The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-19
Special Commissioner Plans Visit
to Plantations Here and
on Hawaii.
Men interested in Sugar Do Not Look Kindly
Upon Any Further Experiments
With Negro Workers.

Special Commissioner T. Thomas
Fortune, who is representing the
Treasury Department in a study of the
labor and sociological conditions in the
islands of the Pacific, will begin at
once to acquire the data which will
furnish his basis for a report upon the
needs of Hawaii. y
Mr.. Fortune spent yesterday in call
ing upon some old friends and making
some new ones, and while he did not
begin his work, he will be in shape to
start it intelligently as the result of
his preliminary talks. He will visit
scme of the estates and meet practical
men here, and, if his plans go through,
will leave ON Tuesday next for Hawaii,
going down by the Kinau and passing
over the mountain, visiting the volcano
en- route, and returning by the Mauna
Loa.
Mr.. Fortune will be accompanied on
this trip by some representative man
who will be able to put him in contact
with the men who will be the very best
sources of information, and he will
thus have no trouble in securing just
what he wants. He has not decided at
all on his little journeys about Oahu,
but will be guided largely by the in
formation he receives in meeting met
who are interested largely in sugar and
who from here can give him much
information concerning the entire
group.
1t is probable that an effort will be
made to secure an informal joint meet
ing of the Chamber Of Commerce the
Merchants Association, and the Plant
ers' Association for the purpose of hav-
ing Mr.. Fortune outline his ideas in
connection with the advantages of ne
gro labor for field work. This is in 40
way connected with his mission, but
the past quarter of century, which
has been looking to the uplifting of the
race of which he is a representative.
His mission is one OF investigation,
entirely, but he has been for so long
devoted to the cause of his people that
he will embrace any opportunity to dis
cuss their capacity and adaptability for
the climates of the tropics.
Mr.. Fortune does not expect to make
any report of length before the sum-
mer, his work here being, of course,
the collection OF facts and figures. He
will report progress from Honolulu,
and will write his report, which will
be an elaborate one, after his return to
the states. which he expects will be
sometime in May, next.
HOW PLANTERS LOOK ON 1T.
Men interested in plantations are
looking to the future from the lessons
of the past, and without exception are
of opinion that the introduction of ne
gro laborers would have a decidedly
hurtful effect upon the Islands, from
every point of view. They do not be-
lieve that there could be brought here
q class of laborers who would be bet
ter than those who have been secured
in the past, and as result cannot bring
themselves to look upon such a change
in the character of the field workers
with any degree Of complacency. One
man put it "a last resort" and this
may be taken as the belief of the great
majority of the men who are now en-
trusted with the care of the sugar in
terests of the Islands.
f. D. Tenney, of the firm Of Castle &
Cooke, does not think there could be
any good come from the experiments.
He said: Every attempt which has
been made to secure such labor has
heen a failure and 1 do not believe the
labor is OF a character which will suit
the conditions. The men secured in
the past have not been those who came