The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-11-15

Hccc dS d olniltlS pcCpiC- anu 1HuC
given to a formal politeness wit
strangers. This cannot be a genera
rule, for have seen none of the smil
ing sort in any of the islands of tn
group. Driving or riding along tn
country roads or over the plantation
we have made it a practise to gree
with some effusiveness parties of Jap
anese. The most we have got in repl.
has been a stiff military salute. Gus
tomarily no heed was paid to tn
greeting. the little men Of Nippol
looking out at US evenly and incuricus
ly through slit eyes.
Twice 1 remember pleasant excep
tions. Once on the Island of Kaua
| / came upon score of japanese
urchins looking like so many little
dolls with shaven polls. In response
to my salute they bowed in solemn
unison like so many little mandarins
flashing one beautiful grin as their
heads rose to gaze at the curious
stranger. Again in a tiny little shor
| in Honolulu where I went to buy some
japanese shoes and stockings, 1 sue
ceeded in giving the impression by my
clumsy use of what native words and
pidgin English 1 had at command that
1 had a Japanese wife. Once the
notion was grasped the atmosphere
cleared amazingly The three little
Japanese women in the shop came to
my aid, offering their advice in max
ing selections. The shopkeeper reduc-
ed his prices by more than one-half
An old man smoking one of the little
Japanese pipes holding but a pinch of
tobacco, and needing to be refilled af-
ter each Whit, politely got out a fresh
pipe and by gestures invited me to join
him.
In striking contrast with this surly
demeanor and lack of civility of the
average Japanese met about the is
lands is the friendliness of the native.
Everywhere they were on the lookout
for the visiting Congressman. Every
where one came upon them they
whipped off their hats with flashing
smiles and bright, eager eyes calling
"aloha" to the visitors. At every stop
ping place, even if the pause was only
for a few minutes, they had prepared
leis and garlands of flowers to hang
about the necks of their guests.
They are a simple people, loving
flowers and music and poetry. Life
has been too easy for them. The per-
feet climate and a prodigal nature
have made the necessity of earning
a livelihood one of the negligible
things of life. The natives are not
Japanese and Chinese, or even with
the Portuguese. They will not work
in the cane fields. They cordially dis |
ike hard work. With magnificent !
physiques and splendidly muscled |
bodies they lack endurance. One, finds |
hem employed now as sailors On the |
boats, as stevedores about |
he docks, and on all sorts of govern
nent work where they are. given the |
preference over foreign-born residents. |
Always great fishermen, they have |
permitted the japanese to take all of
he business away from them. At night
little night-riding lights
marking the places of Japanese sam
'ans, fishing busilX all through the
light. The Japanese took this trade
Iway from the kanakas because they
tuck to the work When the native
old a load of fish he would give a
east to his friends on the proceeds and
oaf until he had spent all of his
money. He didn't return to work until
lie felt the call for another supply of
unds. Meanwhile the stalls in the fish
market were bare of supplies.
Driving along the wonderful cliff
DAD from Laupahoehoe to Hilo on the
sland of Hawaii, we met a half a
ozen or more smartly appointed
Tagonettes each drawn by two or four
horses. They were driven
Y Japanese and carried passengers
etween these two points. All the
assengers We're Asatic: japanese,
'hinese, or Koreans. Finally one of ,
he men with us broke out, Look at
hat, will you? That's the way the
apanese are driving the native and \
ne American of these islands out of
usiness. They will carry a passen-
er from Hilo to Laupahoehoe for one
ollar while the American or the ka-
aka must charge five or six" You
ill have to fix your own moral to
lis tale. Personally, / find it extreme
, difficult to arouse any moral indig-
alton against a hack driver, what T,
yer his nationality, who charges me
lst one-fifth what his competitors de-
and for somewhat inferior service.
NO BASIS FOR ANTI-JAPANESE =
COMPLAINTS.
AS a casual visitor to these islands "
ne has no light to decided opinions, Il
ut honest impressions may be set 1,
own with impunity. This seems t, be $
lie whole basis of whatever complaint Z
lists against the presence in these L
lands of a preponderating number of "
ipanese that they will work for less G
oney and perform an equal service. Il
must be borne in mind that if all e
the japanese in the islands were to
ave today the Territory would be s.
inkrupt unless new supply of labor n
uld be brought in at once. The Jap "
lese do all the work in the cane e
elds, and the production of sugar is b
e mainstay and backbone of the {.
untry. The japanese were brought b
ire in such large numbers in the first n
ace because they would work cheap j
Complaint comes because they do t.
It stick to the cane fields where they N
ould not compete with natives and t.
nericans, and go into other lines of
ork or business. lie,
Another complaint one hears fire. a