Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-06-23
HAWAII NEI WRITES

The Editor Even ng Bul le-
tin - The press dispatches from
the Coast that came in yesterday re-
garding the strike that is now TAX
ing place wre like breath of fresh
air to a man who has been in
musty room. The neenness with
which these papers sized up this Jap
anese strike as a national and racial
ACKNOWLEDGMENT, and not an econom-
IL strike, Is very satisfactory. The
situation is complex. yet simple; the
lgborers demand nominaily an ad-
vance of wages thatn would mean
about three million dollars year,
but in reality they hope to get an adj
vance which means for the total
number of laborers employed mil
lion and a half dollars every twelve
months. This would make a big
hole in plantation dividends. but
not destroy them. One thing Is GER
tain, that million and a hal fdollars
hitherto going out in dividends IS
rot going that way much longer.
This may be hearsay 10 the stock
Spectator and criminal language to
the man who does not want to con-
front the facts; but IL IS, neverthe-
less. the truth. The million and a
half dollars is not gong back into
the dividend Golfers foi many a long
day to come. and the one practical
question is. shall that million and n
half dollars, or the bul kof II, go
back to Japan by an increase Of
wages to the japanese iaborers, or
shall II go, by taxation and other
wise. to the development of citizen
labor of our own civilization in this
Territory? Equity and justice re-
Cuire that that surplus shall be de-
voted by the planters and planta-
tons to setting right the common
3 nuisance situation created in this
Territaory by allowing the planters
10 have too much of their own way,
When u man is confronted by his
sins II seems out of place to say Ia
him-''I told you so" but the truth
H., as all hands know, that this Ter
ritory has been over-weighted and
swamped with Asiatic labor to pro-
mote excessive dividends for the
plantations, and the planters are
now for the first time squarely con-
fronted with the fruits of their own
handiwork, whereas the evil effects
of this influx has been felt by the
poorer classes OF whites ror 10 these
many years past.
Nevertheless, the attitude of the
planters today In standing out against
the Japanese demands. is In accord
with public sentiment. The Japanes,
laborers are getting fully as much In
wages taken the year round as the
American farm hand does today. The
surplus profits of the sugar business
over and above fair dividends and fail
wages should be dedicated to setting
right and abating the nuisance created
and built up here by plantation infu
ence during the past twenty-five years
In that issue not only citizens at large
In this Territory are interested, bu
the Federal Government and our fel
low citizens on the mainland. II tn,
planters cave In and turn over one mil
lion and half dollars extra wages L
these japanese laborers they are no
only killing the goose that lays tn,
golden egg but they are absolutely i'm
poverishing themselves and prevent
ing themselves from being able to re
spond financially to the demands o
the Federal Government that immlgra
ton shall hereafter be OF European o.
American type.
IL is to be hoped, therefore. that thu
planters will stand pat; their only sal
walton lies In that direction. The non
plantation sentiment Of the countr!
has reached the limit OF Its endurance
so far as Asiatic domination and con
troll is concerned, The general public
unquestionably demand that the open
insolent and all.peryading defiance o
law and the administration of law by
this Japanese colony cease. from thos,