The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-02-22
THURSTON
ON JAPANESE

WASHINGTON, February 1.-Possi-
bilities of trouble with Japan are
laughed at by the solid residents Of
Hawaii. One of the planters Of the
islands, and member of the insular
board of agriculture, Mr.. Lorrin A.
Thurston, who is Mt present in
Washington, had talk over the situa-
ton with Star reporter today. He
said in general way that the con-
tinuation of free Japanese immigra-
ton to Hawaii was essential to the
continuance of the island plantations.
He said, moreover, that the residents
of Hawaii would be well satisfied Ia
the Japanese were allowed to come
there and were let alone by the resi-
dents of California, but he declared
that the Hawaiian Islands were being
continually denuded of their Japanese
iaborers by emissaries from the Pacific
coast, who made regular business of
enticing them to California. So far
as the scare stories of Japanese military
activity in Hawaii were concerned, he
said there was not the slightest founda-
ton for them. In this connection Mr..
Thurston said:
NO MILITARY ACTIVITY IN HA.
WAII.
81 do not think there is any founda.
zion for the statement that there is
any military activity or organization
among the japanese in Hawaii. Among
the large Japanese population there
were naturally number who had serv-
ed in the army, and during the war
with Russia several hundred of them
returned to Japan to reenter the army.
These men had interests in Hawaii and
after the war was over many of them
returned to Hawaii. 1t is also natural
that among the large number of men
discharged from the japanese AIRY
some of them should emigrate, and some
of these men have come to Hawaii.
There is nothing apparent, however, in
the way of any organization among
them, and no friction or general opposi-
tion to them exists in the islands.
GA few of them have entered the
mechanical trades and to that extent
have snpplanted white mechanics. We
could wish that this were otherwise,
but they can not be prevented from
engaging in any business in which they
choose On the other hand, more than
one-half of our common laborers are
Japanese and but for these japanese
laborers very large number of white
mechanics who are now engaged in bust
ness an Hawaii would have nothing to
do.
elf Japanese immigration to Hawaii
is stopped it will be a most serious
blow to the industry and prosperity of
the Territory. The shortage of labor
prevalent in this country is accentu-
ated in Hawaii. Chinese being excluded
by United States law, our only normal
source of supply at present is Japan,
as the normal source of labor supply
of the mainland is from Europe.
DIFFICULTY IN SECURING WHITE
LABOR.
ave recognize the desirability of
securing white labor in Hawaii, and
4 yhat 10 oh atp
but we are handicapped by the fact
that steerage passage from Europe to
the mainland is only about $25, while
TO Hawaii it is from $75 to 800 per
man. On the other hand, the steerage
passage from Japan to Hawaii is only
about $25. There is no special reason
why a European immigrant should go
to Hawaii at his own expense, when it
costs him three or four times as much |
as it does to come to the mainland of |
the United States, where his wages
are as high or higher than they will
be in Hawaii, and, except on small
scale, the cost is prohibitive for the
Territory to pay the passage, especially |
when there is nothing to prevent the
immigrant going ON to the Pacific
coast whenever he chooses to, and IA
large number of them are likely to
do this, as continuous efforts are made
to get our laborers away by the Pa
cific coast people.
GAS to the Japanese coming from
Hawaii to the Pacific coast, it has only
been within the last couple of years
that this has taken place on any scale.
The emigration has not been by virtue
of anything done by the people of
Hawaii, for they want the Japanese
laborers to stay in Hawaii, where they
are needed. Neither was it voluntarily
initiated by the Japanese themselves.
"The immigration to the Pacific
coast from Hawaii has come about by
the extreme shortage of labor on the
Pacific coast, and by those interested
there, more particularly in the north
west, actively recruiting labor from
the Hawaiian plantations. Recruiting