Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-28
4 new ERA FOR HAWAII
Taking Steps to Supply the De-
mand for Labor.
TO IMPORT PORTUGUESE
VIII Be Offered Homes ON Easy
Terms.
RUSSIANS ALSO ARE EXPECTED
Effect on the Island Commerce Of the
Opening of the New Tehuan-
tepec Railway.
RUSSIANS ALSO ARE EXPECTED
special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
HONOLULU, April 13, 1906.
It is becoming quite evident that the old
and established labor system on the sugar
plantations OF Hawaii has reached the time
for radical change. 1t seems plain that
this system Is about to undergo general
revolution. The system Of employing Ia
borers hitherto has been that Of herding
them in gangs for working upon any part
of the great acreage where their services
were most needed. But 1t Is now being
more and more clearly found that with men
hired on such conditions an adequate sup
ply of laborers can no longer be secured.
Methods must be employed for attaching
them more permanently to the land. Be
ginnings are already in active progress for
securing laborers to be attached to homes
owned by themselves, and becoming settled
as permanent citizens of the territory. This
will be a most desirable social change in
the direction Of useful citizenship, as well
as, no doubt. ultimately profitable as an
economic change.
During the past thirty years of the rapid
development of sugar production In Ha-
wall great energy and expense have been
used in procuring laborers from many diff
ferent countries. But they have never been
made at all at home In the places of their
employment. They have been set at work
in the canefelds and around the sugar mills
In large gangs. They have received excel
comfortable quarters. But they have had
no home life. and no permanent places OF
abode. They have been shifted at the man.
ayers will from one camp to another.
While a small minority OF the laborers have
had families of their own, the quite decent
cottages In their camps have been too close
together to be anything but barracks, or to
give any chance for homelike improvements
and appurtenances. Thus all tendency to-
ward permanent residence at the plantation
was discouraged, and readiness for
change was foStered.
AS long as sufficient supply of freshly i'm
ported laborers could be procured this sys-
tenn answered the purpose, and fresh COM
panies of laborers were constantly hired to
replace those who became restless and
sought new localities OF those leaving a
majority left plantation life and entered
new occupations, and perhaps found some
sort of home life in various quarters, often
at much less rate of earnings. Large num-
bers. especially Of late have emigrated to
the Pacific coast. And now the increasing
ly limited supply Of labor from abroad has
become entirely inadequate to fill the va
cancies made. The planters are crowded
to the necessity Of creating inducements
Tor the cuitivators of canefields to remain
upon the land. And the only visible in
ducement is that of enabling them to secure
permanent and desirable homes of their
own there. This is a costly and inconveni-
ent remedy, but there appears to be no AL
tentative.
This very important and pressing sub
ject has been ably set forth in an article
lately published by Lorrin A. Thurston,
from which I derive most of the statistics
presented In this letter During the past
fifty years, but mainly during thirty the
whole number Of labor immigrants brought
TO Hawaii has been over 1S4, Goo at an ex-
pense of over $14,00O,00O OF that entire
number there now remain at work upon
the plantations only 43, 400. Now otherwise
occupied in the territory are 5000, while
5000 have disappeared, having left Ha-
wall for other countries, largely for the
Pacific coast or to return home In China
and Japan.
immigration Since 1852.
AS 1t Is Of some Importance to a clear
understanding of the subject to know the
various sources of which our labor popula-
tion is composed. I append the following
table, which includes all labor immigrants
coming to Hawaii since 1852:
AoredHS ......................... 6,SUS
JdpdheSe .1ll.IJI
South Sea islanders. 2,44S
NOrWeSlanS 610
GeTHlanS ...........".............. 1,ZI9
Tta1f