The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-01-21

| gentlemen.
; Two years ago, the subject of the
aggression of alien labor and its sup
port by the patronage of the Terrific
rial Government was brought TO my
! attention and the drawing of bill tc
protect the rights of citizen labor was
assigned to me.
This was no easy task. as such bills
had been successfully attacked in the
courts Had L followed the lines usu-
ally demanded by radical men, who
know what they want as partizans. re-
gardIess of constitutional and material
bounds, failure was inevitable. How
ever. careful consideration and con-
servatism were my guides, so We now
have sound reason to believe our citi-
zen labor law is unassailable. The
penaity clause in the law was drawn by
judicial authority. The bill was quiet
Nv handed to Senator Crabbe presented
to the Senate and House and passed.
One year ago, I was requested to
draw the memorial and other presen-
tations in the joint representations OF
the Trades and Labor Council and
Builders and Traders Exchange Com
mittees to the Federal Government rel
alive to the rights of citizen labor as
against alien labor in the patronage
of the government of the United States.
The record shows how the work vas
performed.
Governor Carter. Acting Governor
Atkinson and the heads of departments
are and have been executing the citi-
zen labor law to the best of their
knowledge and belief. That there are
infractions of the law no one will De-
ny.
The spirit of the movement (of which
the citizen labor law is a parO to as
sure the citizen workingman a liVeh-
hood in the Hawaiian islands is daily
infringed upon by WOrkingmen them
selves. by their own patronage of al
lens for the reason the standard of liv
ing of the alien is such the working
man can save money by patronizing
the alien. Some of the most rabid
critics are the most guilty in this re-
pect
When a workingman thus favors mis-
own pocket book, he is acting on the
principle so Objectionable to him when
exercised by the Federal and Territo
rial Governments, the employers of
labor and men of considerable and
large means.
The workingman must learn to be
fair in his judgments and give time
for public sentiment to add to its in
fuence in the forming and execution of
the spirit of the movement.
The movement has gained great
Roadway in the Territorial Government
and is the law.
The movement is before the Congress
of the United states, the slowest body
in the nation to take action on any
proposition.
The movement is gaining great force
among the planters, even if there &C
casionally exist selfish individuals ond
it lies with you gentlemen to give t a
greater impetus with them by renov-
ing obstacles.
From the amount of constructive
work done by myself for and in behalf
of citizen labor, it seems to me the
views and efforts presented to you,
endorsed by all but one of the COM
mittee, should be given immeasuraoly
more weight and receive more support
than efforts to create suspicion. dis
satisfaction and distrust.
No words / can use will better bring
before you the situation we are con-
sidering tonight than quotations from
the report presented for your approval.
mo person is competent to judge,
advise or legislate for the Hawaiian Is
lands unless he has visited or studied
them in all their physical material and
racial aspects.
No basis of opinion predicated on
conditions obtaining n a continental,
temperate zone country car be justly
or practically applied to a small, DIS
tant, semi-tropical country, like the
Hawaiian Islands.
Fourth: ITO show the legitimate adj
vantages the Territory possesses for
the alien without interfering With the
opportunities of the citizen"
The aliens were brought here for
strictly agricultural purposes, those
which the white man refuses to fill
The advantages to the alien We're
very marked in that he came from an
overcrowded country, where low wages
prevailed to one where he received as
wages three to eight times the amount
TO which he was accustomed.
Although his cost of living was en-
HANGED it became possible for him to
save in many instances several times
the amount of wages paid in his own
country
1t is impractical to point out the
steps by which so many aliens devil
ated from the intended agricultural
services.
1t is doubtful if an unbiased, studious
and rejecting person can object to the
alien in the positions the white man re-
fuses to fill, namely, field and common
work in the Hawaiian Islands.
If the alien can be so placed as TO
be compelled to confine himself to the
above employments he betters his own
/ condition and advances rather than in
/ terferes with the welfare of the citizen
and white man.
| Fifth: To find some means to read
! just these problems without destroy
/ ing practically the only industry that
| enables the Territory of Hawaii, its
! government and its inhabitants to ex-
! list. and without which they cannot eX-
| list at the present time, and at the same
/ time restore the opportunities for live
/ ihOod. both in labor. professions and
/ business that have diSapuaarad ny