The Washington herald., 1908-05-13

Special Correspondence The Washington Herald.
Honolulu, Hawaii. March so-In Hawaii
the labor question is ever present. ever
paramount, and never settled. One
fourth Of the total population Of the Ter
ritory is made up Of laborers actually
employed in the cane fields. OF these
more than one-half are Japanese and
Chinese: in other words. noncitizen and
nonassimilable. Sugar demands cheap
labor. Hawaii lives on sugar, and un-
less it has a permanent supply of re-
markably cheap labor. it faces ruin. Be
fore annexation to the United States the
government and the planters. sometimes
acting jointly and sometimes acting
separately, brought in laborers from
various parts of the world under the
contract system. When the United
States flag permanently fioated over the
islands, and American laws applied to
Hawaiian affairs, contract labor was
without the pale of law
The leading men OF Hawaii then turned
toward Europe as a source Of labor sup
ply. It was thought the South of Europe
would furnish hardy iaborers perfectly
willing 20 work for wages which the
planters could afford. Being Christians
and Europeans they would naturally be
III sympathy with American institutions
and ideals, and would bring forth sec
ond generation Of real Americans Under
the plan adopted by the States OF South
Carolina and Louisiana, the planters con-
t9outed Sums of money TO a fund and
oy the authority of the legislature, sent
4 mr. 70 --T-.4 r.
tanning two shiplOads of immigrants, one
OF Portuguese and one of Spanish. Then
fell the blow from the Federal govern
ment at Washington in the form of a
decision that immigration stimulated IN
this fashion was Illegal and must cease.
Afterward came the restriction OF Jap
anese immigration. Thus Hawaii found
itself in the position of being prevented
by either private or public enterprise
from assisting immigration. It is too
small and too out of the way 10 attract
voluntary immigration, and its labor
question is most acute.
Politics thrive on conditions. The South
eTn States of the Union. with practically
no exception. are suffering frem lack Of
labor supply. The millions and millions
of men and women who have come TO
American shores from Europe in the past
fifty years have all found homes north OF
the Mason and Dixon line, or west Of
the Mississippi The Southern States were
stagnated on account of the devastation
Of the war when the great tide Of i'm
migration began. and il is only within
the past seven or eight years that the
South has begun to feel the need OF new
white blood. The South Is Ike Hawaii in
that It needs this immigration. but can
not get IL. While the North is clamoring
Tor regulations which viii place further
restriction upon The influx Of immigra-
ton, the South is crying for relief
from labor famine
South Carolina sought to solve the
problem by State-assisted immigration;
Louisiana tried the same thing but pow
erful influences at Washington were able
10 put stop TO the plan If il were not
Tor the fact that the Southern States.
and some Of the Pacific Coast States.
were thus suffering from a shortage Of
labor supply, the Hawaiian situation
would be quite hopeless. As it is.
IS the Hawaiian leaders are confident of
pooling interests in Congress. Although
they have no vote they viii be able to
secure some legislation which will per
nit the Territory. as a public necessity.
20 bring about artificial immigration from
Europe Even the sugar planters sadly
accept the fact that the days of Oriental
ISM are passed.
The mere question of getting laborers
to come TO Hawaii is only half the
problem-getting them to stay here has
proved equally difficult.
The first laborers imported 10 Hawaii
when the native Hawaiian laborer was
found inadequate, were $50 Chinese
brought in in 1852, during the reign of
Kamehameha III These laborers cost
$50 apiece to bring over. They were paid
s. month in cash wages and furnished
with food, lodging and clothes. which
cost 81 per month more. There was nc
economic difference between the system
OF contract labor which had its begin
ming at that time. and actual slavery.
Since that day laborers have been
brought to Hawaii from Manehuria.
Korea, China, Japan. the Islands of the
South Seas. from Norway, Germany. Au-
stria, Italy Russia, Portugal Spain. Ma
deira, and the Azores, while both whites
and negroes have been recruited in the
United States. Since 1852 the number Of
labor immigrants to Hawaii has reached
the enormous total of $4,000 or $500 more
than the total population Of the Terri
tory at this time. What has become OF
them? Some have died. Of course, but
the immigrant class Is usually sturdy
and the records show that the birth rate
nN-
the deaths. Still there are $1,000 not ac-
counted for. These figures. when an
alyzed, mean that one half of the labor.
ers brought TO the Territory 60 away.
over 125.OOO japanese have come tc
Hawaii, but nearly half Of them made il
a stepping stone TO go on the the United
States. Before contract labor was abol.
ished It used to cost the planter. in the
matter of steamship fares, an average
Of SO for a Chinese. So for a Japanese
SIP for a Portuguese. and $3.50 for Nor
wegian. As the Europeans always came
In large families and as the japanese
usually came singly, il was much cheaper
TO bring in japanese. After the days OF
contract labor when the japanese came
on their own accord, the steamer fare
dropped as low as $50. In the i've years
prior 70 1886 the Hawaiian monarchy ex-
pended over SL00o090. and the planters al
most as much more, in importing labor
ers Five shipments Of Portuguese cost
per capita SS95, of which the govern
ment paid S52.A and the planter 1914
As there were so many women and chill
dren, it cost for each adult male laboreT
$266l5 In all, Hawaii has expended be
rr fa1.l gHH
for the transportation of laborers which
II has induced 10 come to its shores
One-half Of these have left the islands
and only about one-hfth of them are now
working in the field
The reasons for the migratory habits
OF these labOrers are many and com
MEX. but. perhaps. the urfncinIe one Is