Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-08-13
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; NEWS FROM
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There is but one serious problem con-
fronting the sugar planters of Hawaii,
said Civil Service Commissioner ROden-
berg, who has just returned from those
islands. That is the labor question. The
proper kind of labor is scarce already,
and future agricultural developments will
be greatly retarded unless some provision
is made to supply this element in the
community. The Chinese are the ideal
sugar plantation workers. They are bet
ter workers than either the Japanese or
Portuguese, and, besides, they give no
trouble. They are quiet and always live
up to their contracts. Since the islands
were annexed, however, no more China
men can be secured, and sugar planters
are much exercised regarding this ques-
ton.
"A strong effort will be made by Ha-
waiianS at the next session of Congress,
when legislation on the Chinese question
will be made necessary by the expiration
of the Geary act. to have a clause in
the new law providing that Cinnamon
may be brought from China to the Ha
waiian Islands under contract to do pure
ly agricultural work for Il period not to
exceed ten years, when they will be de-
ported.
The Porto Ricans who are now in the
Islands as an experiment are not prov
ing generally satisfactory. They have to
a great extent the disposition of the ma
tive Hawaiian and love ease a great deal
more than work. 1t is not likely that an
effort will be made to increase by impor-
tation the Porto Rican population of the
islands.
There is also another contemplated
solution of the question which is receiv.
ing serious thought and investigation at
the present time, and that is to import
native Filipinos to work on Hawaiian SUI
gar plantations"
Adulteration of indigo by the natives
If the Philippines has almost ruined the
export market for this product of the
archipelago, and has cut the price in half.
According to reports received at the War
Department, years ago indigo was one
of the important products of the islands.
In quality the Philippine article COM
pared favOrably with the best grade of
the Guatemalan product. 1t used to
bring from 81 to IS cents per pound, but
in 1875 the price fell to % cents. AT
present it fiuctuates between 80 and 81
cents. The decline in price was brought
about by the deterioration in the quality,
that resulted in greatly lessened de-
mand. The cause of this deterioration is
explained by the fact that years ago to-
native growers knew and practiced only
the most primitive methods of preparing
indigo, but with the arrival of large num-
bers of Chinese in the Philippines, the
original process was abandoned and the
natives began to initiate the Chinese
practice of adulteration. 1t was found
that by the admixture of a small quanti
ty of lime with the indigo the coloring
matter could be precipitated and the pro-
duct prepared for the market in q much
shorter period. While the more rapid
process provided source of temporary
profit. the effect upon the quality of the
indigo was soon discovered by the pur
chaser and the Philippine product. owing
to its extensive use of lime, fell into
discredit in foreign markets.
-
During a long talk on affairs in the
island of Guam. Gov. Tiney recently gave
President Mckinley some valuable and
interesting information. One of the Gu
rious facts brought ont was that civil
ization had introduced tuberculosis on
the islands. Before the advent of the
trousers, shirt and coat the native did
not suffer from colds and coughs. When
it rained he or she smeared the body
with oil of cocoa and the rain had no
effect. The native, however, has moi
learned how to handle the wet shirt or
trousers emergency and the American
clad native is therefore contracting the
diseases consequent on wet clothes dried
on the body. The native mothers. it is
said. were wJfully ignorant about how to
rear babies. The diet never changed
when the children were sick. If they had
cholera infantum they were dosed with
bananas. cocoanuts or raw sweet pickles.
whichever happened 10 be il stock. But
for all this &c Tilley declared pe0p'e
of Guam are a manly. vigorous race.
tractable and anxious TO become good citi-
zens. Gov. TiIIey impressed ON the Pres
ident that there We're great needs for the
islanders for industrial and agricultural
education. Their ideas We're as yet very
crude, but they were making progress.
-:
Cuba has population Of about l.JOO,-
GOO. 0f whom 10000 are native whites.
40 coo foreign whites. -. coo pure
blood negroes. 2SB.0O0 mulattoes or half
breeds and 1900 Chinese. More than
10 per cent are unable 10 read or write.
-
The inSular government al Manila has
saved $4,000 by the passage Of an act
virtually declaring the stone quarries at
Nariveles. in the Bataan province. public
domain and authorizing the use 81 the
stone in the haEbor improvement.
-.
At the present time the total Balance
OF mOneys in the treasury Of Porto Rico.
inclufing trust funds. is between 500
600 and S6000O0. \ balance Of availa-
bic insuIar revenues j n0w held IN the
treasury amounting 10 some ST4.00c o.
$4,000 These figures are FAR in ex .ess
Of those which obtained under the san
ISL q FerumenL