The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-02-26
A LABOR
TALK.

mo. Hawaii. Feb g3.-Mr Mini
kishl of the Japanese Labor Agency is
one of the successful ones who om-
barked In the coffee industry In kea-
au few years ago and afterwards
sold his land nt a profit to the sugar
company At present he II 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 n 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.
know Japanese contractor who Is
paying his men Il dollar and half
day, and while this price obtains even
to 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,
however, materially benefit the condl-
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 $3.50 per bag;
/ now it is $780, and all Japanese pro-
visions pay 40 per cent duty.
/ In my opinion the only hope for a
change lies in a 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 NIL 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 Interruption; the
changes have been made principally
by new men and women who had
barely gotten into the methods when
they were given an opportunity to
stay or go by the Organic Act.
"As to colored labor from the Main
land l cannot give an opinion, as my
knowledge of the race is limited. |
have read in the Honolulu papers that
some of those who went to Maui left
on the first pay day because they were
deceived as to the amount they were
to receive for their labor. 1t is pos
sible they may supplant the japanese,
but 1 doubt it. People from the South
! tell me lndl II Is linpOSSlDle W SECURE
genuine plantation help for the reason
1 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 in
/ the country, besides he is not adapted
I to the work.
I'm my opinion, the planters of Ha-
waii must look to Japan for labor, but
/ they must first look to Congress for
a change in the laws so that Japanese
may be admitted under more reason
able conditions than now exist. 1t is
admitted on all sides that sugar Is
our industry. and as Hawaii is now a
part of the United States and as it is
the policy of that Government to pro-
tect it's industries, Congress may be
induced to so modify the law in so far
as it relates to plantation labor that
Japanese may come in
BURGLARS AT HII4O.
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-
ary.
/ Commencing with the 2Sth or that
month, reports began arriving at the
Sheriff's Office relative to losses by
housebreakers. An investigation was
/ begun, but it was not until the morn
ing of the 14th, when robbery at
the residence of j. =. Sisson was re-
ported that a clue was obtained. The
enterprisng burglars had entered that
place during the daytime and removed
nearly everything portable. At w. S.
Terry's residence they had removed
the mating from the floors on Janu-
airy 81, and on February l they enter
ed the premises of Mrs. Loebenstein
and took away numerous articles.
Deputy Overend was satisfied that the
robberies had been committed by the
same parties, and the clue left at the
Sisson house caused the arrest of ka
waiians. Some of the property was
recovered at their houses. At the pre-
liminary hearing at the District Court,
Kalani, who was evidently the head or
ringleader, pleaded guilty TO robbing
each of the places named. The other
They We're committed to await the ac-
tion of the next Grand Jury.
QUIET WEDDING IN PuUEO.
I The marriage of Mr.. Sam S Peck to
Miss Julia Broderick took place at
noon today at the residence of Mr..
and Mrs. h. ID. Baldwin I'm Puueo. The
ceremony was strictly private, only
the immediate relatives and most in
innate friends of the contracting par
ties being present Rev. Father Maxim
otiiciated. Miss Emily Peck, IA sister
of the groom, was maid of honor, and
Mr.. d. w Marsh acted as best man.
( The ceremony was Immediately fol-
lowed by congratulations and a we'd
ding breakfast, after which Mr.. and
Mrs. Peck departed for the Volcano,
where they will remain several days,
returning in time to take next Fri
days KinaI for the capital, where
they will make their future home,
/