The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-05-03
LABOR PROBLEMS
OF THE ISLANDS

J. ID. Trenor, the immigration agent
for Hawaii at New York, signs the
following article which appears in the
Months Rodeo:
Having just returned from a tour OF
inspection in the territory of Hawaii,
extending over four months, and tho
roughly covering the principal islands
of Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai,
few observations in connection with
my mission may possibly prove of in
terest to your readers.
The object of my visit was to study
labor conditions there, to observe the
needs of the territory in that direc-
ton, and to offer a solution of the
problem which should at least be a
proximately permanent and satisfac-
tory one
1t may be proper to state that the
initiative in this matter was taken
by the territory itself, and while my
selection for the mission was doubt
less largely influenced by the recon-
mendation of the Federal officials in
Washington, for whom l had made
several extended and confidential in
vestigations in Europe, the whole
movement was in the interest, and at
the expense of the territorial govern
ment as an independent factor
The time devoted to a most care
full and thorough investigation of the
situation may lend some degree of
weight to my remarks At the outset
il was quite obvious that the pro-
blem was, and would probably re-
main, more or less a complex one.
The fact that an evolution from prac-
tically forced to free" labor had
taken place within a comparatively
few years, added to the ardent desire
to Americanize Hawaii Zone of the
growing and hopeful signs met With
only tends to increase the difficulties
of the question.
l say this advisedly, because Ha-
wall must always seek to attract and
hold such labor as is indispensable
to the raising of her various crops,
the chief one of which is, and is like
ly long to remain, sugar TO COM
pete successfully with the markets OF
the world it is essential that she be
favored with favorable climatic con-
ditions, abundant and reasonable
priced labor, and an assurance that
the modicum of protection which the
present tariff on the raw product at
fords will be continued and it needs
only a season of protracted drought
to greatly decrease the yield. An alb
normal advance in the price, or a
scarcity of labor, would seriously
cripple the industry. A radical reduc-
ton in the tariff would wipe it out
1t has been argued by some that
the present prosperity of the sugar
interests of the islands is proof that
they can stand on their own legs, and
need little if any consideration. For
tunately for the islands they have
had an exceptionally favorable year
| 190S}, in which the yield has been
| high and the price Of sugar above
the average. But it needs very little
delving, for those who want the facts
to find out that if the returns on al
the money legitimately invested in
sugar growing in Hawaii during the
past twenty years were scanned, they
would not show an average of three
per cent per annum. And many oil
those who today are pointed to a:
recipients of excessive profits are
among the very ones who have, with
out murmur, pocketed losses which
would stagger the ordinary investor
Skill, courage, and ceaseless persever'
ance have in many instances been the
price paid for bringing TO life ant
strength many weakling investment
hardly able to stand alone.
1t is good that this reward has come