The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-08-20

Hoods today
work in the fields. Not long ago there
were brought here a party of men from
| Boston. many of them American citi-
zens. They accepted the free ride
across continent and ocean, but 1t Is a
matter Of local history that as soon as
they landed they refused to carry out
their contracts and work on the estates,
but deserted and hunted work in the
towns. and for some days were objects
of charity in this city. Other parties of
Portuguese recruited from the ranks of
the mill hands Of the New England
States nave been sent here in the past
and in almost every instance they soon
discovered that they were not for that
kind of work and found their way into
the city. where they are now giving
their attention to the minor trades or
work upon the streets or at other un-
skilled labor. Even the Porto Rican.
whose condition here Is so vastly supe-
rior to that In his own country, is talk
ing Of what he could do IL he could get
hold OF a small piece of land and it Is
said to be a fact that there are some
Of them who are figuring upon how to
get into planting-tobacco Is their ia
vorite Uop--on their own account.
This Is the result Of the Spanish blood,
which In cropping out. Italians have
found 1t wiser for them to devote their
time to seeking work in the city than
to continue in the fields.
1t Is. then. a matter of desire and
inclination on the part of the man with
white blood in his veins. that he will not
work in the felds-not that he cannot.
The work requires degree of close at
tention and is so exhaustive that none
of the Caucasians will follow it. Yet
II is a matter OF daily comment that
the planters should find young AmerI-
cans to go into the cane and work as
do the Orientals. The first question
which would be raised would be the
matter of compensation. There is now
dearth OF men to till the farms OF the
East at wages ranging from SIS to SEA
month and found. For this sum what
do the men have? They are in a COM
munity which offers cheap living and
many advantages which are absolute
| ly impossible upon a plantation. ..
Again, they have only certain seasons
when they are busy, for during the rest
season, when the SHOWS are on the
ground. they have light labors and their
pay goes on at a rate equal to that
which is paid to the plantation man.
Leaving the matter of compensation
| out of the question, II Is next to i'm
possible for the farmer to find any one
who will work in his harvest fields. for
the reason that other lines, especially
| L. n Il ~
upon the supply until there Is no longer
contented young farmer class The
| young men seek the city for its va
ried life. for its opportunities and for
its amusements forsaking the business
to which they were born, and yet 1t is
said here that these very young men,
and the young women who of the same
| education and rank follow them, will
come to the isolation of a plantation
and work the whole year round, de-
! prived of their accustomed pleasures
and the opportunities for education in
the university settlements and the ~
| braries. for the purpose of growing ur
with the country.
| II the shortage of labor in the Older
States was sectional or local to some
one district there might be found
reason for this abandoning of the farm
for the mill. but ii is widespread. From
| the South comes the call for the Chi
nese to till the fields. From the Middle
| States there Is a similar demand tina
there be given more men for the fields
and mines. From the West where grair
fields were not reaped AS they SHOULD
have been and when, and the whea
was lost often because 1t could not b.
garnered, there is a question as to VIII
gains by this exclusion of the cheal
workman, and even in California wher'
the agitation started and gained 1t
first life there exists a difference D
opinion as to the desirability of keep
Ing down the supply in the labor mar
ket so that few may benefit at TIL
expense of the many.
With this condition staring the PEG
pie in the face, then, 1t will be poin
, of sentiment largely as TO the admis
sion OF the Chinese. In the trade
there can be no question OF the unde
STABILITY of the coolie. He Is imita
tive and will take possession OF tn
entire field II he can. he will thus b
brought into contact with a class o
labor in which America has pride, tn
artisan. But, may the Oriental cooli
be kept in his place in the ranks of tn
field laborer? II he can there Will
more development follow his introduc
,, ton, and here in Hawaii there will re
, turn the prosperity of the former days
when the crops were tended and tile
and harvested without the constan
danger of losses by reason of the can
souring in the ground for lack Of me
to cut and mill II. II the white ma
will not work in the field shall IN
field p..rforce have no laborerG
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