Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1906-09-15

4
tations. They have no home or other
tocial ties to hold them in Hawaii. A
very slight margin of wages will at.
tract them to California, even II the
| freer industrial atmosphere of the
Pacific States, the broader opportunl.
, ties OF continent, and the mere love
OF travel and OF seeing new lands do
not form Inducements sufficiently
great to Caryr them farther eastward.
Political Influences may modify the
conditions mentioned, thereby increas.
ing or reversing the motive for fos.
toring resident labor. but with each
change the planters themselves must
judge which of the two policies sug.
gegtcd will pay them better. But
the more farsighted will grasp tho
tendency of Legislation as well as the
present status of the law and dis.
count coming conditions as well as
those they are actually encountering.
shaping their action by issues which
they are likely to meet In the future
and averting rather than awaiting q
crisis the constant fear of which will
always he disturbing factor In their
enterprises.
A clear understanding of the meas
urcs required 10 establish "a resident
labor supply is important. Probably
most planters agree that Il would be
necessary
!. That the supply be an abundant
one without creating problem Of un.
employment leading to emigration
} elsewhere. This point would soon be
attained. because The resources OF Ha.
wall not absorbed by cane culture are
very limited At present there Is
enough resident labor To supply part
OF the demand for plantation workers;
but not only Is II displaced by the
temporarily cheaper imported labor.
but 4 finds employment more agree.
able than cultivating cane In catering
10 the needs Of those immigrant work.
ers.
.. Resident labor must have an OPP
portunity OF gratifying ambitions TINT
rise above mere subsistence. II must
ha able to provide for old age and
even Tor retirement at some Lighter
occupation after physical prime
spent IN the cane fields. Practically
e.. imported workers are In the flow.
Or Of their youth. In order to havo
an equal force of resident laborers OF
the same age. the total resident popu.
lation must bear some such relation
to the whole number of field hands
employed as the inhabitants OF a welt.
a. laI n IN he No xua an,
90 and IS years Of age or thereabOuts.
an. occupation for this unemployed
margin must he discovered. 4
3. The labor must he attached to
the country by other than purely eco
Eomic ties. II must be bound to q
land--beautiiul enough 10 inspire tho
love Of any resident--by sentimental
associations. II must be a hometown.
ms. famlly-raising, loyal, citizen pop.
iilation. whatever Its original race, col.
or or origin. Otherwise II will imi.
tate the japanese and migrate to the
mainland.
The example of the Portuguese
shows that such n population can he
Cbtained-at least in moderate num-
bcrs. The seeds of a future labor sup.
ply already exist In Hawaii, and they
simply need fostering and adding tn
in order to settle the question for
themselves; but there is danger of
their being choked out and smothered
under the debris OF all races heaped
upon them. Despite a decrease In tho
ilawaiians from over 10000 to less
than 10000 during the last forty.seven
years, the resident population OF the
Islands has Increased from 72.77i to
, T6,O25--or, In other words. the grow
Ing elements of the resident pOpula.
ton have increased from 2.73s to 49,.
22G. And this has been In the face OF
| the competition of cheap labor import
cd under penal contracts for the whole
period in question-that Is. from 1859
To 1900. With systematic importation
and settlement Of potential citizen Ia
Dor In Hawaii, such as the Territorial
government Is attempting under the
pct passed by the last Legislature. es'
iabNshing an immigration commits
sion. this population unquestionably
| could be increased more rapidly than
! IN the past, though naturally the same
percentage of growth could not be
maintained.
The question of resident labor Is
not so much question OF the s~irce
from which IL comes--,so long as II
forms, permanent ties in the country
as It is Of It's treatment after arrival.
They must adopt the country; 9th,
erwise they will not make permanent
homes there. In this respect many OF
the Chinese have proved as good ma
terial as the Portuguese, except that
the second generation of Chinese Is
not so ready to engage In manual Ia.
bor as the second generation OF Eu.
roreans.
Immigrants can have this desire 10
become citlzens only II they are treat.
ed as future citizens. Their civil dig.
rity mus, be respected as well as their
legal rights. Plantation discipline, so
Tar as they are concerned. must he
arm without being arbitrary.