The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-25
A LABOR.
TALK.
Japanese Planter
Gives Some
| acts.
WANTS CONGRESS
TO MODIFY LAWS
The Burglars at Hilo Who Have
Been Robbing Houses For a
Month Captured.

HILO, Hawaii, Feb. 23.-Mr. Mini
kishi of the Japanese Labor Agency is
one of the successful ones who en-
barked in the coffee industry in Kea-
au few years ago and afterwards
sold his land at profit to the sugar
company. At present he is engaged in
contracting in the Olaa belt.
"Just now we are in need of labor,
but where it is to come from is hard
to say he remarked to a reporter for
the Hilo Herald Cane cultivation
under present conditions is not the
profitable industry it was a few years
ago, and coffee is practically lost art.
1 know a japanese contractor who is
paying his men a dollar and a half a
day, and while this price obtains even
to a limite,. extent you can readily see
how difficult it is for us to secure men
at SIS or $40 a month.
This increase in wages does not,
ton of the laborer With the in
creased wage comes the increased cost
of living expenses. And the average
laborer is not frugal. A few years
ago rice could be had at $4.50 per bag;
now it is $3.50, and all japanese pro-
visions pay 40 per cent duty.
In my opinion the only hope for a
change lies in modification of the
immigration laws. Congress has pro-
vided in that act that immigrants
must be able to read and write and
must be the bona fide possessor of $50
1t is practically impossible for many
of the Japanese laborers to fill these
requirements. Those who come from
| the interior, and they are in the ma
! jority, have not had the advantages
| of an education, and those who reside
near the cities where schools are eS'
| tablished can find better or more con
! genial employment than stripping
cane Many Japanese who have work
ed for years on the plantations still
continue on without interruptions; the
changes have been made principal!
| by new men and women who mac
| barely gotten into the methods whe1
they were given an opportunity tt
stay or go by the Organic Act.
LAS to colored labor from the Main
/ land / cannot give an opinion, as m!
| knowledge of the race is limited.
/ have read in the Honolulu papers tina
some of those who went to Maui lef
on the first pay day because they were
deceived as to the amount they, Were
| l..
sible they may. Supplant the japanese
| but 1 doubt it. People from the Soutl
tell me that it is impossible TO secure
fgenuine plantation help for the reason
that they are encouraged TO remain
at home by their employers, the plant
ers. The city darkey, / am told, pre-
| fers life around town to isolation il
| the country besides he is not adapte,
| to the work.
| I'm my opinion, the planters of Ha
wall must look to japan for labor, blu
! they must first look to Congress 10
a change in the laws SO that Japanes
may be admitted under more reason
able conditions than now exist. 1t i
admitted on all sides that sugar l
! our industry, and as Hawaii is now
/ part of the United States and as it i
the policy of that Government to pro
tect it's industries, Congress may b
induced to so modify the law in SO ia
i as it relates to plantation labor tina
/ Japanese may come in
' BURGLARS AT HIEO.
Deputy Sheriff Overend has sue
ceeded in breaking up nest of burg
lars who have been committing depre
dations since the latter part of Janu
airy.
Commencing with the 2Sth or tina
month, reports began arriving at tn
Sheriff's office relative to losses b
housebreakers. An investigation wa
begun, but it was not until the morn
ing of the 14ths when a robbery a
the residence of j. p. SiSSon was re
ported, that a clue was obtained. Tn
enterprising burglars had entered tina
place during the daytime and remove
nearly everything portable. AT w.
Terry,S residence they had remove
the mating from the floors on Janu
airy q, and on February l they enter
ed the premises of Mrs. Loebenstei
and took away numerous article:
Deputy Overend was satisfied that tn
robberieS had been committed by tn
same parties, and the clue left at tn
Sisson house caused the arrest of Ka
lani, kekoi and Manaua, three Ha
waiians. Some of the property wa
recovered at their houses At the pre-
liminary hearing at the District Cour
kalani, who was evidently the head @
ringleader, pleaded guilty to Robin
each of the places named. The othe
two owned up to one robbery eacf
They We're committed to await the &C
ton of the next Grand Jury.
QUIET WEDDING IN PUUEo.
The marriage of Mr. Sam S. Peck t
Miss Julia Broderick took place a
noon today at the residence of Nj
and Mrs. e. d. Baldwin In Puueo. Tn
ceremony was strictly private, onl
the immediate relatives and most in
innate friends of the contracting pal
ties being present. Rev. Father Maxir
off1ciated Miss Emily Peck, a siste
of the groom, was maid of honor, an
Mr.. d. W. Marsh acted as best MAJ
The ceremony was Immediately fol
lowed by congratulations and a wed
ding breakfast. after which Mr.. an
Mrs. Peck departed for the Volcano
where they will remain several day
returning in time to take next FIR
days Khan for the capital, wher
they Will make their future home.