Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-13
HOME INSTINCT DOES
NOT EXIST AMONG THE
PLANTATION LABORERS

ut may be claimed that this homo
instinct does not exist among the class
of people who constitute our plantation
laborers. This Is undoubtedly true of
some of them. The unmarried Chinese
iaborer seems to prefer to work and live
in a crowd, and with exceptions, does
not do otherwise when he becomes his
own master. There are undoubtedly
many others of various nationaltties
who have become habituated by long
usage to contentment with present con-
ditions. But even among these more
room Is appreciated. This is evidenced
by the fact that If 100 laborers are re-
moved from plantation camp designed
for 200 1t Will be matter OF only Few
days before the remaining 100 Will. II
permitted, spread themselves out over
the entire camp to secure more room
and privacy.
But there are thousands of other
cases in which, to greater or less de-
gree, the home instinct and all the IN
cidental desires and feelings connected
Herewith, are possessed by plantation
laborers as fully and completely as by
members of the community who stand
higher in the social scale Take the
Portuguese for example There is not,
to my knowledge, a Portuguese tene-
ment house in the territory. They have
hundreds of little individual homes,
costing from 5000 to $1,000 each, which
they have built with their own money.
Wherever, on the plantations, there are
detached houses with ground around
them, the Portuguese are eager applf-
cants for them.
There has been, perhaps, more OPP
portunity for development and exhibit
| ton of these tendencies among the
Portuguese and Germans. because the
migration of these two nationalities to
Hawaii has consisted exclusively of
families, instead of an overwhelming
proportion of male adults. Moreover,
these nationalities have no intention of
returning to their old homes. They
have permanently expatriated them
selves and will never have any homes
except those which they make anew for
themselves. They also belong to races
which for generations have been MI
grating all over the world Emigration
and permanent settlement abroad Is
therefore a common thought to them.
1.-THE Hawaiian territory is not the
only place where the labor question
has been vital issue. Cuba was In
like dilemma, when. in 1886. slavery
was finally abolished. The plantation
system had flourshed there for gene
rations. When the slaves were set free
they would not work for small wages
and were too uncertain and lazy to
earn high ones. They showed a dis
position to wander and to become ire
sponsible Migrants. Destruction stared
the planters in the face. They had to
act quickly or go under. They acted
both quickly and successfully. They
cut up their vacant estates into lots
Of from ten to fifty acres, and sold or
LEASED them at nominal rentals to their
former slaves, making contracts with
them to buy the cane produced. This
was the genesis of the so-called Co
lonial system which has been success
fully continued in operation in Cuba
ever since. 1t is the basis of the con-
tract recently made by Col. Spalding
with the Molokans here in Hawaii.
ST believe that the suggestions made
above, or some of them, or others along
the same general lines, will eventually
be adopted. The same masterful spirit
which has made Hawaii what it is will
meet and solve the problem. Danger
Gus conditions have been met and con-
quered in the past and the sugar in
dustry of the islands established on
broader and firmer basis than ever 1t
will continue to expand and be q source
of profit for generations yet to some.
While it will take energy, breadth of
spirit and progressive intelligence to
solve the labor problem, the way will
be found. Sugar will long continue to
be king of Hawaii"
Copyright, 1908. by Frederic ]. HaslSin)
Touorrow-Cosmono Honolulu