The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-09-10
LABOR IS
OPPOSED
TO LAKE
Union Men Will
Not Enter New
: Federation.

nave none Lake ana
his Hawaiian Amalgamated Con-
federation Of Labor While there has
been no official action taken as yet
by the various unions. an investigation
has been made by several members or
the joint committee which had in
charge the Labor Day celebration, and
they are Of opinion that there Is MOTH
Ing behind the alleged confederation.
and that II has no mission in the Ha-
waiian Islands which will make Tor
the good OF the workingman.
The interest Of the labor union men
was aroused by publication IN 4
morning paper before the Labor Day
celebration. to the effect that there
would be Joint united action as to all
matters In the future. This had never
been seriously discussed by the various
leaders, though some talk OF a trades
council had been heard from various
sources The men from the States,
with wide experience with the promo
ter OF such organizations, began to
smell a mouse, and 1t was clear to
them that there was something pecu-
liar when publication was had of the
alleged formation Of the confederation.
At once an investigation was begun
w. B. Moss. one of the members or
the joint committee, trustee of the
| Carpenters Union, and man who had
a long experience as member of the
union before he came here two years
ago, being at the head of the selr-ap-
pointed committed He tells the story
! thus:
we found Lake at his house, and
at once began to question him as to
| the organization. l asked him where
the meeting was held which organized
the confederation, and he would not
answer. I then asked him who was
present and elected him president Of
| the organization. Again he was silent.
He would not tell us who was in the
| confederation, who he expected to get
into 1t, or of any meeting he had had
| with the labor leaders OF the RESPONSE
BILE unions Of the city, combining HIM
self to saying he had sent out men
to organize the Japanese and Chinese
We told him that when the time
came for a confederation Of labor we
would call a meeting, put at the head
OF the movement men who are well
known In the city, and thus interest
all the workers In the plan. He only
said to us that we could come into
the organisation he had formed II we
wanted to, and then would not give us
any information as to his right to
claim any such authority, or as to any
men associated with him in the alleg-
ed confederation.
II will say that the labor unions OF
the city have nothing to do with Lake
and his scheme. We have not been ap-
preached to join any such movement,
and would not deliver ourselves over TO
COL Lake as leader, We do not know
him, and the only claim he made to us
was that he had been here and knew
what the labor people wanted. When
asked him when he came he an
swered Last June and that was all
that we could get out Of him. | have
been informed that since he came here
he claimed to be a physician, and tried
to pass the examination and failed. At
least we know nothing of him, and |
repudiat" his claim to represent labor
In any way.
we represent the mechanics and
workers OF this city, and We will not
enter into any union which has In 1t
the Orientals. With such a confeder-
alton, where there are so many thou
sand Oriental laborers I'm the country,
we would have no control Of the union,
but would be at the mercy of the Jap
anese. We think We are better than
the Oriental laborers. We will not
come down to live as they do and will
not work for the wages which they re-
ceive. We do not want to degrade
them, but we want to keep them out
Of the country; at least, out OF the
trades.
I'VE could not take them into our
them on an equality. That much Is
certain. and no plan having such a
basis will go through here. We are
afraid that there may be some plan
to raise a great fund by organizing the
laborers of the plantations into con-
federation upon representations that
we are in the same union. The collec-
ton Of even a half dollar apiece would
mean the gathering of large fund.
Then " anything went wrong we would
be charged with the Encouragement.
Some one might get at the head of
such a confederation, who might not
be absolutely scrupulous and might sell
out to the plantations. or secure mon
ely from them to leave the country and
leave the laborers In a worse plight
than they are. and then We should
have to bear the blame.
should there come u time when the
iworkmen OF Honolulu decide to have
a confederation of labor We will know
how to go about to organize IL and
will have its control in the hands OF
our own people, who are known TO the
community, and who have the conn
dence OF the people. There is nothing
in the Hawaiian Amalgamated Confed-
Grafton OF Labor that We know any
thing about. and. we do not want the
people to get the idea that We are re-
sponsible for IT,"
! -~~~-