The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-11-23

The Boston Transcript contains the
following letter:
10 the Editor of the Transcript:
Rev. Mr.. Kincaid, pastor of the Gen.
) .fal Union church of Honolulu, is quot
ed in your paper of the 21st ult, in the
account of the proceedings of the Lake
Mohonk conference as saying: The
Japanese really control the labor situ-
alton in Honolulu. | have seen them
drive nearly every American mechanic
out of the city Three years ago there
was an imposing Labor Day procession
made up OF white laborers and mechan-
les On last Labor Day only twelve
American mechanics could be brought
together in Honolulu. have
seen the exodus of over two hundred
American mechanics from the Central
Union church. They had come to the
islands determined to make their
homes there and they were making the
backbone of what 1 call a true Amer
lean community, but they have been
crowded out.
regret to be compelled to differ
from Dr. Kincaid as to his statement
that the mechanics who have left Ha-
wall during the last three years have
been crowded out by the Japanese
Such is not the fact. That they have
departed to the extent of perhaps
thousand is true. The reason why
these people have left is clearly demon
strated by a consideration of the FOL
lowing proposition;
1) Who were the mechanics ana Ia
borers who have left Honolulu IN the
past three or four years? CD When
and why did they come to Honolulu
! go why did they leave2
Answering these questions serlatlfn L
submit:
KID The persons in question repre-
sented all branches of the building
trade. from ordinary carpenters and
helpers to a fresco painter from New
York who was paid $4,000 for one
years work
(2) They all came to Honolulu after
annexation The reason why they
came was that a great activity theh
developed in the building trade far IN
excess of the capacity of the resident
mechanics The BOOM. If 1t may De
so called, resulted from the fact that
the residents of Hawaii VINO had been
for wears struggling against pad gov
ar,,nanr in almost every vicious form,
xyava themselves over to joy when fl
nallv their labors and trials We're dp-
Darentlv ended by the hosting OF the
<sStars and Stripes" In the fuiness
and innocence of their hearts, these
Deople. with one accord, began TO I'M
prove their property. For eAallpie'
NIr. Alexander Young, by blrth d bfi'-
ish subject. built a fireproof hotel and
business block at an expense OF Sl'ooo'
600. Messrs Hackfeld & Co, the oid-
established German importing house,
mt up an office building for their own
z,se which would compare favoraoly
with any mercantile building TO De
fo,,nd in Bremen the home OF the
firm TWO paIatial residences We're
built at the seashore at haploiaii
Park. An electric street railway sys-
tenn was installed in Honolulu. Slof
age tanks to contain fuel oil We're
erected The Government system OF
water works WAS enlarged. pumping
plants were installed In addition TO
the above, five large plantations were
started. two of which were near no
Snolulu.
= >(3) The mechanics in question left
Ha5xaii when the works above noteu
wekH completed. II is not true in any
sense that they We're crowded out oy
japanese. Building operations which
were entered into so freely, and upon !
so elaborate a scale, in the first flush !
of happiness which followed annexa- !
ton came to a standstill. There was |
no more work to be done. A reaction |
followed The mechanics in question |
returned to the mainland to seek /
work There was overbuilding and |
consequently there has been stagnation-
One fine brick Office building erected at /
that time has been without single
pay tenant to this day. The thousand
and one mechanics were no more
crowded out by the Japanese than was
the fresco painter.
1t may be asked why did this change
of heart take place. The answer Is
obvious. Hawaii exacted no terms
when annexa ton took place. she
threw herself in the utmost good faith
upon the fairness of Congress. TO the
bitter diSappofntu1ent OF al Americans
in Hawaii. Congress has hedged about
the islands with restrictions in regard
To labor. in regard to lands, and IN
regard to shipping. which threaten 10
ruin her main industry. The feeling
pervading today in Honolulu Is such
as might be expected to exist in Massa-
chusetts IL there were good reason TO |
believe that within six months every
smill operative in the state would de-
part: and some superior power, Con-
gross. for instance, would prevent the
fmmigrat tion of single laborer to take
the place Of those who had left.
The powerful labor unions OF the