The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-06-19
THE CLOUD ON THE HORIZON.


ious plantations which employed con-
tract labor is not to be wondered at.
SO sudden a change was bound to in
fiuence the principal economic question
here. Without the greatest care there
was bound to be trouble, with the great
est care there might be trouble.
The accounts which have been re-
ceived up to the present are not in any
way alarming The hand of the dema-
gogue can be very plainly seen. The
trouble has been greatest on Maui, and
it is on that Island that it has been
plain that the demagogue has been get
ting in his work for some time. Some
weeks age there was quite a serious
strike at Lahaina in which, though no
actual violence was used, the laborers
made a great display of force. Certain
concessions were made, and then
through the offices of some of the con-
sular officials the strike came to an
end Shortly after this a strike broke
out at Kihei, which was also quoted
down.
In each of these cases the consular Of
ficials and representatives of the Jap
anese labor companies found that the
strikes had been worked up by agita-
tors. The low-class Japanese, as, in
deed, the low class and ignorant of any
nationality, are easily worked upon by
men with little education and plaus-
ible manner. They are ready to believe
any tale which the agitator tells them.
and naturally greedily swallow any
statement with regard to wages and to
little work.
From the accounts received the main
idea is to get one dollar a day wages
Some one has been around among them
and told them that that is American
law and that as this country is now
American, no lower rate can be paid
They have only to demand, in order to
receive. At the present time the aver
age Japanese laborer here is receiving
wages in excess of anything he ever
dreamed of, and as has been shown
by DR.. Maxwell, with all the advan-
tages he has he is as we'll off, if not
better off than the laborer upon the
Louisiana plantations.
The laborer upon the plantations here
not only has his wages, but he has his
house, his wood, his water, free, and if
he falls sick he has medical attendance
and medicines free of cost. If he forces
his rate of wages up he will have to
pay for these things, which all must be
considered as a portion of his income
at present
Another source of trouble is that the
men want their contracts actually re-
turned to them. This is evidently the
working of the ignorant mind. They
cannot understand that the law has an
nulled all contracts as far as the penal
clause is concerned.
1t is a noticeable fact that there has
been very little trouble in Hawaii, and
up to the present, little or none on
Oahu. In the Hilo district the question
of the change was discussed by the la
borers, and some of them were chosen
as a committee to confer with the PLAN
tiers. In this way the situation was
more thoroughly understood Very
much the same is true of Oahu. 1t is
easy for the representatives of the labor
companies and the consular officials to
keep in touch with the laborers on this
Island and they are consequently bet
ter informed. 1t is ignorance which
is at the bottom of the present trouble.
A peculiar feature of the trouble is
that where there has been violence, and
there has been very little violence, it
has not been directed against the en-
ployers or their agents, but against the
representative japanese, who have gone
to the plantations to explain the situa-
ton. This is plainly the work of the
agitator. He is by no means DESTROYS
that the laborers should be informed of
the true situation. AS long as he can
keep them in ignorance, he can play
upon their prejudices, but once they
thoroughly understand the situation
his influence is much curtailed, if it is
not cut away altogether.
One thing apparently the japanese
do not understand and that is that if
American law does not permit impris-
onment for refusing to work, it pun
ishes with exemplary severity breaches
of the peace, conspiracy and attempts
to destroy property or commission of
malicious mlSchlet. we nave not step
ped from condition of law and order
into condition of anarchy by any
means.
That the situation is grave no one can
deny. But 1t is a situation that has
been foreseen, and should be met with
out any unnecessary anxiety. The plan
ters, agents and managers met together
some time ago and discussed what had
to be done in the premises, and should
be prepared to act together. If conces-
sions are to be made they should be
unanimous concessions. But it is a
question whether, when the situation is
understood, there will be need for any
concessions. Certainly there should be
no foolish concessions, but then those
who are in control of our great industry