The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-09-13
The Labor Problem at the
Panama Canal.

OuutI lno uoduluB 'NuluoSo Gooliob
on the Canal and In Hawaii" the Wash
ington Post of Sept. Sd prints the fol-
lowing able review of the labor problem
as at present existing in the two locali-
ties mentioned. The article will have
especial interest to Somerset county
people as the writer, Edmund p. Dole,
former attorney general of the Hawaiian
Islands is the son of Isaiah Dole, res
ident of Skowhegan for many years,
and librarian of the Skowhegan Public
Library at the time of its formation
He is the cousin of the Rev. Chss Dole.
formerly of Norridgewock, and of San
ford Dole, the first president of Hawaii.
Those of us who believe the Panama
Canal ia destined to be of never ceasing
benefit to the whole world and who wish
TO see it in operation in our generation
will fully sympathize with Mr.. Dole's
opinions His official life in Hawaii has
fitted him to speak with authority on
such a question,
The American people want the Pan
anna Canal TO be completed in a work
manlike manner, at reasonable cost, in
reasonable time. Every patriotic
working man, like every other good cit
izen, wants this great undertaking to be
a success.
If Oriental labor, such as white men
will not do, creates demand for white
labor, it benefits American working men,
and opposition which does not take con-
dtions and results into account is ehort
sighted. There is such thing as killing
the goose that lays the golden egg.
A recent editorial in one of the most
influential dailies, under the caption,
Goodies on the Isthmus," draws analo-
gies from Hawaii. Further analogies
may be instructive.
SUGAR Is KING
Sugar is as truly king in Hawaii as cot
ton is or ever was in any part of the
South. Tato, rice, fruits, vegetables,
beef and mutton are raised for local con-
sumption. The sea supplies fish. Island
ranches compete with California in meet.
ing the local demand for horses. Coffee.
pineapples, bananas, and honey are ex-
ported But all other industries com.
bined are small compared with the sugar
industry and most of them depend on it
for population to buy what they have
to sell For two generations the pros
perity of Hawaii has rested almost en-
tirely on sugar. The savings of the poor,
as well as the fortunes of the rich, are
invested in sugar stocks or in property
that would be almost orthless-even
their homes-lf the sugar industry were
destroyed
The plantation labor problem in
Hawaii has been, and still is, closely an
alogous to the canal labor problem at
Panama, and consideration of the one
will shed light upon the other.
The planters of Hawaii have been
largely dependent on Oriental labor since
about the middle of the last century.
Their many efforts to obtain labor from
Europe and the United States have been
failures. Their nearest approach to sue
cess was with Portuguese. Large mum
bers were brought from the Azores and
Canary Islands The Portuguese are in
dustTious and thrifty, but most of them
have left the plantations and live in the
towns, or have little coffee, fruit and
vegetable farms of their own.
LoyABLE But oilers.
Native Hawaiians count for nothing as
plantation laborers They are a lovable
race in many ways. They are hospitable,
kindly, considerate of women, and have
the gift of manners. They make eff sient
clerks, courageous and obedient police
men, skillful fishermen and as COWBOYS
and sailors they are unsurpassed; but,
with rare exceptions, they will not work
on plantations unless as overseers or
teamsters.
They have an uncOrquerable aversion
to monotonous manual ldbor-for exam
pie, shortly after the organic alton of the
Territory, when great outcry WAS rails
ed against the employment of Oriental
labor by the local government road
superintendent on the Island of Maui
made a house-to house canvass of his
district to secure citizens, white m N and
natives for piece of road work He
got promises from about forty natives
On the dag appointed five came. He
adjourned to the next day, hoping to get
more. None came.
Here are few tropical islands in the
mid Pacific that were exceedingly pros
porous until Chinese were barred out, the
value of whose exports were greater in
PloPOl''oh ~ 'ho popuIdtlOu luan lltt Vi
any other country on earth; that spent
millions OF dollars every year for the
products of American labor; that fur
nished a livelihood for thousands of white
people within their own borders-as high
grade of men and women az can be
found anywhere-and without Oriental la
Dor these islands would have been of lit
tie value to their inhabitants and of no
value to American workingmen.
PLEA FOR CHINESE LABOR
White labor that will not work a Ha-
waiian plantation, where conditions are
comparatively favorable, will not dig the
Panama canal In this undertaking,
therefore, Chinese labor will not COM
pete with white men, and everyone adj
mits that 1t Is the best labor that can
be had. The impetus which the com
pletion of the canal will give to trade
and the markets which 1t will open to
to our manufacturers will furnish en-
ployment for hundreds of thousands of
American workingmen.
The existing laws of the United States
permit the importation of Chinese labor
for the Panama Canal, aud ironclad
bonds will secure the return of tho L.
borers on the completion of their cor
tracts.
Wage-earners, equally with other Am.
erican citizens, will be benefited by the
employment of Chinese in this particu-
lar enterprise
Iowa's corn crop is estimated at 381,
000, 900 bushels by George A. Wells, sec