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


between planters and employees has
been introduced with much success. TO
quote from the Handbook on the
Sugar Industry of the Hawaiian
Islands: AT the well-known Eva
Plantation, nearly 600 Asiatics and
small group of Americans are aow
cultivating cane upon the following
cooperative basis. The plantation
with its steam plows and special equip
ment prepares and plants the ground
and gives the cane its first irrigation.
1t also furnishes the laborer with free
house, fuel and water, a garden Plot
and medical service If needed Guilt
waiting tools. water for irrigation, and
movable railroad track for harvesting
the cane are all furnished free. The
plantation also makes monthly al
vances of cash (without INTEREST," for
the living expenses of the laborer.
The laborer agrees to cultivate ana
strip the cane, and cut and deliver it
on the cars. under general direction of
the plantation manager. On his failing
to do so properly, the manager is priv
ileged to do the work and charge the
same to the tenant at regular rates of
wages. At the mill the cane is weighed
and the laborer receives one-sixth of
the sale proceeds, the entire cost of
manufacture being borne by the plan
tation. Immediately after grinding,
settlement is made with the worker a
a fixed rate per ton of sugar: later,
when the returns are had on that ship
ment, any balance due the laborer Is
paid over to him. Contracts for Guilt
walton are usually made to cover an
entire field, the ground being subdivid-
ed among a group of laborers, assign
ing about seven acres to Asiatics and
ten acres to American laborers. On
this basis il Is expected that white
laborers will make about $40 per
month and Asatcs in proportion.
This with free house rent fuel, water
and garden. is certainly very fair
return for unskiled labor"
AS to the positions filled by the diff
ferent races, "A rough division may be
made as follows: The Portuguese are
the teamsters and lower overseers
0unas) the Hawaiians are employed
in light work and about the mills,
Chinese, Porto Ricans and Negroes do
simply coolie work in the fields and the
mills: while the japanese are to be
found everywhere. Practically all
skilled workmen, as well as great
portion of the field laborers, are Jap
anese. For instance, on one plantation
on the Island of Oahu, The Waialna
Agricultural Company, Limited, where
there are 2100 men employed, over
900 of them are japanese. There ale
200 Portuguese and 40 whites, about
200 Porto Ricans, and the rest mainly
Chinese. On this plantation there are
also about 100 Japanese women ON
ployed, who earn up to SIG month.
Their household work is so slight that
the women find it easy to work in the
fields and add to the household reve-
nue.. This plantation may be taken rs
typical of all the others; as, although
of comparatively recent establishment,
1t will soon have the largest output of
any in the Islands, and it is equipped
with the newest and most perfect ma
chinery. All this machinery is run by
Japanese engineers, there being only
three white engineers to superintend
the work In the mill the large pump
which supplies all the water necessary
for the extraction of the sugar Is in
absolute charge of Japanese engineer.
The plantation hours are from b
m. to 4:30 p. m. with half an hour for
lunch and Sunday holiday. In addl-
workmen, who are principally employ
ed in irrigation and in clearing the
dead leaves from the fields. The wages
for field work average s1S per molh,
while the skilled laborers earn $50 or
even $40 per month. All the men pro
vide for their own food; horses are
provided by the plantation, and grouad
for gardens. Only the Chinese and the
Japanese avail themselves of the lat
ter, growing most of the vegetables
for their own use. The stores on the
plantation are generally run by Chi
nese who worked their contract time
out and saved enough money to become
proprietors in a small way. There Is a
good deal OF sub-letting OF cultivation
and clearing work done, principally u
japanese, who are excellent business
men, knowing the value OF cane, land,
labor, etc. exactly.
RACIAL CHARACTERISTICS.
But in dealing with each race of la
borers separately IL Is better TO leave
the japanese TO the last, because there
Is so much more TO say about them,
filling, as they do, such varied posi-
lions. The Chinese are very industri-
Gus and plodding field laborers, not too
lNlflllE'HNt bAA N'l WHINE w w WV
what 10 do, Since immigration ceased
altogether at the time OF the anneNa-
ton, and had been much restricted be-
fore, Il Is impossible to obtain fresh
Chinese laborers, and those on the
plantations are becoming old and worn
out, The Chinese are thrifty here as
elsewhere, and are constantly sending
, money 20 China; Il being necessary "a
employ special clerks In the post Of
fee az Honolulu for registration, upon
the mail days for the the East As II
usual in Chinese communities Ia fOT'
70 aign countries, they supply all theil
. own needs, ana there are bricklayers
q teamslers, ana all imaginable tradaf
= ana empl0ymenis 1llfd boy the Chinese
4 Some ~ the Chinese own much land
b and arc wealthy men he speaker III
q the lguHg UI TfuTtHUUHt lkfH 10 UlfIli