The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-11-04
MORE FROM THE MOHONk
CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
The Labor Question Discussed by Gorham o.
Gilman and Religious Matters by Rev.
DR.. Ooremus Scudder.

ened, without labor at living rate
they must fail. Under the present ex-
clusion laws, it is a serious question
what can be done. No one is so la
borious, so tractable, so faithful and
easy to get along with as John China
men. Other nationalties have been
tried and found failures. The Japa-
nese are the next best, but not THE
best adapted for the purpose.
What Hawaii needs today is an ad-
iustment of the labor legislation,
specialized if you please (not portion
ed out as equally fitting to coal fields,
or the lumber forests of the mainland)
by which foreign labor may be intro
duced where no other is possible. Such
legislation could be made acceptable
to government and people, all unjust
servitude could be prevented, and the
laborers made contented and produc-
tive.
1t may be asked why this repeated
plea for the Chinaman? Why is he so
much desireda For very good reasons.
He is a more quiet person naturally
lions and rules covering labor than
other nationalities,-he is more gen.
orally industrious. When married to a
band and father.
The japanese have more frequently
the opposite qualifications, and eonse-
quently are more Independent and less
easily under necessary management.
Expensive attempts have been made to
introduce laborers from abroad, which
have proved most unfortunate failures.
An exception may be made with re-
CARDS to a comparAt lively recent impOr-
tation of laborers from Korea some
eight or nine thousand persons.
These are not under the restriction
clause and their coming seems to have
been of much benefit to all parties IN
terested. 1t is interesting to note that
a goodly portion of the immigrants are
Christians and connected with the
Methodist Episcopal Church, coming to
large degree from the missions of
that church in Korea. The testimony
is quite emphatic that as a class they
are most desirable acquisition.
1t appears to the friends of Hawaii
that there should be a modification of
the exclusion laws. There is no neces-
sary conflict between Hawaii and Cali
fornia on this question. If common re-
port is true, the fruit growers of Cali
fornia, the lumber men of the North
west and the home keepers along the
Pacific Coast would be glad for John
Chinaman s services and would have
them but for the labor unions.
If the Chinaman could be allowed to
come to Hawaii, it would be under
such regulations that he could be kept
from passing to the Coast, and would
be of inestimable help in carrying for
ward great American industry, which
would benefit the whole people.
The Chinaman in Hawaii even as
plantation laborer has an opportunity
of acquiring information, instruction
and a knowledge of affairs. They have
their newspapers which disseminate
the news of what is transporting in the
world
Is it strange that suffering as they
do because of the treatment they and
their countrymen receive under the ex-
clusion laws, that the Chinese in Ha-
waii have raised and forwarded for the
boycottIng II American goods in
China 100000 and expect to make it
up to $50,000s The Chinese, in the
Islands, who enjoyed the benefit of
Christian influence support a mission
airy in China and several churches and
missionary stations in Hawaii, and are
as d CIdNo, wei o1SpoSeo anu qu1eI
citizens.
One great factor in the development
of Hawaii in less than hundred years
has been the perfectly free access to
the country to all people. Perhaps in
no country, whose population is so di
versifed, is there such a commingling
of interests and so little spirit OF
caste, prejudice or opposition.
The friends of Hawaii ask for a
"square deal' in the interests of fair
play and honorable treatment. They
believe that the exclusion act is an act
of injustice to the Islands and indi-
rectly to the homeland as well, and
would respectfully ask that this con-
ference may deliver an opinion favor
ing a modification of the laws, at least
SO far as Hawaii is cvncerned.