Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-05-22
Merchants Exchange
EXPRESSES ITSELF .
On Question Of Labor

The Builders & Traders Exchange
held an important meeting last even
ing. They presented to the new De-
partment Of Commerce and Labor the
most concrete proposition that has yet
been laid before It from these islands.
THE development OF the Territory
along traditional American lines" is
their slogan, taken from President
Roosevelt's memorable first message
to Congress, American citizens first.
non-citizens second, is the keynote of
the attitude of this young but infiuen-
tial organization. They wanted only
citizen or eligible to become citizen
labor employed on the public works
of Hawaii and its, counties. They got
it, They drew law and the Legis-
lature passed 1t. The Exchange think
this new law will not only help the
citizen mechanic, but the planter as
well by reducing desettiohs from plan
tations.
Now the Exchange wants the Federal
government 10 take the same position,
and if COMMISSIONS Sargent was cor
rectly quoted. they viii get II, II he has
any influence with the new Depart
ment of Labor and the President of
the United States. II probably lies
within the power of the President to
make the direction asked for by the
Exchange as set out in its short but
succinct letter to him on the subject,
appearing elsewhere.
But the Exchange realizes that sugar
is the backbone of the Territory and is
not anxious to kill the goose that lays
the golden egg. They therefore put
themselves squarely on record by an
other letter drafted by the chairman
of their Legislative Committee, l.. +.
1 Pinkham, as not opposed to the Chin
csc or other Oriental for race or other
narrow reasons, but simply against the
Oriental who insists on being an ORR
entail and as such is fit for plantation
field labor and little more.
IL may be remarked in passing that
Mr.. Pinkham drew the memorial which
the Exchange presented TO the Sena-
torial Commission last year and which
admittedly gave the cue to the other
organizations ms to what they should
do. He also drew the present labor
law with the assistance Of Chief Jus.
tice Frear, who drew the iron clad
penalty clause which is the meat of the
whole thing.
Having put his hand to the pillow
and secured the citizen skilled labor"
| clause in the Y. VI. c. A. and Y. w, c..
A. vacation house contracts, the EX-
change does not propose to look back.
but has authorized its Secretary to
write to every person. in town who is
reported about to build and ask them
to put that clause in their contracts,
as the Odd Fellows have already done
and as Kerr has done, at the request
OF the Exchange, The Secretary fur
ther was authorized to advise all such
owners intending TO build that IL they
would advise the Exchange that they
had complied with the request of the
Exchange, which employs about nene-
ty per cent of the citizen skilled labor
of the city, their names would be post
ed on white list" on the bulletin
board of the Exchange, so that every
member and any Interested party
might know who! among the business
men favored citizen or eligible to be-
come citizen labor in preference to 9TH
ers. -
For years this town has talked about
the Asiatic question aud for two and
half years and more the Exchange has
discussed its solution. Now they pro-
pose to take the tack of give the cit
izen a. show" and II. results follow as
rapidly in the future as they have in
the past since the Exchange last year
began to take some definite action in
the matter, the exodus of citizen and
eligible to become citizen, labor from
Honolulu will shortly cease and the
stores will feel the good effects of the
crusade. ...r..............-. Of
The Exchange has put back It's ini-
'tiation fee to the s. mark, where 1t was
when the organization adopted its
present name a year ago. 'and II will
be kept there until the 100 lin
membership is passed, when it will 90
back to $25. The dues have been re-
duced to 81 a month and the Exchange
feel that no eligible contractor or firm
of the city, real estate, insurance or
building supplies that wants to see
business conditions improve here and
wants a citizen population encouraged
in this city will now hesitate on ac-i
count of the expense, but that their,
membership will speedily reach the
full limit. Provision is made for out
of-town firms or individuals who wish
to join and help the cause along by