Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-11-21

cussion OF about two hours:
| Whereas. the Merchants Association
Of Honolulu has asked this Exchange
to endorse that portion of the memoir
ial to the subcommittee on Hawaiian
affairs of the Committee on Pacific ISL
ands and Porto Rico OF the United
! States Senate presented by said Asso-
citation. in which Congress is petition
ed to permit Chinese laborers to enter
this Territory to engage in agricultur-
al pursuits only, deportation to be the
penalty OF violating this provisions;
And whereas. the sugar industry is
the sole agricultural pursuit for which
this labor is sought, and said industry
in this Territory Is now suffering ow-
ing to insufficient and unreliable la
Dor;
Z And whereas, said Merchants Asso-
citation affirm that the only reason for
asking Congress to admit such labor
intothis Territory is ito fill the great
gaps in the ranks Of (sugar planta-
ers would not displace a single white
man from any position or In any sense
enter into competition with any white
artisan, mechanic or common labor
err"
4 And whereas. almost the entire
Oriental population Of this Territory,
which in 1900 was S6.S7S against 81
1913 persons OF all other races combin-
ed, was originally brought to Hawaii
to engage in agricultural pursuits only
and in 1901 the Governor reported to
the Secretary Of the Interior that only
S2.513 Asiatics were employed on Ha-
waiian sugar plantations, leaving APP
proximately $4,000 male Asiatics not
employed on sugar plantations;
And whereas. nearly every sugar
plantation in Hawaii today employing
Asiatics not only as field laborers but
as mill hands, carpenters, engineers
and In other mechanical pursuits to
the injury OF white men or Hawa-
iians seeking such positions;
Resolved by the Builders & Traders
Exchange OF Honolulu, Hawaii, repre-
senting the great majority Of the en-
ployers OF skilled labor in this Terri
tory engaged In the building and man
ufacturing lines aside from the man
ufacture of sugar. and the firms hand
ling the various materials and sup
plies used in said lines of business:
First. That a committee of eight
members of this Exchange, represent
Ing as near as may be. the several
trades, industries and material supply
houses connected with this Exchange.
be appointed by the President, which
committee, with the President, who
shall be chairman thereof, shall be
charged with the investigation Of the
following matters, to wit:
/. To what extent have Oriental la
borers heretofore brought to Hawaii to
engage In agricultural pursuits only
displaced white men or Hawaiians
from positions or In any sense entered
into competition with any white or
Hawaiian artisan, mechanic or COM
mon laborer.
2. Cannot the shortage In labor sup
ply at present felt by the sugar plan
tations be supplied from among the
$4,000 Orientals at present resident in
this Territory and not employed on
the sugar plantations?
3. Would not an amendment to thJ
alien contract labor law permitting the
importation of Portuguese satisfactor'
lily supply the labor needed by the su
gar plantations?
4. The superiority OF Chinese ove'
the present japanese cane field labol
being conceded by the Merchants As
ISOLATION, what guarantees have thu
Merchants Association Of Honolulu
and the Hawaiian Sugar Planters AS
ISOLATION to offer that. upon being per
mitted TO import Chinese cane field la
Dor, they would not import such labol
l In quantities which would, to great
> er or less extent, supplant the Japan
ese now so employed and that the ia
] panese thus forced from the sugal
plantations would not displsce whit
q men from positions or In any sens
enter into competition with any whit
A or Hawaiian artisan, mechanic or com
. mon laborer and thus make II increas
!, ingly difficult ito promote trade, me
1 chanical and industrial interests b.
fostering in this community senti
ment in favor OF retaining at least
portion OF the business OF this city 70
the benefit OF American citizens o
those eligible to become such and de
, veloping this community on tradition
al American lines" the main object 10
which this Exchange was organized.
5. Would the members OF the Hawa
liam Sugar Planters Association
willing to discharge every Oriental nc
a citizen OF the United States employe
on their several sugar plantations |
any capacity except that OF field han
within six months from, the date of tn
!. passage by Congress OF the special les
islation for their relief hereinaboy
mentioned and thereafter employ onl
white or Hawaiian persons in the
place?
Second. That said committee sha
compile from the latest available al
thentic sources, the most complete stI
!, tlstics relating to the above question
possible for them to secure within Il
II. brief time allotted them.
IA Third That, in view of the seriol
:, condition of the cane field labor SUI
~ ply and the necessity OF laying Il