The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-08

unless such person shall be a duly
qualified voter of said Territory"
He said the uncertainty of the words
in the bill was properly taken by
Beckley. The section as it stood was
dramatically bad. The public works
could not perform, as the section made
it read, and his amendment was the
only one properly drawn up
Keliikoa rose to state that the mean
ing of the word otherwise, referred to
all public works, and he could see no
reason for amending the bill
Emmeluth said the question arose as
to what the legislate would be tosac-
complish the greatest good. Person
ally, he believed it woul be wise to al
low final consideration of the matter to,
go over to some future date to investi-
gate the matter involved The Terri
tory was going forward into constitu-
tional government, and the Legisa lure
should define the hours of labor. 1t
should see also that the officers of the
government were American citizens. as
much so as the laborers.
CLOSELY linked with the labor ques
ton, it was desired to know whethe
the government should contract for its
work. If so, only labor of the charac
ter that would be directly employed OF
public works should be employed o,
contracts. One cannot be considered
without the other Whatever IS doae.
tofore must be absolutely abolished
He knew man wearing boiled shirts
sub-letting contracts to a laborar VINO
did not thereby earn the wage ne 9TH
erwise would, and permitted the CON
tractor to live at his hotel, or some
seaside reSort.H Here were conditions
which he claimed must be considered
before it was determined what shall be
the future policy of the government.
He wanted matters so legislated that
the work would yield the highest wage
Monsarrat called attention to the
English and Hawaiian versions, which
were different. The Hawaiian version
said government works., While the
English version said public works"
Emmeluth said the matter had slipped
his mind. This was the matter of
CONSTITUTING eight hours a days work
in the Territory. He was in favor of
any reduction in the hours which would
aid the laborer. The Legislature could
not avoid the issue. AS the House leg
iSlated this time, so the members would
influence future work. He wanted to
know why this agitation had been
brought up so prominently. He had
noticed that not only the laboring ele-
ment, but the employers, were favor
able to the proposition. Why?
The plantation element is agreeable
as it was the cheapest way of making
an avenue for bringing back the labor
winch mad deserted. 1t was mercenary
with the planters. The laborer hopes
to have yielded to him the advantages
under the constitution which are denied
him today. In the present agitation
| there is an element between the plant
ing element and the laborer. This was
the voting mechanic, whom he said col
| lectively in the future would be the
backbone of the country. The condi-
lions of importing cheap labor have
brought about conditions that were APP
palling. This cheap labor that has
been developed into a mechanical eIe-
ment will in the near future make it so
appalling to, white labor as to make it
impossible for white mechanics 10 live
in this country.
The simple matter of the fact Is that
a white man and Hawaiian, educat-
ed, cannot afford to compete with the
alien element in Hawaii To-Day. 1t is
not yielding of the civilization of the
West to the East, but it is merging
of the two elements, which cannot help
being a menace to western civilization.
1t is condition which cannot help but
be baneful to society, as 10 the me-
chanical element.
There should be time given to give
the matter full consideration"