The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-09-16
HILO'S COFFEE SHOP COTERlE
TALK ON CURRENT AFFAIRS

Il understand Land Commissioner
Boyd has decided not to let the lot-hold-
ers in Elberon surrender their lots and
of purchase lease plan as he stated in
his letter to DIR. Blake. 1 do not quite
understand his Topping around So" said
the Cheerful Liar
1T is dead wrong remarked the
Kicker. Il know of men who were pre-
pairing to build homes UP there when
the second and reversed order came
When he wrote that a holder might SUR
render and Immediately file We thought
the expression meant as it read. but it
seems that it did not express what the
commissioner meant. / doubt very much
now whether Elberon will be as thor
oughly settled as it would be otherwise.
Mr.. Boyd speaks of Spectators having
secured the land. / wonder where he got
his information and who he considers
spectators? Men who intended culti-
waiting the soil and planting cane or
bananas are hardly in that category.
have hopes that the genial commissioner
will reverse himself and that the men
who want the land under more favor
aple terms may nave 1t.
Il see that the other Mr.. Boyd is COM
ing up to look over the roads and other
Government works. said the Early Ris-
er. We'll, 81 will find much to interest
him in that part of the Island where
the roads are unfinished. 1t is said that
the time is coming when the road will
be finished clear around the island, and
people may drive with the greatest
amount of comfort. That's what we
want, and the sooner it is done the bet
ter. He might take a sqaint at the
bridges along the route, too, and in
struct the road boards their duties in
the premises. There may be a lawsuit
over the affair of last week unless the
Government is wise enough to settle the
bill without it"
The Government has never yet paid
for damages occurring in this way"
said the Kicker, and / don't believe it
will pay on this occasion. 1t may be
that a Government can do with impunity
what it's officials punish an individual for
doing, but I have my doubts about it;
and if the losers have to go to court for
their damages 1 believe the Territory
will be cinched.''
What interests me as much as roads
is labor" said the Cane Planter from
Kaumana, ''and l see that Japan has de-
cided to allow an unlimited number of
her people to come here to engage in
agricultural pursuits. This Information
has been communicated to the State De-
partment at Washington by the japanese
Minister. If this scheme is carried out
the end of the labor troubles will have
been reached Once flood the country
with laborers and something must drop
because they cannot all remain in idle
ness. For my part l would rather see
the same number of Porto Ricans than
Japanese, for the reason that they are
more profitable to the business men.
Give Porto Rican twenty dollars and
he will not leave a store until he has
spent his money. Give the same amount
to the average Japanese and he will
hoard it up until he has enough to send
back to Japan. The average Porto Rican
will work. too, if he can get a place
to his liking. 1 have been told that the
main reason for their leaving one plan
tation for another is because of the de-
ceit practiced upon them by the recruit
ing officers in their native land. The
modus operandi is this: A certain num-
Der of men are required and the officer
seeks influential men of the laborfng
c,,.ss and tells each one that If he will
secure thirty laborers and go with them
to Hawaii he will be given a position as
overseer at $50 per month. Without
much trouble they get the required num-
Der, and leave for Hawaii armed with
what purports to be commission as
overseeer, and on their arrival find that
there is no vacancy and they are obliged
to work at regular field wages. This
naturally creates a feeling of discomfort
and within week or so the man has
created such dissatisfaction among his
countrymen that they are ready to seek
other quarters. 1t seems to me that 1t
would be better for the managers to pay
these gang leaders higher wages, even
if they are not made lunas in order to
keep peace among the others. 1t Is
wrong to deceive these people, but I can
not see where the managers are either
directly or indirectly to blame The head
hunters in Porto Rico are probably paid
so much per man and they are going to
secure them the easiest way. This
method has its effect here in so many
of them leaving one plantation and seek
ing work on another, only to be refused
Evidently they have not been refused
by the Olaa Sugar Company" said the
Early Riser.
Perhaps you are satisfied with ru-
mors," said the Cheerful Liar II con-
tent myself only with facts and this is
what Mr.. SouZa told me the other day.
He said that when Manager McStocker
was spoken to about Porto Rican labor
he said he was willing to take them pro-
vided they had left other plantations,
and that he would not pay more than
SIS per month until each laborer brought
written evidence from the manager of
the plantation he had left that he had
been receiving more money. Now, that
is just how much McStocker offered in
ducements TO get labor from other plan
tations. Mr. Souza is in a position to
know, for he is the one who got the
men. If the United States will permit
the japanese to come here unassisted
guess there will be no more scrapplng
for labor The prices charged by these
people now is almost unreasonable COM
pared with the service rendered, but
what is an employer going to do? am
told that here in Hilo there are not less
than 400 Japanese laborers who have quit
work for some reason or other and who
refuse to work If several thousand
more come in and go to work prices will
go down. and these idlers will either
work on a plantation or on the roads.
We had siege of contract labor and
we are having a spell with free men