The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-05-24
PROF, STUBS VIEWS ON THE LABOR
QUESTION ON THE ISLAND PLANTATIONS
CONTINUED from Page u


at the ports of departure to see that no
laborer was taken away without his full
consent.
These abuses gave birth to the coolie
laws of the United States, and simulta-
neously In Hawaii a bureau of immigra-
ton was established, taking the business
of importing laborers from the hands Of
the planters and placing it under the
charge of the Kingdom. The Hawaians
claim that no such .iniquity as above
mentioned ever disgraced the efforts of
their planters in their work of import
ing laborers. The "cooIie system" as
known elsewhere never existed on the
islands; the law between employer and
employe known as the master and SER
want law was mild, equitable and COM
pulsory for the specific fulfillment of
contracts.
In 1864 the board of immigration was
established for the purpose of superin-
tending the importation of foreign la
borers and the introduction of immi-
grants. One of it's first ordinances was
to prohibit private persons from intro
ducing laborers into the Kingdom under
heavy penalty. Another was to adopt
measures looking to the introduction of
free immigrants, males and females,
from the Azores, Canaries and Cape de
Verde in the Atlantic, and from any of
the Pacific isles. Passages were to be
paid by the Government and a bounty
per head to the captain of the ship. Still
another was the chartering of ship to
send to China to procure more Chinese
laborers. The first ordinance gave great
offense to the planters, but the board
firmly adhered to 1t.
In 1866 DR. Hillebrand was appointed
o;e,cSo 70 oh a &I,a
possibilities of obtaining desirable immi-
grants from India, Japan and Malaysia.
In the meanwhile, to meet the present
demands, he was first to visit China and
forward shipload or two of coolies to
the islands. In December, 1865, the first
installment of immigrants arrived from
the Caroline Islands. The bureau sane
toned the contracts with the planters.
simultaneously a small number of Mar
quesans were introduced. DR.. Hillebrand
simultaneously forwarded from Hong
kong two shiploads of coolies The plant
er acquired the needed laborer, but the
people desired immigrants who would as
simulate with them, infuse vigor into the
impaired constitutions of the natives,
check the decrease of the inhabitants of
the Kingdom, and give strength to the
national constitution.
row and alarm his people rapidly declin-
ing in numbers, and naturally sought
some means of arresting this decay and
permanently repeopling his dominions.
To accomplish his purposes he authoriz-
ed Mr.. Wyllie to negotiate with the Brit
ish Government with the view of obtain
ing consent to remove to the islands all
of the inhabitants of Pitcairn's Island
and settle them as proprietors or tenants
on his own lands. The project unfortu-
nately failed.
In the meanwhile other coolies were
introduced.
In 1865 King Kamehameha ", in his
speech to the Legislature, said of the
coolies: They are not so kind and
tractable as was anticipated, and they
seem to have no affinities. attractions or
tendencies to blend with this or any 9TH
er race" He recommended trying the
inhabitants of other Polynesian groups;
they would be easily acclimated; would
soon learn the language. and might bring
with them their wives, whose fecundity
was much greater than that of the Ha-
waiian females, and, besides furnishing
labor, would pave the way for a future
population of native-born Hawaiians in
distinguishable from the aboriginal par
ents." But Mr.. Wyllie, Minister Of For
eign Affairs, saw danger ahead In such
project. He feared the numerical SUI
periority of the aborigines over the
whites, and did not believe they would
devote themselves willingly to work. I'M
less under contract under the Act for
the government of masters and SER
wants. as was done with the Chinese
Nothing came out of this controversy.
Small importations of coolies continued.
At first their labor was very unsadsfac-
tory. Not understanding the language
nor the character of the work required
friction between master and servant fire.
quently occurred. But the laborers grad
ually improved,
In 1866 occurred the convention between
China, England and France, at which
the right to draw labor from Chinese
ports was exclusively restricted to treaty
powers. The Hawaiian Kingdom was
not treaty power, and therefore had
to transact all future business under the
protection of foreign flag and through
a foreign firm.
This restriction turned again the atten-
ton of the board to Polynesia, where
settlers and not merely hands for the
planters might be obtained, but upon
further investigation the plan was aban-
doned
In 1869 two eminent persons were sent
on an expedition with two ships to visit
the various isles Of the PACING and At
lantic to secure if possible voluntary la
borers for the Kingdom. One ship re-
turned with cargo from Caroline and
Humphrey Islands, having visited many
others without success.
These immigrants We're Clearly, intelli-
gent, docile, Christian, speaking a Ian
guage similar to Hawaiian The other
ship brought a cargo from the Danger
Islands. These were far from being sat
to their subsequent employers,
many of whom were ultimately released
and returned to their native islands
Soon after these importations another
arose as to the class of fu-
ture immigrants. Great dissatisfaction
was felt by the King and council at the
arge number of Chinese already in the
Stands, since they desired Immigrants
more nearly related to the Hawaiians.
An anti-coolie party, consisting chiefly
II mechanics and tradesmen, strongly
opposed the further introduction of L III
lese by the sugar planters. Mass meet
ngs We're held, with verdicts against the
Chinese and in favor of South Sea ISL
inders or other races Enthusiastically re-
ated. Efforts were made to sac,,ra y,,