The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-11-21
ON
LABORERS
Builders Start New In.
quiry Into All the
Conditions.

ers' Exchange before they agree to the
resolution OF the Merchants Association
/ In relation to the admission of Chinese
/ labor into the Territory. This was in
dicated during all the discussions .cf
/ the Exchange had at the regular meet
! ing last night, and the scope which il
/ is desired shall be taken in the propos.
. ed inquiry is shown in the following
resolution, passed after the discussion
of more than two hours:
Whereas the Merchants Association
Of Honolulu has asked this Exchange
to endorse that portion of the memorial
to the subcommittee on Hawaiian af-
fairs of the Committee on Pacific ISL
ands and Porto Rico of the United
states Senate presented by said Assoc
citation, in which Congress is petitioned
to permit Chinese laborers to enter this
Territory to engage in agricultural pur-
suits only deportation to be the penalty
of violating this provision;
And Whereas the sugar industry is
the sole agricultural pursuit for which
this labor is sought, and said industry
in this Territory is now suffering owing
to insufficient and unreliable labor;
And Whereas said Merchants Assoc
citation affirm that the only reason for
asking Congress to admit such labor
into this Territory is ito I'll the great
gaps in the ranks of (sugar plantation)
field hands" and that such laborers
would not dsplace single white man
from any position or in any sense enter
into competition with any white arti-
san, mechanic or common laborer;"
And Whereas almost the entire Orien-
.,,I 90 hi x,.hi ln
in 1900 was S6,S7s against 67,123 persons
of all other races combined, was origi-
nally brought to Hawaii to engage in
agricultural pursuits only and in 1901
the Governor reported to the Secretary
of the Interior that only 32.5l3 Asiatics
were employed'on Hawaiian sugar plan
tations, leaving approximately $4,000
male Asiatics not employed on sugar
plantations:
And Whereas nearly every sugar
plantation in Hawaii is today employ
ing Asiatics not only as field laborers
but as mill hands, carpenters, en-
gineers and in other mechanical pur-
suits to the injury of white men or
Hawaiians seeking such POSITIONS:
Resolved by The Builders & Traders
Exchange of Honolulu, Hawaii repre-
senting the great majority of the EN-
ployers of skilled labor in this Terri
tory engaged in the building and man
ufacturing lines aside from the manu-
facture of sugar. and the firms hand
ling the various materials and supplies
used in said lines of business:
First. That a Committee of eight
members of this Exchange, represent
ing, as near as may be, the several
trades, industries and material supply
houses connected with this Exchange,
be appointed by the President, which
Committee, with the President, who
shall be chairman thereof, shall be
charged with the investigation of the
following matters, to wit:
/. To what extent have Oriental la
borers heretofore brought to Hawaii to
engage in Agricultural pursuits only
displaced white men or Hawaiians from
positions or in any sense entered into
competition with any white or Hawai-
ian artisan, mechanic or common la
borer.
.. Cannot the shortage in labor sup
ply at present felt by the sugar plan
tations be supplied from among the
$4,000 Orientals at present resident in
this Territory and not employed on the
sugar plantations?
8. Would not an amendment to the
alien contract labor law permitting the
importation of Portuguese satisfactory
ly supply the labor needed by the sugar
plantations?
4. The superiority of Chinese over
the present Japanese cane field labor
being conceded by the Merchants AS
ISOLATION, what guarantees have the
Merchants Association of Honolulu and
the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Associa-
ton to offer that, upon being permitted
TO import Chinese cane field labor, they
would not import such labor in guam
titles which would, to a greater or less
extent, supplant the japanese now so
employed and that the Japanes thus
forced from the sugar plantations
would not displace white men from
positions or in any sense enter into
competition with any white or Hawai-
ian artisan, mechanic or common la
borer and thus make it increasingly DIFF
ficult ito promote trade, mechanical
and Industrial interests by fostering in
this community a sentiment in favor
OF retaining at least a portion of the
business of this city for the benefit of
American citizens or those eligible to
become such and developing this COM
munity on traditional American lines"
the main object for which this Ex-
change was organized.
2. Would the members Of the Hawai-
ian Sugar Planters Association be
willing 10 discharge every Oriental not
citizen Of the United States employed
ON their several sugar plantations In
any capacity except that OF field hand
within six months from the date Of the
49, ~ IL
lslation for their relief hereinaboye
mentioned and thereafter employ only
white or Hawaiian persons In their
place.
Second, That said Committee shall
compile from the latest available au-
theniic sources the most complete
statistics relating % the above ques'
lions possible for them 20 secure with
IN The brief time allotted them,
Third That, In view ~ the serious
condition ~ tho cane feld labor sun