The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-09-05
ATTEMPT TO GET CHINESE
LABOR FOR THE TERRITORY

the class who could not do manual Ia
bo- under a tropic sun, and yet who
Constitute the brains of a State. All
wealth is from the soil and to develop
the resources of Hawaii a suitable i'm
migration is as compulsory as the i'm
portation of agricultural tools or fer
tilizers. And this too must be renew
able, as labor will wear out as do the
latter.
immigration from Japan should not
be encoura ged for various reasons.
Firstly, that the influx of that people
to the exclusion of others merely be-
cause of the facility of obtaining them.
would tend to Japanize the country
and from their well known character
istics it is believed their governing
would require an expensive machinery
and their residence would check the
growth of the desired middle class of
CaucasianS.
Secondly, they look on Hawaii as a
stepping stone to the mainland, the
Mecca of the Oriental races. where
sooner or later they are bound to clash
with the laboring element of America.
This last does not apply to the Chinese
who would be confined to Hawaii and
their labor would not conflict with
that of the skilled Caucasian or Ha-
waiian; on the contrary, the product
of their labor would multiply opportu-
mites for the much to be desired bet
ter class of population. They have
been popular factors in developing the
resources Of Hawaii and are not obiec-
tionable to either the Hawaiian or the
Caucasian residents.
PROFITS OF CARRYING TRADE.
Should permission be given to import
a limited number of Chinese laborers it
could be inserted in the law that they
could only be carried in American bot
toms. This would be another factor in
building up the commercial navy of
America. Supposing, for instance, that
a number limited to $500 during
each three months be permitted, and
that is probably about the number the
demand could absorb and that their
residence should be restricted to three
years. In such event, in three years,
We would have American vessels car
rying twenty thousand back and forth
annually. To control Chinese immigra-
ton and to confine such immigrants
to field work is a very simple matter.
To prevent their acquiring a Judgment
in the country and to insure their de-
parture is an equally simple matter.
Admitting then the essentially of the
demand for laborers to develop the
agricultural resources of Hawaii Ac-
knowledging the fact of the impossi-
bility of obtaining Caucasian labor for
tropical field work. Which is the wis
est course to pursue? Allow the agri-
cultural resources of Hawaii to stagnate
and their development to be retarded
for lack of the requisite labor, Or to
enact laws permitting the requisite i'm
migrants to come and thus cause the
Territory to be developed, and by re-
fiex action afford the means of en-
ployment to much skilled labor who are
citizens of the United States?
The rice industry, which is carried
on solely by Chinese labor and capital
and which is the second industry on
the Islands, and which utilities so much
land that is valueless for other our
poses, should be taken cognizsnce of by
our government. Without such a law
this industry must perish and today it's
existence is hanging by a thread. From
the instant of annexation until TODAY
there has been a constant exodus of
Chinese and none have come in to take
their place. From the debt which Ha-
wall owes " tillS people IL Is dUS W
them that they should have some con-
sideration from the general govern
ment. The extinction of this industry
will be felt by the landlords. and the
local government to which it con-
tributes so much in taxes will be de-
prived of large revenue.
In this appeal to the intelligence and
fairness of the American people I know
that the masses will agree with me that
remedial measures are necessary. What
will Congress do in the matter?
JAMES w. GIRVIN.