The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-02-28

within "a comparatively short time
Pearl HarbOr VIII be open to deep sea
vessels. When this is COnsummated,
the financial advantage resulting to
this Company will be great because of
the short distance haul and COnse-
quently reduced cost both in getting
coal to the plantation ana in shipping
sugar to market"
So says Manager Renton in his an
nual report to the stockholders of Eva
Plantation.
On the subject of labor the report
says;
This is the pressing question and
there is but one way to solve it, and
that is by bringing in sufficient labor
until the supply equals the demand.
The Japanese who, after the annulment
of contracts, showed a general wander
ing tendency, have. in a great measure.
settled to steady work. The advent of
labOreTs of other nationalities may
have had, to a slight extent, a steady
ing influence, but it is more probable
that they have found that travelling,
i'm itself, has been the reverse of re-
munerative. The employment of Porto
Ricans in sufficient numbers to fill up
the present gaps on the plantation roll
will soon be felt and will offset, i'm
measure, the present preponderance of
Asiatics. The outlook in the main is,
therefore, much clearer
The present high rate for labor is
not altogether an unmixed evil. 1t
will result in the loading of cane on
the cars by machinery. That much is
certain. Whether the cutting of the
cane be done by some mechanical de-
vice is regarded as doubtful. And yet
when we consider what human ingen-
uity has been capable of i'm other in
g1rtg. t,sf, l.,
down as impossible. In these two
branches of harvesting, approximately
400 men are daily employed at this plan
tation. With the two mills next year.
on the same basis of hand labor, 800
men would be required. 1t will at once
be seen that the successful operation
of loading machines will liberate hun
dreds of men for other work.
In the opinion of the writer it would
be better to bring in married men, with
or without children, rather than sin
gle men. The average single laborer
is unsettled, and removal from place
TO place cuts but a small figure i'm his
estimation; while each cottage and
garden, however humble, of the mar
ried man will become a center towards
which its members win look with vary
ing degrees of attachment. And the
labor question of this territory will
not be settled until a large proportion
of the houses Of the workers whether
Anglo-SaNon or Latin or Asiatic. rep
resent homes with families for the
present well being Of the workman and
the future labor supply and well being
of the Planter The home, therefore,
on plantation has. apart from other
consideration, its commercial value.
The profit sharing system of en-
ploying labor i'm companies for the cul-
uVation of fields, from date of plant
ing until milling, continues in a flour
ishing condition. There are engaged on
this basis 755 men. Subject to a gem
eral supervision, the work of Cutvat-
ing and irri"pting almost the entire
area of growing and ripe canes is i'm
| their hands. While labOrcrS came and
went in the period of unrest following
the termination of the contract sys-
tenn on June l4th last, there was prac-
tically no change in the personnel of
these Profit Sharing companies; ="
and, whatever delay there may have
been in other plantation work, this
branch of it was not set back in the
slightest degree.
Before passing from the subject of
labor it may be in place to mention
that within this year a free hospital,
capable of accommodating 80 patients,
has been erected, being i'm immediate
CHARGE of the resident physician and
three assistants. Owing to better food
/ and care, 1t certainly has saved life.
| and caused more rapid recovery i'm or
! binary ailments. At any rate, whether
| due to the hospital or not, the death
4rate since its completion has decreased
| fifty per cent. These matters of homes
| and sanitation show no specified re-
| turn on the balance sheet. They are
mentioned because they work for the
better physical condition of the work.
| man, and this, in a place where 1000
laborers are employed, belongs to fun
damental things"
There is now actually in cane on the
estate, 500 acres, and $50 acres of land
yet to be put under cultivation. The
manager is now in correspondence for
The purpose of obtaining a machine for
the communion of cane leaves in the
| fields in such lengths so as not to in
terfere with the proper working of
steam plows. If this can be done. the
store of humus thus retained will suf-
nee to keep the soil lin good mechanical
! condition. When it is understood that
each burning off, on this place re-
moves say 26 tons per acre of dry
leaves, 1t may be readily seen that the
conservation of this vegetable matter
/ is of prime Importance.
! The Board, of Directors at yester-
days meeting were authorized to ex-
pend up to $4,000 for the social, moral
ana intellectual benefit of the employees
fI NhF Ill nNFaNf