The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-02-23
IMMIGRATION
S|TUAT|O
Board Presents Their
Report---Efforts
Reviewed.

members since it's creation covers the
labor situation of the Territory thor
oughly, not only at the present time
but from the very beginning OF the
sugar industry. The task Of providing
the country with laborers has been an
exacting one from the very beginning,
the government and the planters hav-
ing considered practically every part
of the globe as a possible supply point
for labor. The exact number of labor
ers brought here Is not definitely
known, but approximately 10000 per-
sons. at a total cost of ss,00o,o00, have
answered to the efforts of the planters
and of the immigration Boards.
Hawaii is country that invites
very little voluntary immigration OF
white races" says the report, I'VE are
isolated. transportation is expensive,
and the extent of the country is not
great enough to attract much attention
or to create any extensive immigration
from Europe. Without some artificial
stimulus the influx of settlers, other
than Japanese, would be very small"
The preponderance of the japanese
among the plantation laborers is ex-
planned by the report to be because
of the result of annexation and the
shutting out of the Chinese. Not only
is the plantation working force large
ly Asiatic, but a secondary Asiatic
population living on the first has come,
invading all branches of industry and
combining with the laborers to make
of the japanese the largest element in
the population, numbering Gill in
population. AS an indication of the
manner in which they are supplanting
the Hawaiian and American mechan-
les, the report contains table of sta
tistics, showing the number of me-
chanics of the different races in three
periods. In 1890 the Hawaiians had 80
per cent. of the mechanical occupations
in their hands, the Chinese q per cent,
the Japanese only one and one-half
per cent. and the Caucasians A per
cent. Six years later the japanese had
crowded the Chinese out of second
place, the figures standing: Hawai-
ians, 1872; Chinese. s.3; japanese. IL;
and Caucasians, AS In 1900 the Japa-
nese had passed the Hawaiians, while
the Chinese had also increased, cutting
down the Caucasian percentage. The
figures stood: Hawaiians, PAL; Chi
ians, 1861.
The persistent efforts of the employ
ers to introduce Polynesians into the
islands and the unsuccess of their eff
forts is touched upon, and attention is
drawn to the excellence of the Portu-
guese brought here. Of these the re-
port says:
.'Of all the nationaIities of immi-
grants brought to this country, the
Portuguese from the Azores and Ma
deira Islands have proved the best as
citizens and laborers; they have shown
themselves to be an Industrious, thrift
ty and law-abiding element in the
population.
In the past" continues the report,
first consideration has been given to
supplying the plantations with needed
labor. and too little attention given
to obtaining a permanent laboring pop
ulation, a population, while independ-
ent so far as homes ad property are
concerned. would be as dependent up
on the prosperity of the country as
their employers.
I'm all countries, except where there
is an excess laboring population, a
system of profit sharing or of domicil-
ing immigrant laborers is being fav-
ored. There is reason to be-
lieve that such a system can be In
augurated in the Hawaiian Islands,
provided that the cooperation of the
planting interests is obtained, for so
far as labor conditions are concerned
they are certainly more pleasant than
are usually found in other countries.
There is the certainty of regular en-
ter and more abundant, and the gen.
is higher than in other tropical and
semi-tropical countries"
The predominance of the sugar in
N0SeAS dChuONlSNSSQ III the
and the necessity of importing labor
largely with a view Of supplying the
Plantations is recognized, but such la
Dor should be domiciled. The laborer
should be given a stake in the coun-
try. home where he can be independ-
ent and not subject absolutely to the
orders of another man.
That Hawaii has been on the wrong
track is very evident; that we are be-
hindhand is shown in the efforts al
ready made by other countries to in
duce immigration and the offers which
are held out to immigrants to become
permanent settlers in such Countries
supporting this assertion the report
instances the efforts of the South and
Central American governments, of
Cuba and Of some of the Southern
States.
The labor Of the Board of Immigra-
ton during the past two years are
set forth and support either from the
government or from persons or cor
porations other than sugar interests
is asked for. The sugar interests have
generously since the for