The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-10-05
DID PLANTERS
PROMISE RAISE?
Japanese Official States Uyeno
Assured Labores' Pay
Would Go Up.

That the Hawaiian Sugar Planters
Association promised the japanese Con
sui General at Honolulu that wages on
the plantations would be increased as
soon as the strikers went back peace
fully to work, is a statement made in
the Japan Mail, based on a statement
made by Mr.. Ishii of the Foreign Office,
who was in Honolulu a Sort time ago
studying the labor situation. The Mail
also presents the japanese concern re-
garding the migration of Russian la
borers to Hawaii. The article is as
follows:
On the occasion of the Progressist
deputies visit to the Foreign Office on
the 9th inst. an interesting statement
is said to have been made by Mr. Ishii
with reference to Hawaii. The depu-
ties, who, true to the traditions of their
party, are nothing if not jingoes, ap-
pear to have objected that the strikers
in Hawaii had returned to their work
without obtaining any concession what
ever from the planters. One marvels
en- PEASANT whether if these politicians
had been themselves in power, they
would have espoused the cause of the
strikers. However that may be, Mr..
Ishii is said to have informed them
that they labored under misapprehen-
sion. 1t was true that the strike had
ended without any public concession
on the part of the planters, but 1t was
also true that the planters had assured
the japanese Consul General of their
intention to raise the wages of japanese
laborers after the strikers had returned
quietly to their work. AS to the ques-
ton of an alleged abuse of power by
the authorities of Honolulu in arrest
ing certain japanese subjects without
a proper warrant, the Foreign Office in
Toxic had duly protested, but the pro-
test had been subsequently withdrawn
such procedure was lawful in Hawaii.
Russians No Menace.
There has been talk lately of jour
ney made to Russia by Mr.. Atkinson,
who was commissioned by the Hawaiian
planters to employ go Russians as la
borers on the sugar plantations. This
| gentleman is expected to soon pass
through Japan on his return journey
| from Russia, and in connection with the
| fact. Mr.. Saito. head of the Emigra-
ton Bureau in the Foreign Office, has
been interviewed by a news agent. He
is represented as saying that, in view
of the enormous preponderance of
Japanese labor in Hawaii, it is quite
natural that the planters should desire
/ to have some counterpoise, so as to be
prepared for emergencies. 1t is quite
conceivable that some complication
should suddenly deprive Hawaii of all
its japanese labor, and in such an
| event the industry which constitute;
| the main source of Hawaiian wealth
would be completely crippled. By way
of provision against such an emery
ency, efforts have been made to i'm
port Chinese labor, Philippine labor
and European labor. None of them car
be said TO have been successful. The
present recourse to the Russian labor
market is not new; it was tried before
and failed. But in any circumstance
it can not be regarded as constituting
serious menace to the Japanese al
ready in the Islands. 1t will serv
merely as a makeweight.