The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-01
NATIVES OF ASIA IN HAWAII.
CONTRACT LABOR STILL EXISTS IN
THE ISLANDS.


the CeIestials Are Highly Success
fuI-How They Lease Land and
Conduct Their ARairs-lncreasing
Influence of the Japanese-They
Have Settled in Hawaii to Stay and
VIII BE the Strongest Competitors
of the Whites.
Copyright. 1900, by r. D. Silliman)
Honolulu, March 1O.--Owing to the en-
forcement of the Chinese exclusion acts
here the same as on the mainland, very
few Cinnamon are now being landed,
though Immediately after annexation and
until the United States inspector of Chi
nese was able to apply the laws of Con-
gress in their full scope, the Celestials
arrived in comparatively large numbers.
OF late the immigration of field laborers
has been almost exclusively japanese.
From Jan. s to Feb. Is, this year, 1856
Asiatics, chiefly Japanese, were landed
at the port of Honolulu for sugar plan
tation, contract laborers.
During the same period the action of
the Board of Health for the suppression
of the plague, directly or indirectly, caused
the destruction of private effects, homes,
merchandise and places of business of
more than 5000 free and independent
Asiahcs in Honolulu. Between Nov.
and Dec. 81, last year, nearly 1900 tons
of oriental freight were landed at the
port of Honolulu, without fumiga ton,
while in January of this year property
worth nearly 100000 belonging to Chi
nese and Japanese was burned in the
plague infected and quarantined district.
These figures are given only that the
situation may be the better understood,
and not for purposes of criticism. 1t is
not unlikely that the unfortunates will
be amply reimbursed by the government
for the losses they have sustained.
The Asiatics have been imported into
Hawaii by the sugar growers under three
years labor contracts. These contracts
have penal features, providing for the
imprisonment of the laborer, If he declines
to work, until willing TO resume; the time
spent in prison is added to the term of
his contract. Prior 10 1892 the Chinaman
whose term of employment had expired
might continue to work on the plantation
as free laborer, he might leave and seek
other employment, or he might return to
China. The greater portion chose the
first course many of the more saving and
eIlleTpTlS4DS accepted tnelT freedom ana
sought employment elsewhere; a few
struck out for themselves as growers of
rice, vegetables and so on. But since 1892
they have had to choose between deporta-
ton and a new term of contract.
Wealthy Chinese in Hawaii.
There are many wealthy Chinese mer-
chants in the islands now. Once they or
their fathers were just such penal con-
tract laborers. Brought out in the early
days they completed their service terms
and at length became Independent rice
planters and merchants.
The Chinese in Hawaii labor with pa
thence from daylight to darkness. live fru-
gally and bde their time. They do not
hesitate to stake all in a venture in which
they have confidence, and, if they lose
the loss is borne with stoical Indifference,
Each in turn, has come out as a p,auta-
ton laborer, has served his period of three
years, and then has Joined with others
and leased piece of waste land that the
white man and the natives have been I'M
able to cultivate with profit. This MAS
been turned into a money-making rice
plantation. vegetable garden or taro
patch. After saving up sufficient money
the enterprising Chinaman usually comes
to Honolulu end buys a share in some
store or small manufacturing industry
Finally he places his Oldest son in charge
of the business, and taking one or more
of the younger boys with him to be edu-
Gated, returns to China.
Their enterprises are usually carried
on in companies, varying in numbers of
from three to four tailors or laundry pro-
prietors to thirty or more planters of
rice. Frequently one wealthy merchant
will have shares in many enterprises: for
instance, he may be principal owner of a
rice mill and have subordinate shares in
sugar plantation, a lumber yard, dry
plantations, several taro grounds a laun-
dry, hardware store, dressmaker
tailor or shoe shop, and perhaps be the
owner of several large leaseholds that he
is subietting in smaller portions to kins-
men, whose contracts have more recently
expired
The Chinese business man keeps queer
looking books of account in Chinese char
acters on vertically ruled mania paper
| The entries are truthful and the record is
sufficiently complete to Indicate clearly
all the essentials of the transaction As
merchants Cinnamon are reliable and
their obligations are faithfully kept; as
Witnesses in court they seldom tell the
truth unless they believe ii will aid
them to gain the case.
They have little retail stores all over
the islands. They grow vegetables for
the white men and taro for the natives
They carry their products long distances
der poles and raise ducks on fshponds in
which choice mullet are raised.
Leasing and Marrying.
Cinnamon seldom buy ground. They
always prefer to lease it. They will hire
1t for five, ten, twenty. or even fifty
years at a stipulated yearly rental, paya-
bic semi-annualy. Many OF their lands
| are owned by the natives, whose weak
ness Is to secure some sort Of an instru-
ment that will insure to them a definite
income for the remainder of their lives
There is nothing more truly character
istc Of the Chinese in Hawaii than their
dealings with the natives in leasing
and cultvating their taro lands
A Chinaman will see a piece of ground
that a native woman is cultivating IN
a loose and unscientific way possibly OBJ
tanning from It enough to furnish taro
for herself and relatives. He will in some
way secure the right TO use a small piece
of land adjoining hers, aud then he win