The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-10-01
Kukaiau. Paauilo. Hawaii.
Sept. 20, 1902.

Editor Advertiser have read Mr.
A. S. Humphreys statement before the
Commission and must say it's the most
misleading and mischievous dis
tortion of facts that have
ever heard of; and if these gentle
work a great deal of harm to all the
residents of these Islands. Now Mr..
Humphreys may know something
about law, and government, ETC., but
when he begins to talk of the labor
question, and the sugar industry of
Hawaii his utterance sounds more like
the views of some poor native or white
renegade, than the remarks to be ex-
pected of a lawyer. Now have been
| between twenty and thirty years upon
various plantations and ought to know.
something about them, and I say that
when Mr.. Humphreys states that white
| men can, or rather will, do the field
work as laborers on the plantations of
Hawaii, he does not know what he is
| talking of. I will say that at first
had hoped to see a great white popula-
ton on the plantations, but every eff
| fort that | have made, or heard of, or
seen others make, have all turned out in
failure; and every new trial shows the
utter uselessness of further effort in
this direction, Mr.. Humphreys also
says that no true or earnest effort has
ever been made to try to induce white
men to work as field laborers. But
does he not know that efforts were
made to introduce white laborers here
l
before he was born?
Capt. MCGEE, of Ulupalakua, Maui,
was the first, 1 think, to try this class
of American laborers; but it only re-
suited in disappointment, and failure;
as have all the efforts that have been
tried since Germans, and Norwegians
and various other nationalities have
also been tried without success. And
even the Portuguese that were at one
time supposed to be just the men for
this class of work, now, with few ex-
cepticns, turn from it with disgust.
And the rising generation, with few ex-
ceptions, will MT think Of working on
plantation other than as teamsters or
on some other light work. The fact OF
the matter is, that Americans are made
| of too good stuff to do this class OF
work, and they know it.
| And if Mr. Humphreys has any
doubts of this, let him try but one
DAYS work cutting or stripping cane,
| and if he enjoys being blinded with the
glare of the sun from the glistening
cane, or choked UP with dust. or burnt
up by the terrible heat, when not
breath of air, or wind can be felt; TO-
say nothing of swinging cane knife
all day long, then he is just the man
for a field laborer and the man to in
| troduce others.
In regard to the harsh treatment,
docking, ETC., OF the Japanese, and Chi
nese laborers I will say in all my long
experience I have never, with one or
two exceptions, seen them treated any
worse, and often not so bad, as they
deserved Mr.. Humphreys must know
there are among them, as among the
lawyers, men who are bent on mischief,
and who aim to make all the trouble
they can. Many of these Japanese are
among the most brutal, and lowest
specimens of humanity and think moth
ing of death, or of killing others. And
had Mr. Humphreys been smashed on
the ground, by one of them, and had
this same Jap start to MAIN him for
life, or perhaps kill him if he could, as
many. luna, and manager too for that
matter, has been treated. he, perhaps
would not have such sickly sympathy
for them. Or if he had been belted over
the head with a hoe. or a shovel, or
slashed with a cane knife he would not
feel like singing their praise quite so
much. The fact of the matter is, that
~ Of
and Chinese are good men, there are
always found some of them that are
vicious and lazy, and some means must
be taken to bring them to their senses;
| and as docking seemed to be the most
effective, it was sometimes used, but
almost always with moderation. But
as very little, or any, of this is gong
| on at the present time, what good IS
| to be done by bringing up old griev-
ances? Mr.. Humphreys also says that
these Iaborers are now on some planta-
ton working for $500 per month VIII
| he be kind enough to say where these
plantations are to be found? Also who
were the men, or body of men, that re-
ouested him to air his views on the
labor question:
| I notice that Mr.. Humphreys has an
| other grievances and that is the fact
that too high dividends are paid by the
sugar plantations
Now we do not know any of these
fortunate places, but we do know that
most of the plantations are cutting
down expense to the lowest notch, ana
then can scarcely make both ENDS
meet. Does Mr. Humphreys know that
mechanics, and lunas. and many other
men of this class are being laid OFF al
most on every plantation, and that
there are now hundreds of this class
of men that can find neither work or
any means of making living. II he
does not, he knows nothing about the
| true condition of the sugar industry,
or the labor question Of Hawaii.S