New-York tribune., 1901-07-30
LACK OF LABOR IN HAW All
PROPOSAL TO BRING IN CHINESE
WISDOM OF ANNEXATION
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TR1BuxE.I

Washington. July 29-The serious aspect of
the labor question in the Hawaiian Islands Is
causing grave concern among the sugar plant
ers there. and they will make strong effort 10
induce Congress to allow them to import chi
nese. Mr.. Rodenburg, Civil Service Comrnls-
sioner who returned yesterday from putting
the Civil Service law in operation through the
islands, said to-day:
The proper kind of labor is scarce already
and future agricultural developments VIII oe
greatly retarded unless some provision is mace
to supply this element in the community. The
Chinese the ideal sugar plantation workers
They better workers than either the Japa-
nese or the Portuguese, and, besides. they give
no trouble They are quiet, and always live up
TO their contracts. Since the Islands were an
nexed, however no more Cinnamon can De
secured, and sugar planters are very much eA-
ercised regarding this question.
L informed that a strong effort VIII ne
made by Hawaiians at the next session or CON CON
gress, when legislation on the Chinese questiGn
viii be made necessary by the expiration OF tIe
Geary act to have clause In the ne" IaM
providing that Chlnamen may be brought iroli @
China to the Hawaiian Islands under contract
10 do purely agricultural work for perlou NJ
to exceed ten years, when they will be deporteu'
Under the terms of such provision IL Is pc
lieved that no conflict would be precipitated
with organized labor. the law would provide
that the Cinnamon should do nothing but az
ricultural work, and this class of WORK IN
Hawaii white men cannot do on account CT lhe
climatic conditions
There is also another contemplated solution on
the question which is receiving serious tnOuSiit
and investigation at the present time. and that
is to import native Filipinos to work on ma
waan sugar plantations This idea, believe;
has never been made known there. but several
large planters in Hawaii have investigated the
proposition sufficiently TO predict that the Fll-
pinos may yet solve the perpleXing labor ques-
tion of these islands.
The Porto RicanS who now in the ISLANDS
an experiment not proving generally sat
isfactory. They have to a great extent the as
position of the native Hawaiian, and love ease
a great deal more than work 1t Is not hkely
that effort will be made to increase by i'm
portation the Porto Rcan population OF the
islands.
These islands have most certainly oeen
correctly named the Paradise of the Pacific
continued Mr.. Rodenburg. The nights are TOO
gorgeous to describe The maximum temperature
of the hottest day is not 81 degrees.
trip down the islands will absolutely convince
any person of the wisdom of the policy OF the
present Republican administration You at once
realize that we have something very valuable
in the Hawaiian Islands, and the same condi-
ton applies as well to the Philippine Islands.
They becoming Americanized rapidly
when on visiting there you will difference
between the United States and the acquired
territory.
The proposition that has been advanced 10
make the Hawaiian Islands into counties and
annex them to California does not receive the
Endorsement of the natives They want to be
independent State, and there is doubt
that they will be making application to this end
as soon as their population is sufiic