The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-02-05
WOULD-BE SETTLERS
GO after PRATT


Now, sir, do you assume that the !
Homesteader has not the same right |
to employ alien or any other labor that
a corporation has? DO you assume
that the homesteader shall only have
that amount Of land which he and his
own family can cultivate with their
own hands refusing him the right to
employ outside labor for fear of 60
quote your own words) competition.
Competition, with whom?
Is not this land now cultivated by
alien labor. Is it competition with them
which you fear? Do you ny the right
of the American citizen to compete with
alien labor? Has the homesteader no
rights under the law. as you construe
it?
If the association is defeated i'm its
desire would not this land be again
cultivated by alien labor or if not, be
abandoned, to the detriment of a great
industry? Is it not a fact that the Jap
anese planters hold agreements for the
future cultivation of this land? Is it
not a strange coincidence that the
same mail which brought a communi-
cation to the Association, from per-
tracts would be made. to grind cane eX-
cept with persons holding small areas,
should also have brought an order from
your department to your surveyor
here to reduce the lots one-half or more
of the area originally surveyed? Are
you aware that employers of alien Ia
Dor have placed obstacles i'm the way
of and have tried, in every way, to dis
courage this association in the OBJ
tanning of public land? If you are not
you can refresh your memory by refer
ing to your correspondence.
Why should you be so determined
to throw every obstacle in the way of
American citizens while at the same
time you travel many miles at great
expense of money and time to obtain
Mo.oEans on rms which you will not
allow to the native born? If you have
such time and money to dispose Of to
travel such distances would it not be
consistent for you TO investigate and
become more familiar with conditions
nearer home and take some interest in
those who are taxed to pay for eXpen-
siv- journeys.
We would respectfully call your at
tention to that passage in the Presi-
dents message to Congress in which he
says that Hawaii must advance on
American lines. which certainly does
not mean the settlement of public lands
by foreigners to the exclusion of Anne
ricans, and also to that portion of the
report of Commissioner of Labor Sar-
gent to the same effect
We consider it most unfair that land
should be appraised regardless of its
location and value for production and
we claim that we have the right to
insist that land shall be allotted to us
at as reasonabla a price as those which
you propose to allot to MOlokans
We have approached this matter, sir
in a spirit of fairness, and within our
right and under the law, which fair
ness was, at first met by you, in a
similar spirit, but later events seem
to indicate that you have had a change
of mind, the cause of which We can
only conjecture.
We now feel that we are wi hin our
rights, under the law, in demanding
everything due us, under said law and,
according to our original application,
and if, for any good reason, the amount
asked for can not be allotted to us
under the law, we feel that we should
be considered and conferred with as
to a small area
1t was resolved by the Association
that a copy of this communication be
forwarded to the Department Of Immi-
grafton and of Labor at Washington
and to the press of Hawaii for publica-
ton.
F. c. EATON,
Secretary of the Thompson's Settle