The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-17
BLOWING HOT AND COLD.

| Is the good government following DO
ling anything TO increase the number OF
| educated, thoughtful farmers or are re-
Icent irnportations OF a class whose fran
Ichise can be bought? Are the mercan-
title or commercial organizations doing
lanything to induce citizens of the Main
land TO come to Hawaii to try their foF-
tunes with no other capital than homes
lty and readiness to work? They are not
and they make no denial of it. The young
lclerk, the mechanic, the American farm
Ter. is told without ceasing that the mar
ket is crowded and openings few.
The Bulletin, in special issue, has
lately assumed the duty of replying to
the letters received by the Chamber
of Commerce from mainland farmers,
mechanics and others, and we invite
the public, herewith, to note it's man
ner of encouraging them:
| F. A KENNEDY, Danielson, Conn,
asks: l. What are the prospects for
young men having a common school ed
ucation, and some knowledge of farming
and bookkeeping, of making a livelihood
| OF the Islands? 2. Could a young man,
without financial backing or friends, sue
coed in any of the outdoor industries bet
| ter than at home in the States? 3.
Would he have a better chance with a
limited capital of, say, $500? Ans. L One
would need to be a thorough farmer,
with capacity of adapting his experience
ito different soils and climates from those
to which he has been used, and withal
have capital of thousands to succeed in
the Hawaiian Islands. The supply of
tbookkeepers far exceeds the demand,
ing thereto. 2. No, except by force of
uncommon talent, pluck and staying
powers. 8. A capital of $500, unless it
were strictly surplus in a young mans
resources, would be of no use in Hawaii.
Then 1t could be invested in Hawaiian
securities almost as well in San Fran
cisco as in Honolulu.
If "the young clerk, the mechanic,
the American farmer are told without
ceasing that the market is crowded
and openings few" then the Bulletin
is doing most of the telling. No one
else has the job. That journal demands
to know what is doing to increase the
number of educated, thoughtful farm
ers" and then proceeds to scare them
away by talking about the need of
having capital of thousands" to sue
coed Cat farming) in the Hawaiian Is
lands-a proposition which will make
the members of the Wahiawa colony
and some hundreds of industrious Por-
tuguese smile. In the teeth of that the
Bulletin goes on to inquire if the mer-
camille and commercial organizations
are doing anything (more shame to
them) to induce citizens of the main
land to come to Hawaii 'to try their
fortunes with no other capital than
honesty and readiness to work?" That
is to say, while nobody can do any
thing here without thousands" this
reckless and purblind government is
neglecting to invite people here who
have no capital but their good inten-
lions. THE young clerk, the mechanic,
the American" are not encouraged to
come even where the individual has
$500. The Bulletin stops in the foam of
its indignation over the narrow minded
policy of Government to tell this would
be investor that if he wants to buy Ha-
waiian securities with his $500 he might
as well save himself the trouble of COM
ing here and make the deal in San
Francisco.
The Bulletin is keen for the white Ia
borer and farmer on it's editorial page
but in its column of advice it discour-
ages their coming while abusingn the
Government for its alleged policy of
keeping them away. Observe this help
ing hand paragraph:
GEO H HAMMOND, Cedar Rapids.
Nebraska.-The feasibility of obtaining
American or white labor to perform ag-
ricuhural work on the sugar plantations
lis a question that has been much dis
cussed from time out of mind. 1t must
still be put down as debatable Ques-
ton. Asiatics, Portuguese and Hawaii
ans have in the past formed the bulk of
such labor. Although the climate is mild
|er than in almost any of the fields in the
States in summer, yet there is a pecu-
liarity to it which few white laborers
have been found to enjoy long. Germans
have worked for years on plantations
owned by their countrymen, yet the ten
dency of these and other whites has al
ways been to seek other employment as
soon possible. Since Chinese immigra-
ton is prohibited under annexation, jap
anese immigration checked by the home
government, and contracts to labor abol-
ished by the Act of Congress, the agri-
cultural labor question is in a transition
stage. White men who are capable get
jobs as overseers, engineers, carpenters,
blacksmiths, ETC., on the plantations, but
there is no great demand for such as in
the case of common labor The planta-
ton carpenter work is of a cheap class,
and Portuguese and ASatfcs satisfy the
planters Agricultural laborers receive
from SIS to $22 month or whereabouts,
and water. Schemes of planting on
shares, profit-sharing with laborers, ETC.,
are In some vogue perhaps increaS sing,
and something of the kind must probably
be an essential so far as white labor is
concerned if it ever succeeds. In Homo
lulu there is much building going on, yet
many carpenters are looking for work.
thorough mechanic, however, who
brings enough money to bide a chance
VIII, once he gets employment, be easily
able to hold it. Wages of mechanics
range, say, from $3.50 to s. day. Living
and house rent are higher here than in
Mainland cities.
For paper which denounces the
Government for not opening a white
mans immigration bureau the Bulle-
tin sets an example which is calculat-
ed to make the official blood run cold.
Fancy how quickly that paper would
demand the removal of the whole Terri
torial civil list If Mr. Dole and his adj
visers should send out such statements
as the Bulletin issues weekly to its
Chamber of Commerce correspondents.