The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-10-31
PRESS
ON THE RUSSIANS
Continued from Page one)

are usually tickle and new things look
good to them.
''The Russians are said to be able
bodied and also used to work. AS
suredly. they are able bodied. Big
men they are, that is sure enough. But
the question is whether they are used
to work as claimed. Whether they
can beat small 'Japs' in the eane6eld
in tropical Hawaii. They did not ac-
eomplish what they claimed they would
at Port Arthur.
"They are brought hess as an ex-
pertinent, and they must pass the scru-
tiny of sharp eyed plantation man.
ayers Until they do, nobody knows
their value. They are said to have
been living half starved near Hardin,
but that does not guarantee to the
planters that they are the good labor
ers claimed by the agent.
"The territarial board of immigra-
ton imported some Molokans few
years ago, and that ended in complete
failure. The Molokans were big as
elephants and as able bodied as the
newcomers, but they did not do half
as much work as the little Japs' did.
They went TO work with their hands
gloved, and fetched their umbrellas TO
protect themselves from pleasant show
ers, and the japanese called them the
umbrella hanahana men.
Not discouraged at the Molokan
| experiment, the planters are repeating
| il by another, which, we fear, will re-
| suit as well in failure.
''The new Russian immigrants are
not a contented crowd, willing to
| work. but seem to be a dissatisfied
| people of an anarchieal frame of
/ mind. And it is our prediction that
! they viii! not prove themselves to be
| good asset for the Territory.
| ''The agent says that he can bring
any number of these immigrants. We
| think it win save much money to the
| Territory and the sugar interests if
| they wait until the Russians prove
| themselves, show what they are and
| what they can do.
| Abusive AS Usual.
The Jill, abusive as usual, remarked:
cit is not too much to say that the
present development and prosperity of
the sugar industry of Hawaii is the gift
of the japanese labor. This is appa-
rent from various statistics we have
Published from time to time.
SIN spite Of this fact, the sugar PLAN
| ters, who are powerful enough even to
| influence the territorial administration
at their will, forget the japanese,
whom they house in pig pens and pay
wages lower than paid to coolies. The
! profit they make from the sugar, which
/ the japanese raise for them. all goes
to the planters pocket and the Japa-
nese are deprived of the share they
are rightfully entitled to.
! ''The importation of European labor
! ers which il now contemplated is alleg-
/ ed by the Hawaii Shnpo as a result Of
the indiscreet act Of the agitators which
/ the Shinpo saws impaired the good
/ feeling of the employers and the white
people toward the Japanese.
"'The Shinpo, which is betraying the
seventy thousand japanese acting as
I the planter 5 dog, pretends TO consider
/ the importation Of the European i'm
I migrants into Hawaii as a great blow
/ 10 the japanese. and. under he preten-
/ ton Of being an alarmst. is trying TO
make the japanese believe it, in order
/ that they may quiet down.
! ''The Hawaiian planters imported in
! the past the Porto Ricans. the Koreans,
: the Portuguese. the Spaniards, and the
/ Russians. but they all failed TO prove
I themselves to be efficient lab0rers. The
! japanese alone Of all immigrants have
shown a wonderful efficiency and sur
| vived other nati0nalties, which fact
! the planters know well.
"We cannot understand why the
planters are repeating their foolish but
expensive experience in the importation
Of the Portuguese and the Russian Ia
| borers.'