The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-12-19
BURTON AND THE
LABOR QUESTION
SENATOR FORESTALLS ACTION OF
SENATORIAL COMMITTEE AND
AROUSES ADVERSE DEBATE.

WASHINGTON. December 9.-The
Senate devoted most of today to the
immigration bill, and adopted number
of amendments. There was much dis
cussion of an amendment offered by
Burton of Kansas to admit Chinese la
borers to Hawaii. 1t was met with
much opposition, AMI finally was laid on
the table. The provision in the bill pro-
hibiting the sale of liquor in the Capitol
building caused some criticism of the
House for potting it in the bill, but the
provision was not stricken out. During
the day the militia bill was discussed.
1t Will be taken up again Thursday.
The Senate took up the bill to amend
the militia laws of the United States
early in the session. An amendment
offered by w. Cockrell of Missouri was
adopted, designed to prevent future
controversies between the States and
the United States as to when a man
may become a United States soldier.
The bill then went over until Thursday.
Lodge then called up the immigra-
ton bill and explained that an amend
ment yesterday changing the designa-
ton of incomerS from passengers to
ALLEN immigrants" rendered 1t neces-
sary to strike from the bill the exemp-
ton applying to the payment of the
head tax to citizens of the Dominion of
Canada, the republics of Cuba and
Mexico, or a bona fide resident of the
Dominion or republics, and an amend
ment to that effect was agreed to.
Burton offered an amendment to Sec
ton g. the educational section. which
went over for a time, providing that the
educational test shall not apply to the
Territory of Hawaii and also that where
the number of agricultural laborers is
insufficient for the development of the
Territory, Chinese laborers may be adj
mitted
An amendment by McCumber of
North Dakota was adopted, including
professional beggars as among those
States.
Messages from the President trans
hitting the papers in the Pious fund
case and the report of the Governor of
Porto Rico were laid before the SEN
ate and then an amendment to the i'm
migration bill by Hoar of Massachu-
sets was agreed to providing for the
careful inspection of families of aliens
who already have been admitted and
have filed their preliminary declara-
tions for citizenship.
An amendment offered by Bailey Of
Texas was adopted, providing that
skilled labor may be imported if labor
of like kind cannot be found in this
country.
AT the instance of Penrose the Senate
agreed to the substitute for the twenty
first section of the bill extending to two
years the time for the deporta ton of
aliens who become a public charge. The
section as amended specifies lunacy,
| idiocy and epilepsy, and says that
aliens afflicted with either trouble shall
be presumed to have been so affected
| prior to landing in the United States
and shall be deported at the expense Of
the transportation companies bringing
them in.
Burton sought to secure action on his
| amendment introduced earlier in the
! day but Mitchell of Oregon, Of the
| Committee on Pacific Islands and Porto
| Rico, interposed an objection on the
ground that his committee first should
| consider 1t. The amendment opened a
| discussion Of the Chinese question Bur-
| ton declared that the Hawaiians can
not make money because the japanese
have raised the price of labor higher
than the traffic will bear, and he added
that they are not as good citizens as the
Chinese.
Tillman remarked that there may be
other parts of the United States that
might want labor, and he did not see
why we should discriminate in favor
or few corporation pets who own
sugar plantations in Hawaii"
| Foraker of Ohio, differed with him,
and insisted that it was intended to
| benefit all the people of Hawaii.
Burton said the Porto Ricans taken
to Hawaii proved failures. but the
Portuguese had done very well. White
men would not work in the sun in the
| Hawaiian climate. He thought the
| Chinese should be allowed to go TO
Hawaii for agricultural purposes only.
He added that he thought such immi-
grants should be placed under bonds,
and in response to Bacon said he did
not consider that such conditions
would render the Chinese a slave.
Hoar asked Burton whether he
would favor the admission of Chinese
| to do agricultural labor in the United
States. The reply was in the mega
| tive.
"Then," said Hoar, "are you doing to
Hawaii as you would do to the United
States?"
YES" was the reply. 1.-THE white
man will labor in the mainland, while
he will not in Hawaii"
Bailey of Texas made objections to
the proposition to invite Chinese to
come to Hawaii and then to deport
them when they become skilled labor
| ers.
Burton replied that this view was
inspired by the political opinions of
the Texas Senator. 1t could not be