The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-12

preference over foreign born residents
Always great fishermen. they have
permitted the Japanese 10 take all OF
the business away from them. At night
one sees outside OF Honolulu haroor,
innumera5le little night-riding lights
marking the places Of japanese sam
pans, fishing busily all through the
night. The japanese took this trade
away from the kanakas because they
stuck to the work When the native
sold a load of fish he would give
feast TO his friends on the proceeds and
loaf until he had spent all OF his
money. He didn't return TO work until
he felt the call for another supply OF
funds Meanwhile the stalls in the fish
market were bare OF supplies
Driving along the wonderful cliff
road from Laupahoehoe 10 Hil0 on the
Island OF Hawaii, we met a half
dozen or more smarJly appointed
wagonettes each drawn by two or four
welI-kept horses, They were driven
by japanese and carried passengers
between these two points. All the
passengers were Asiatic: japanese,
Chinese, or Koreans. Finally one OF
the men with US broke out, Look at
that, will you? That's the way the
japanese are driving the native and
the American Of these islands out OF
business. They viii carry a passen-
ger from Hilo to Laupahoehoe for one
dollar while the American or the ka-
naka must charge five or six" You
viii have to fix your own moral 10
this tale. Personally. I find il extreme
ly difficult 10 arouse any moral indIg-
nation against a hack driver, what
ever his nationality. who charges me
just one-fffth what his competitors de-
mand for somewhat inferior service.
No BASIS FOR ANTI-JAPANESE
COMPLAINTS.
As a casual visitor to these Islands
one has no right TO decided opinions, |
but honest impressions may be set
down with impunity. This seems to be |
the whole basis of whatever complaint |
exists against the presence in these |
Islands of a preponderating number Of /
japanese: that they will work for less /
money and perform an equal service. |
1t must be borne in mind that If all /
Of the japanese in the islands were 10 /
cave today the Territory would be /
bankrupt unless a new supply Of labor /
could be brought in at once. The jap |
anese do all the work in the cane
fields. and the production of sugar is |
the mainstay and backbone of the |
The japanese were brought |
here in such large numbers in the first /
place because they would work cheap |
y Complaint comes because they do |
Tot stick TO the cane fields where they /
would not compete with natives and
Americans, and go into other lines of
work or business.
Another complaint one hears fire.
luently is that the japanese are1
'cocky'' and are carrying a chip on
heir shoulders since the war with
Russia. They feel that they are as
good as anybody else" is one way of
it. Truly, terrible indict-
nent 10 bring against anybody in an
American community.
Resentment against the present
pushfulness' Of the Japanese is prob
IDLY sharpened by memories of the
more defenceless position Of the cane
leld Iaborer under the old contract
abor system. In the old days a work
r in the fields was bound by a long
ERIN contract TO the plantation where
e was employed. If he tried to leave
l4S D4dNA1l1sSl4 ne Was p02SlS4s zap /
ured, and brought back by the sheriff.
n manner of speaking. he was g.
risoner. and the long arm of the law
ould be exercised to keep him where
e belonged It can be easily fmagin-
d that this did not make for the most
onsiderate and thoughtful treatment
rom the field bosses. Unless all the
tories one hears are lies, they used
o knock the men around bit when
hey were displeased. or at the very
east .'cuss 'em out" Curious as IL ,
nay seem. the present-day Japanese
oesn't relish this sort Of treatment.
ven though he be a coolie.
This problem Of the races sketchily
utlined here is one that Hawaii is
ngaged in solving. In all the trans
mutations and changes, the old-time ]
alive Hawaiian is losing his identity
nd disappearing.