fellow by the back of the neck.
push him out of the way and show him
how the work should be done.
The Hokopu system.
The system of ''hokopu," freely trans
lated, finish your task and go home has
been inaugurated on account of the great
difficulty in obtaining satisfactory results
by driving the men. The effect is that
although a working day is supposed to
last from daylight 60 darkness, some of
the strongest will have finished by noon
The free laborers drift from plantation
10 plantation, seeking the highest wages
for the least work; often they will quit
in the very busiest part of the cane cut
ting season, thereby forcing wages up
but when the rush is over they are usual
ly allowed to find other employment Con-
tract laborers are paid $12 to SIS a month";
free laborers from those figures up, ac-
cording 10 supply and demand.
The plantation managers do all they
can to induce families to come, and
usually furnish better quarters with
greater privileges as an inducement. The
Japanese women labor in the fields and
the mills, doing the lighter classes of
work. They are paid about a third less
than the men.
New arrivals are very averse TO becom-
ing begrimmed with dust and dirt, and
will often work all day with their heads
and necks wound about with many folds
of cotton cloth to keep the dust out. JUST
as the independent Cinnamon has made
che swamps and waste lowlands fruitful.
so the free Japanese has changed the
forest-grown mountain sides into wealth
producing coffee and sugar lands.
So. too, in the same way that the Chi
nese have taken over the natives taro
lands and the making of their poi, the
japanese have monopolized the seafish-
ing. Their little smacks may be seen
any morning skimming away to the fish
ing grounds, or lying at anchor while
they cast the lines
AiiOhS tiS llISt purchases the lH0epeHu-
ent Japanese make Is a pony and small
wagon. 1t is as characteristic a Jap be-
longing as the small, round straw hat
and the red blanket which is always seen
airing near the doorway of the house.
The japanese of Hawaii are cheerful
and industrious people, very much inclin-
ed toward clanishness but those imitators
of good ideas. Aggressive and ambitious.
they never lose a vantage ground that has
once been gained. Quick to pick up the
customs manners and habit Of thought
OF the better class of those among whom
they sojourn, they must needs soon be
recognized as a part of the sinew of the
land. They have come TO the islands to
stay, and, with their intelligent emulation
of the white mans standard of living, ars
destined to be his most severe competitors
in the evolution of the new Hawaii.
r. d. Silliman.
Wherever land is valuable for agrl-
cultural purposes the fact that wire
fences take up little space Is becoming