The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-12-16
THE LABOR
ISSUE IN THE
ISLANDS
CONTINUED from Friday. I..ur)

are capable OF any work and must bo
considered as the mainstay OF the plan
tations. They are very quick to learn
and easy to manage, being a very
peaceable and contented set of men and
women. Governor Dole speaks most
highly of their conduct and the value
Of their work, while the general opin-
ion of the authorities IS that the Jap
anese can improve things as well as
initiate them. Professor w. D. Alex
ander. President of the Board of Edu-
cation in Hawaii said of them in Sg5
They manifest an increasing tend
ency TO settle permanently in the
Islands with the approval of their gov
eminent Under the most favored ma
ton clause of the treaty OF 1871. the
japanese government has claimed for
them entire political equality with any
other class of foreigners in the country.
Their characteristic traits are well
known. Their competition with white
traders and artisans is even more dan
gerous than that of the Chinese. They
are versatile. ingenious and ready to
learn new methods. No race in this
country appears to be more tenacious
OF its nationality or less inclined to
renounce its allegiance to its home
government and to become thoroughly
identified with Hawaii
The Japanese spend more money
than do the Chinese and rarely send
money back TO Japan. preferring to
settle in the Islands and bring their
families. Not only on the plantations
do the Japanese predominant. they are
everywhere and in every branch of
trade and labor-builders, storekeepers.
BARRIERS, contractors. stevedores. labor
ers and domestic servants-to mention
no others. At every turn the japanese
are to be met with, and generally
very prosperous and comfortably set
tied. An idea may be formed of the
extent of the Japanese interests in Ho-
nolulu itself from the fact that a sum
of 100000 was voted to indemnity
them for damages consequent upon the
fire Of 1900. This fire was accidentally
started during the plague visitation.
and destroyed the Chinese portion Of
Honolulu-only a comparatively small
part of the whole city area.
Some statistics as to the relative ed
ucation OF the races may be of interest
In 1898 1t was estimated that S52S |
per cent of the Hawaiians and part
Hawaiians could read and write: $3.50
per cent Of the Americans and Europe
ans Exclusive of Portuguese): 27.Si
per cent of the Portuguese: and 51.10 |
per cent of the Japanese. Chinese and
South Sea Islanders. There are many
Chinese schools and some Portuguese
but the government schools, and those
recognized by It, have to be taught in
English-education being compulsory.
The jail reports from the Oahu prison
in Honolulu give the following stats
tics for 1900: 30.16 per cent of the
priSOnprS Wara Hawaiian rna1oc No,
cent Hawaiian females; 44.19 per cent
foreign males; 9.53 per cent Chinese
males; 1i.55 per cent japanese male; |
and .63 per cent japanese females In /
the old days, when the difficulty of OBJ |
tanning labor had not become so acute, |
the "lunas.' or lower Overseers used |
TO beat the laborers without mercy on
the slightest preteXt, and frequent dis
turbances resulted. Now such action !
on the part of luna" would be re-
warded by his instant dismissal. Re- I
Gently, as the result Of an inquiry into
the causes of an alleged maltreatment
OF Chinese laborers on one OF the es-
tates, no fewer than four "lunas" were
dismissed and the manager received 4
severe caution from the authorities
The planters are turning in every d.
rection to discover more labor for the
future, and are so little confident Of the
Porto Rican supply that they have
talked even OF importing Filipinos 10
work on the plantations.
1t is thought that if Cuba Is given
over to sugar planting the Porto Ri
cans are more likely to go to the neigh
boring island than to cross the Pacific
10 Hawaii. Ii is more than ever a diff
fcult question how to supply the plan
tation needs, now that the contract
system is abolished However. doubt
less some way will be found. because
the sugar industry is too important a
one to be allowed to die out. however
IT may be hampered by paucity OF la
Dorers.
SUGAR is HAWAITS KING.
The Hawaiian Territory is essentially
sugar country, nearly all OF those
who once planted coffee having con-
verted their plantations into sugar
cane fields, finding IL more profitable
10 sell their cane to one OF the mills
than 10 grow coffee. This is To be de-
plored, because IL makes IL unlikely
that Hawaii could stand any accident
10 the sugar industry and makes the
authorities of the Islands strain every
nerve to supply the labor market At
present the Hawaiian sugar output Is
one-tWentieih OF the worlds output, ,
and IL Is likely TO increase rather than
diminish. In 1898 the value OF the
sugar industry was nearly $4,000 900,
and the export was valued al sl6,Gl5- |,
1893 out Of a total export Of Sl7,34G74i; l.,
while In 1900 the export amounted 10
,2l ,sss,bi5 These figures show how
essential the sugar industry is 10 Ha-
vail without Il the total exports fOr
1898 would have been only S73l iO5, as
compared with imports valued al
al $50 $50,
An examination Of the present condl-
ilQn Of Hawaii ana the sugar Industry
eads 10 The startling discovery that il
only the Japanese labor which makes
ne sugar Industry possible our of a
lnnulnIIln Of uhnuI nom Mnn ~. 49, |