The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-29

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white labor engaged in the work in the |
cane fields is compensated at the rate Of |
FL Is 103zd in the district of Bundaberg.
Ell 50 lid In Mackay. f1 LIS 451d in |
Cairns. with an average for all districts |
of FL lis 01sd per week. or IS I'd per
working day. The South Sea Islander
Is charged with rate and cost amount
Ing to las Sd in Bundaberg, Us I'D in
Mackay, and 13s 111ad in Cairns making
general average of 13s Cd a week, or
2s Sd per working day. Connected with
ascertaining the rates of compensation
1t was attempted to determine the
relative coeificients OF value of white
and South Sea Island labor; and the CO.
efticients of the powers Of the different
| races in the abstract, that is when each
is at its highest. are very various. The
Anglo-Saxon has the highest labor power
in conditions most favorable for its exer-
else. The graduation in the co-efficientS
| of other races is very various and can
descend TO an equivalent that is only
one-half or less than that of the labor
power of the Anglo-Saxon. The co-eff1-
| clients of the labor of the several races
| in abstract are vitality qualified by the
conditions of nature in which the labor
has to be performed, and these qualifi-
cations of labor-pow have to be con-
| siGered in the determination of the value
of labor which is found to depend upon
such as the following factors: Skill, en-
durance and stability in the performance
| of labor. When white labor is consider
| ed In relation TO these factors it is found
that its highest co-efficient of value IN
! Queensland obtains IN the Bundaberg
district, that the co-efficient is notably
| lower in Mackay, and that its value is
reduced to a minimum in the ultra-trop-
! ical district of Cairns. When the South
, Sea Island labor is subjected to the
qualification of the same factors Its value
T., is found to be lowest in the most south
ern districts and highest IN Mackay and
the localities north. In bringing the rela-
/, tive co-efficients of value Into comparison
with the actual rates OF compensation
OF white labor in the three several dis
| tricts it is found that the cost is in in
verse ratio to value; that in the Bunda-
/ berg district where the co-efficient Of the
white man is the highest his labor costs
! least, while in the most northern dis
! trict, Cairns, where the white mans Ia
Dor power is at the lowest, the cost of
that labor is 2612 per cent. higher than
in the district of Bundaberg. This result,
which occasionally can rule the white
man in the north out of competition
with the southern white laborer when
their labor IS engaged in producing the
same commodity for sale at the same
HIlCt anu TIE SAINT COilulLiOIl, appears III
a less impressive degree and in revers-
ed form in the case of the South Sea
Islander. The islander is worth least
and costs most In the most southern
districts. while in the districts of the
Mackay and farther north, where his Ia
Dor power reaches a higher level, the
cost of his labor is least. If the condi-
tons of the cost of labor in the sugar
districts of New South Wales are con-
Sidarad han he laW nd NbSpr1--
ed to obtain in Queensland are found
in more accentuated form. The labor
co-efficient of the white laborer is more
pronounced while the alien sinks in
prominence and concern. From this it
appears that the labor powers in the
climatic extremes of the sugar areas are
made to economically compensate each
other. The higher efficiency of the South
Sea Islanders at the relatively less cost
who predominant numerically in the
northern districts, counterbalancing the
dominating efficiency of the white labor
er who prevails in greater numerical
strength in the districts of the south, |
and whose labor stands at relatively
low cost. In those Districts when compar-
/ ed with the north.
1T is indicated that invention may be
expected to provide mechanical devices
for harvesting the cane crop and other
work. These will further strengthen the
current tendency to substitute the lower
by higher forms of labor when cond-
tons of nature permit. This tendency
is already very marked, and will be &C
CELEBRATED by the settlement of greater
number of white families upon the cane
growing area, resulting also in the more
intense productive cultivation Of the par
TALLY exhausted soils.
The increment of white settlers upon
the sugar growing lands during the past
decade, and the concurrent increase In
the volume of sugar produced, with the
reduction of the number of islanders en-
ployed. demonstrate the present tendency
and indicate that under the current
operation of given natural laws. and par
tieularly in certain ATTITUDES. the Pacific
Islander is relatively a declining factor
in the sugar production of Queensland"
Sydney Herald.
THE HERALD'S COMMENTS.
Advocates of q white Australia will.
on the whole, be encouraged by the re-
port of the expert appointed by the Fed
eral Premier to examine into the condi- |
.ions under which the sugar industry is |
carried on in this State and in Queens
land. From the digest we published yes |
terday ii will be seen that DR.. Maxwell |
has carefully considered these conditions |
In their different aspects, the comparison |
of colored with white labor. the natural |
and climatic differences, rates of wages, |
and the possibilities which must accom- |
pany closer settlement and the use of |
mechanical devices for harvesting the |
cane crop and other work The white |
Australia" argument Will find its best
support in the statement here that the |
Pacific Islander is already declining
factor, relatively speaking, IN the sugar
production OF Queensland But the state
ment does not stand alone. It Is coupled
with the results OF other observations.
showing among other things that while
white labor costs on an average 5s I'd
per working day, that of island labor
averages only IS 3d. But the influence
of natural conditions comes IN here to
discount this calculation and illustrate
the completely OF the subject, for DR..
! Maxwell finds that where white labor