The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-11-29
PROBLEMS OF CHINESE
LABOR IN PHILIPPINES
Islands Make Same Demand as Hawaii and for
Same Reason---Ag ricuIturaI Prosperity
Dependent on Cooe Field Hands.

tools to lie idle until the feast was over.
A 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 d great ship building and snip
repairing establishment, was prepared
to engage in that enterprise If 1t 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 time, and 1t
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 it might
import skilled Chinese labor it was en-
tirely unwilling to invest capital in this
most important enterprise.
A 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 fSr Manila with the intention of en-
gaging IN that enterprise in the north
ern provinces. On reaching Hongkong
/ ne visited Jne NAANeNtA NCiAN7NA' 1890
from him first learned that Chinese Ia
Dor could not be broughf\1nto the ISL
ands. From his former experience,
knowing that he could not counf>9n
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 probably 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 Filipinos, as well as the Amer
| lean and European residents are con-
vlmced 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
apore and other rival countries in the
East, but they wish the work to be
done.
1t is not purposed by those who have
the interests of the Filipinos most at
heart that the Chinese should be admit
ted tC 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
Filipinos themselves are unable or I'M
willing to do.
Probably the best means to secure
these ends would be as follows:
1. Let a careful registration be made
of every Chinaman in the islands, and
subject every new Chinaman introduced
to a penalty if he is found away from
his registered city or district of resi-
dence.
2. Permit employers to bring in
u
urder contract for short period, from
three to five years.
g. Compel these employers to give
bonds for securing the proper care of
the Chinese laborers, for their employ
ment 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
Al al cciCT IF
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 Fflipinos against evasion of the
: contract by the coolie, who in many
instances would probably be glad tt
run away and go elsewhere in the isl
ands to become a regular inhabitant
5. In order to prevent the Philippine:
= from becoming a mere halfway station
care should be taken to prevent the
+ Chinese from coming to the United
+ States from the Philippines.
:, a measure of this kind would seen
e TO protect in every way the ultimat
d rs well as the present interests o
~ opportunity for the profitable invest
y ment of capital with the consequen
: development of the country throug
y railroads, good highways, and bette
transportation facilities of all kind:
I as We'll as for the opening and improve
Is ment of tobacco, rice and hemp planta
L tons and the proper use of the rich tin
lie Der and mineral resources of the is
+ ands, the Filipino land owners. an
lie workmen as well, would be directl
III benefited. There would be a create
Ell demand for the native products of tt
la soil and of the seas, while the Filipino
Id who did not wish to engage in the heay
g coolie labor would find much better OF
portunities than now for their servic,
IN as coachmen, drivers, clerks, bookkeel
ne ers, or workmen of various kinds
10 positions which suit their taste
he
in Parke-'I believe in letting my sc