The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-11

elsewhere, and are constantly sending
money to China; it being necessary to
employ special clerks in the post Of
fee at Honolulu for registration, upon
the mail days for the the East AS is
usual in Chinese communities in for
eign countries, they supply all their
own needs, and there are bricklayers,
teamsters, and all imaginable trades
and employments filled by the Chinese.
Some Of the Chinese own much land
and are wealthy men; the speaker of
the house of representatives is partly
Chinese. This prosperity is, however,
due more to the racial thrift than to
capability of earning high wages as
skilled laborers.
The Portuguese are good workers,
but it is a significant fact that the
managers on the plantations always
class them with the natives" not with
the whites" Many of the Portuguese
own plots of land and houses, while
most OF them have large families; 1t is
nearly impossible to drive through the
Portuguese quarter because of the
quantities of children in the streets.
The recent immigrants of this race
from Massachusetts, are very satisfac-
tory as field laborers. The negroes who
have arrived have caused endless
trouble on the various plantations and
are not exceptionally good laborers.
1t has been said that the negroes sent
are not of the best class. and that
these latter would be more satisfactory.
While this is undoubtedly true, the
fact remains that the better class negro
would not come for the wages offered
IL. IL nd flan M n ar
are not anxious to pay more. The
whole supply Of labor in the Islands is
subject to one necessity-that OF cheap
ness. In the old days, "a month was
considered ample; now SIS is the aver
age, and with the abolition of the con-
tract system, wages must inevitably
rise. 1t is to this desire for cheapness
that must be ascribed the fact that
most of the foreign immigrants are or
the very lowest class of their race
| The Japanese who arrive, as rule,
are the best class of immigrants. This
is not so strange when it is remember
ed that in 1898 the yearly salary ri
agricultural laborers in Japan was
never higher than $50 for men and 81
for women Domestic servants only re-
ceived up TO SO month, or S36 per
wear. Thus, to them, the wages IN the
Hawaiian plantations must have SEEM
ed very high. being indeed about those
of skilled jewelers. in Japan
! It is difficult TO speak definitely OF
the work of the Porto Ricans. they
having only recently arrived. They
are. however, very cheerful and willing
to work, and probably will do very well
as unskilled laborers. They are ac-
icompanied by but few women, al
though there are always many chill
dren to be found in their quarters.
The following incident in connection
with the Porto Rican immigration is
amusing. and also gives some indica-
ton of the character Of the laborers.
Many of the Porto Ricans arrived at
the plantation half starved and weak
from hunger. When they arrived they
were told that each had credit to the
extent of So at the store. The hsif-
starved men dashed off, bought-soda-
water and candy. Some might have
been seen soon after chewing Jumps oi
rouorice and washing the sticky mass
down with juice from an open tin OF
California pears.
CTo be continued.)