The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-01-13
WANTED-LABORERS.


been smoked out of its cloud Of mys-
terry. It appears that the object
primarily sought was very simple.
The plantations, as well as the minor
industries, need more field laborers
The immigration does not more than
Offset the emigration of laborers, whiie
the demand for labor is slowly but
steadily increasing.
The natural course to pursue, under
these circumstances, is to seek addi-
tional sources of supply. Years OF e&-
perience and many experiments render
all sources except one, problematlcal
of success That one is China. Simply
take down the bars, and in short
time laborers would be available In
plenty.
All that stands in the way of the
accomplishment of this object is Unit
ed States legislation which prohibits
it
Some Of our good people believe that
IL htning can be induced to strike
Uncle Sans hard heart some day, and
melt away the drastic legislation which
now excludes Chinese laborers.
There is no doubt but that the pres
arily harsh and arbitrary: there is
equally no doubt but that limited ana
restricted Chinese immigration to Ha-
wall of agricultural laborers, would
be beneficial to not only plantation
owners, but to nearly every one else
who lives here-mechanics included
for. in the last analysis, practically
every one here lives off of sugar.
The great obstacle to the immigra-
ton of Chinese into the Union Is or
ganized labor.
1t is conceived by those who believe
that in some way Chinese agricultural
laborers can be secured, that If local
organized labor could be convinced
that Chinese immigration would be
beneficial to it, and would so represent
to their fellows on the mainland, the
opposition of the latter to Chinese inn
migration into Hawaii might be re-
moved or modified. Whether this the
DRY is correct, is another story.
The first and main object of the
Pinkham commission was, therefore,
to convince the local labor people that
II was beneficial to them to have Chi
nese agricultural laborers come to Ha-
wall, IL they could be restricted to
agricultural work.
Instead of going to the labor people
and dealing directly with them the
unfortunate decision was made to act
through Pinkham who is supposed to
be able to do the Svengali act on the
most radical walking delegate who
ever breathed
Pinkham's imagination Immediately
began to sprout. Jacks bean stalk
wasn't in it. He started in to compile
an encyclopedia of Hawaii and to turn
out photographs by the mile. One of
his texts was that the small farmer
was a failure and never could be any
thing else in Hawaii; that diversified
industry was a fraud, a snare and a
delusion. While everything else was
shrouded in obscurity he left behind
him trail of denunciation of small
farming, and those who advocated it.
like the path left by an exploding
meteor as it streaks the heavens.
He went out of his way to unneces-
sarily walk on the neck of every in
dustry, except sugar, in the territory,
and thereby excited the suspicion and
hostility of every one who believes
that twin necessities of Hawaii are
diversified industries and beef eating
American citizens.
What need was there for a cord of
typewriting and a mile of photographs
to prove that coffee was failure,
bananas of little account, sisal not
worth considering and the cattle bust
ness a back number?
Does the showing, II true, help the
sugar business? Does 1t tend to con,
vince any one that we need Chinese
cheap labor? Does 1t help Hawaii or
any resident within its borders? On
the contrary is 1t not on par with
the bird which wantonly fouls its own
nest?
The Pinkham report is a monument
of misplaced energy.
The planters want a specific thing.
They want the support of the local
labor men in attempting to secure 1t.
These men know Just as much about
the situation as the planters do. They
do not need Pinkham's library to help
them make up their minds, any more
than cat needs two tails.
Why is not the sound course to dump
Pmkham; ignore his report, which has
unnecessarily raised all this rumpus
on side issue, and deal directly with
the labor representatives on the one
main issue?
IN the otbar or H. a. MIL.