The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-12-09

fetal was willing to wait allowing his
tools to lie idle until the feast was over.
4 very important English ship build
ing concern, convinced that Manila
harbor furnished a very good location.
possibly the best location left in the
East, for "A great ship building and ship
repairing establishment, was prepared
to engage in that enterprise If Ii might
be permitted to bring skilled Chinese
laborers into the islands to start the
work. 1t was expected that with these
trained ship builders Filipinos might
work as apprentices for a time, and ii
was hoped at any rate that within five
or six years the skilled Chinese might
be replaced in part or entirely by equal
ly skilled Filipinos. Until, however, the
company could be assured that II might
import skilled Chinese labor ii was en-
tirely unwilling to invest capital in this
most important enterprise.
4 tobacco planter from Sumatra, of
long and successful experience there,
some two years ago, believing that the
Philippines afforded even a better field
for the operations than Sumatra, start
ed for Manila with the intention of en-
gaging in that enterprise in the north
ern provinces. on reaching Hongkong
he visited the American consul, and
from him first learned that Chinese la
Dor could not be brought into the ISL
ands. From his former experience,
knowing that he could not count on
Malay labor as he could upon Chinese,
he felt that the enterprise under those
conditions would be unsuccessful from
the first. In consequence he turned
about without visiting the islands and
returned to Sumatra.
Many similar instances are cited.
Capital cannot be proftably invested
unless steady labor can be secured to
work it. While certain political agita-
tors, posing as labor leaders, notably
one whom the constabulary have found
it necessary on account of his criminal
disregard of the public peace to arrest,
are urging the native Filipinos to OPP
pose the immigration of Chinese and
to insist upon more and more wages
with fewer hours of labor, practically
all of the more thoughtful and more
patriotic F'ilipinos, as well as the Amer
lean and European residents. are con-
VInced that the islands cannot develop
without the assistance of outside labor.
They are willing to pay as high wages
as can be paid and still permit reason
able competition with Hongkong, Sing
apure and other rival countries in the
East, but they wish the work to be
done.
IT is not purposed by those who have
the interests of the Filipinos most at
heart that the Chinese should be admit
ted 10 the islands without restrictions.
Were that to be done. there is reason
to believe that they would spread rap
idly through the country, and as ped
dlers and merchants, through their
greater thrift and business acuteness,
would draw the careless, improvident
Filipino into their debt to so great an
extent as to seriously hamper the pos
sibilities for his development. On the
other hand they should be encouraged
to come to perform the work which the
Filipiuos themselves are unable or I'M
willing to do.
Probably the best means to secure
these ends would be as follows:
l. Let "a careful registration be made
of every Chinaman in the islands, and
subject every new Chinaman introduced
10 a penalty If he is found away from
his registered city or district of resi-
dence.
2. Permit employers to bring in
Chinese laborers, skilled or unskilled,
urder contract for a short period, from
three to five years.
g. Compel these employers to give
bends for securing the proper care of
the Chinese laborers, for their employ
mcnt at the work specified in the con-
tract, and for the return of each i'm
ported laborer to China at the eXpira-
ton of the period of the contract, unless
in the meantime special permission of
the government is secured to renew the
contract.
4. Appoint immigration officers TO see
that the law is rigidly enforced, both as
regards the proper care and treatment
of the Chinese coolie and the protection
of the Filipinos against evasion of the
contract by the coolie. who in many
instances would probably be glad Il
run away and go elsewhere in the ISL
dnds to become n regular inhabitant.
;. In order to prevent the Philippines
from becoming Il mere halfway station
care should be taken TO prevent the
Chinese from coming to the United
States from the Philippines.
\ measure of this kind would seen
TO protect in every way the ultimate
planters. Moreover, by affording M
opportunity for the profitable invest
ment Of capital with the consequent
development OF the country through
railroads, good highways, and better
transportation facilities Of all kinds
as Weil as Tor the opening and improve
ment of tobacco, rice and hemp planta
tlons and the proper use II the rich tim
Der and mineral resources ~ the isl
ands, the Filipino land owners, an,
workmen as we'll would be directly
benefited, There would be- "A create
demand Tor the native products of th'
soil aud u the seas, while the Filipino
who did not wish 10 engage IN the heaYl
coolie labor would ma much better op
portunllirs than now Tor thrir service
as coaohmen, drivers, clerks, bookkeep
prs ur Wurkmen ut various knds u
pl.Jiuus which sun tHu.r taste.