The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-09-09
Honolulu. August 1sth. 1gO2.

M. Mitchell, Chairman.
conference.-the present deplorable
condition of the affairs of the Territory
of Hawaii, in it's relation to the general
government of the United States, rem
derrs it incumbent upon representative
local business organizations to cali
your attention to matters OF public well
fare.
! Isolation: The Hawaiian Islands are
| so distant from the mainland in fact,
the most distant large insular body in
| the world, that there is necessarily a
multiplication of governmental, social,
! and business institutions, and attend
ant expense out of all proportion to the
character and number of inhabitants as
| compared with Continental United
| States.
! EXposure Situated directly in the
| highway of the Pacific, with frequent,
| aften almost daily, steamship commu-
! nication with Oriental and Australian
| ports, en- route to and from the Pacific
coast, Honolulu and Hawaii are ex-
! tremely exposed to the violent epidemic
! diseases such as create public appre-
! henson and terror. This occasions
public expenditure beyond comparison
with the numbers and wealth of this
community. This expenditure is cease
! less, as, by such vigilance only, is the
safety of health secured.
Hawaii, at its present sole expense,
stands as guard and quarantine be-
tween the Orient and United States
ports.
Expense of Leper Maintenance:
| While the number of these unfortun-
ate beings the lepers, is gradually de-
| Creasing yet, at the present they and
their children and attendants, public
| charges, segregated on the Island of
Molokai, number one thousand and
nine, costing the Territorial Govern
! ment to maintain, one hundred and
thirty-eight thousand, two hundred and
sixty dollars, annually.
| To comprehend what a charge this
! special misfortune imposes on this
small community, let your Committee
realize this charge is equal to the peo-
| pie of the Continental United States
maintaining 1000 persons in complete
! idleness, at an annual cost of $7O,O95,-
10000. Such a burden would seem to
| the people of the United States as too
onerOus to be borne.
In addition, Hawaii is obliged to
maintain all other enlightened institu-
! tons, prison, reform, charity, hospital
and educational establishments.
This unusual condition and pheno-
menal burden should make a profound
and lasting impression on your minds
/ ana recommendations.
Race and Social Conditions: In Ha-
wall, Occidental and Oriental civiliza-
| ton meet in contest parellelled in no
other country on the globe.
! When the time comes that the Orien-
! tai aliens, as a body, insist on a cor
responding standard of living and fam
lily status to that of the white men, the
/ danger of the overthrow of Caucasian
| civilization will cease. To attempt to
regulate by lazy, these differences, is
well nigh impossible. 1t is in the pow
er of the National Legislature, and par
! tiCularly in the power of the National
Executive Departments, the Army and
Navy, to throw their Government pat
ronage in support of the civilization
| they embrace and expect to have pre-
| served for them and their successors
| Labor Situation: 1t is not in the
! province of this committee to attempt
| recommendations as to the labor prob
| lem confronting our main and almost
| exclusive industry, the raising of SUI
| gar. We do request your keen atten-
ton to the fact that skilled labor is
| being driven from employment, from
| the Islands, or to a lower, meaner and
almost intolerable scale of living,
through the competition of alien labor.
| Private seltishness cannot be controll-
| ed. We, however, most emphatically
! protest against any action of the
! United States Government, through it's
| local and official representatives, in
! employing, directly or indirectly,
! through contracts, contractors, or 9TH
| erwise, alien labor.
SO far as Hawaii is concerned, such
action by United States officials or con-
, tractors undermines the body polite,
and must react on the general welfare,
social and political.
! We believe all United States Con
tracts or enterprises requiring nominal
! skilled labor, should, by law, if posi-
Bile, or by Executive instruction, be con-
! fined to labor other than alien, and on
a scale of compensation permitting
American civilized standards of living
Politics as Related to Business: The
! peculiar political and specially legal
! lied economic conditions existing for
many years in the Hawaiian Islands.
produced a bias, and expectation of
| continued special privileges, that many,
! even of our most intelligent and inter-
eSted citizens could not overcome dur
| ing the earlier periods of annexation
| On their support and patriotism this
! Territory must rely for sound economic
and political conditions. Their better
judgment will ultimately prevail, and a
campaign of education and more ele-
| Ndlcu pOllllCS ne lnauSQfateQ. 1t is
doubtful if a peaceful community can
be secured by discrimination in stuff
rage.
| Business has been unfaVorably effect
ed by many apprehensions as to the
course of general and local govern
ment, and the misgiving still exists.
However, there are enough good, intel
ligent citizens, who by sound, unset
fish measures, and public election this
fall, will disclose the situation. We
submit If the issue OF good government
is forced by events, the United States
should so amend its organic act as to
provide a most stringent and enlarged.
veto power in proper hands, for the
control of local affairs, Territorial and
Municipal.
Losses from Bubonic Plague The
facts have been fully laid before Con-
gress, in Senate Report No. 1888, 57th
Congress, LIST Session, and relief petit
toned The Justice and necessity of
such relief should be apparent.
Public Federal Improvements: To