The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-12


5an Sugar Planters Association.
The twenty-six japanese who pre-
sented themselves at the meeting call
ed for last night by Fred Maxine and
G. Negoro, to consider taking action
to bring about an increase in the plan
tation laborers' wage scale, deliberated
for couple of hours and finally de-
eided to call a mass meeting of the
Japanese of Honolulu to adopt a reso-
luton demanding from the planters an
immediate increase in wages of twenty
five per cent. This increase is to do
for a starter.
To prepare the resolution a commit
tee of twenty was named, and these
were instructed to make haste in the
matter in order that the blow may be
struck while the iron is hot. The reso
luton, which was debated over last
night, will review the whole labor sit
uation, compare the labor supply with
the demand, present statistics of the
cost of living in Hawaii now with the
cost of the past several years, and
will dwell with emphasis on the amount
received by the plantation stockhold-
ers this year in the way of dividends
and bond interest.
Last night s meeting, which was ex
pected to have been several times bet
fer attended, was presided over by
Mr. Maxine, the secretary being Mr..
Negoro. There were as many speakers
yuhxy Shonl6
90 up without delay as there were
persons present. and the whole situa-
ton from the standpoint of the ones
who expect to get the laborers' money
after the laborers have earned 1T, was
gone over. There was some reference
to the right of the laborer to the whole |
fruit of his toll and some declalmlng |
against the unearned riches of the cap |
italist. but on the whole neither social |
ism nor demagOgy was very evident |
The speakers didn IT want the labor
ers to get all the sugar profits, only |
TWENTY-FIVE per cent. more than they
have been getting. There was no ref
erence beyond the vaguest OF any
threat to agitate strike.
The date for the mass meeting, which
is to be held at Aala Park, was not
set. but it will be some time IN the
near future if arrangements are pos
sible.
Jill Advises a Strike.
The Nippu Jill, the Honolulu organ
of the japanese radicals, is advising
the .Japanese laborers to either strike
for bigger wages or do less work than
they are doing for their present pay.
The Jill editorially expresses pref
erenee for the latter course, although
ouoting from the campaign speeches OF
President Roosevelt and President-eleet
Taft to show that to strike is proper
on the part of laborers in industrial
disputes.
The uaper compares the average pay
of the Jarauese. SIS a month, to the
nav of the Portuguese and Spanish Ia |
borers So. so a month and house and ,
an acre of land. claiming that the Jap .
anese does as much @nu generally ,
more work a day ;aaL ;he white Ia ;
borer. On this showing the Jiji editor
advises his eountrymen to do only half
as much work each day as they nave :
been doing and thus equalize matters :
In this wav, he argues. the plantations :
will be forced to give the higher wages :
demanded. y
ssThe people in one voice demand
better pay," he says in concluding ms +
article. land the voice of the people
is the voice of God. If the planters
refuse to listen to the voice of the peo- :
ole. upon them will descend the curse :
Of God.' n
No Increase Contemplated. q
The trustees of the Planters Asso-
,iation held a meeting yesterday morn Il
ing. but. according to the report given t,
,uf nv W O. Smith. the secretary, the "a
meeting had to do only with questions a
If the tariff. No question of japanese N
wages was considered. HI
''We are aware of the present agIta- al
ion among the Japanese, said MI. a,
smith yesterday afternoon, "but we do e1
Tot think it win amount to anything II
les. know that one japanese paper Is s.
.dvising the labOrers to strike, but the X
natter has not been taken up by US In til
ny way. We are not considering any
movement toward an increase IN the CT
(Cop+;ppad IN pace FOur.l 10