The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-12-20
REASONS AGAINST
ASIATIC LABOR
COMMISSIONER FORTUNE TELLS
BUILDERS AND TRADERS WHY
ASIATTCS ARE UNDESIRABLE.

Speaking at the request of the Build
ers' and Traders Exchange before their
meeting on Monday evening, Commits
siOner Fortune outlined the general
objections to Oriental labor as held on
the mainland and which he thinks will
effectually gag any attempt to get
Oriental labor in this territory. He
further suggested remedies and, at the
urgent request of those present, outlin-
ed what could be done in the way of
obtaining negro labor prefacing his
remarks with the statement that he did
not intend to advocate their impOrta-
ton and understood that there was a
decided objection to such a course, but
spoke merely to state that if such la
bOrer was wanted he could show
means of securing it and a practical
guarantee that it would prove salts
factory.
Commissioner Fortune stated that he
was reluctant to talk upon the labor
subject but would do so unofficially
and purely as an observer. This was
after a considerable discussion of the
Asiatic labor problem had taken place
| between the members. 81 am afraid"
said the speaker, that I shall have to
speak rather strongly as it may seem
to you, on the ideas of the Exchange,
which is l believe far from the solution
of this important question, according to
the lines you seem to be working on at
present" He then proceeded in effect
as follows:
"The Asiatic laborer is not upon the
| same scale as his American rival. He
benefits from the high civilization
which has resulted in the great oriental
concentration of the art of living, which
means cheap wages. Along the lines
of domestic economy there is no COM
parison between the races. The Asia
| tic eats less and feeds cheaper. His
clothing amounts to nothing beside
! that of an American. His residence
does not increase a demand for home
products but assists Oriental industries
at the expense of our own, while ulti-
mately the Asiatic becomes a COMPETE
tor of the white man in many walks of
life beside field work and in which the
latter has to live on much higher
| scale"
1.-The Oriental is not available as a
fighting force in time of war and might
indeed, in a territory like this, become
a complication. The Oriental should
either be a citizen with all the respOn-
sibilities of that privilege or exit the
country, The idea of ultimate return
to their own land was too forcibly in
planted in them.
"White men will not come to the ter
rltOry which shows so much Oriental
domination in numbers and aggressive
competition. The cheapest man will
always be employed and the white man
cannot begin to compete with the
Oriental. 1t was a question of econo-
mics not race. Chinese and japanese
were alike disliked. The remedy he
thought was easy. Chinese restriction
was brought by the call from the labor
ing men of America and a previous
treaty revoked. If a treaty was chang
ed for the Chinese it could be with the
Japanese."
In answer to a question as to the
policy of this, the speaker said that the
Japanese had many ideas as to theiI
universal greatness which had yet tC
be exploded and that America was
neither dependent upon nor afraid OF
the Japanese nation.
Asked to talk about negro labor ano
it's application here Mr.. Fortune was
very loath to discuss the matter stat
ing that he was not here to talk an6
make SUGGESTIONS. Besides he under
stood that there was a great objection
to them coming here and that mos
thought the negro vicious, lazy and fl
for Jail Those who had come here
said the speaker, We're very likely al
of them better off in jail but they wer'
the wrong kind. There We're many
field hands who were now dissatisfied
with legal conditions at home and thou
sands of them had paid their own fare!
to go to the west coast of Africa where
their wages were far smaller than a
home.
Senator Dickey estimated that tn,