The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-05-14


Trusting 20 souf hlndness and zen
efnsiy. Rnd hoping that our requ ~ /
HEREIN be- granted We have ~ pleasure |
90 be- slf, your obedlsni Servants
lfigned by committee u twcriyl.
s,a,oneut o. Reasons
We beg 20 state the reasons Tor tBo
foregoing rcaucft ne foilpwsi
90 The prices ~ daily necessities
have Increased remarkably ton years |
since. From the reliable source we |
hear that the price u more than |
doubled IN average. Since the present
wages schedule has been adopted the
general price has advanced by twenty
tive per cents ESQ. And We are all
feeling the pinch Of the Increased
price. II Is very difficult to maintain
ourselves now az 6sc n day wages than
II was Ave years ago.
(2l The Increase OF prices IA not
confined TO Hawaii. but II IL the gem
eral tendency OF the world. including
Japan. The standard OF life in japan
has risen more than in any other
place. Ten years ago japanese labor.
ers. who saved few hundred dol
lars, could maintain their families in
comfort for the remainder of life in
japan. But now things have changed.
and few hundred dollars will not suf
fee TO keep them for two years There.
fore, we have decided to permanently
settle here. to incorporate ourselves
with the body politique of Hawaii-to
unite our destiny with that of Ha-
wall, sharing the prosperity and ad-
vefsity of Hawaii with other citizens
&C
maintain, children to educate: and
most of us will have to not in very
far distant future. And as we are
gradually becoming settled laborers,
various social relations have sprung
up, and educational and religious in
stitutions are growing up. We must.
besides maintaining and educating our
families and our children, keep up so
cial intercourse, contribute to the fund
for the building and maintaining of
schools, churches aud temples, and
also, contribute to assist the poor.
needy sick or MANNED persons. The
present wages of 6sc. day is utterly
insufficient for these purposes.
Further. as the result of high stand
ard of life in Japan now prevailing,
we must send more than twice the
sum which was sent few years ago.
We are not giving sufficient support
to our aged mothers and young sis
tiers. Most of us who at present time
make a small remittance to Japan
are not sending the savings of wages,
but it is the money obtained by Dor
rowing scheme, generally known as
Tanomoshi.
Such being the consequences upon
our condition of high price and high
standard of life, here and in Japan,
nothing can be saved to provide for
our old age or for the time of sickness
or other accidents. This is true both
for the married and unmarried. But
the stress is more keenly felt by the
married men. The wives of the fam
lily with three or four children can
not help their husbands increase the
income of the family. Their time is
entirely taken up for the care of the
house and the children. Should the
husband become sick, or otherwise dis
abled and laid up for a day or any
| number of days, the family income Is
diminished proportionally, bringing d.
| rect distress upon the family-the
| helpless wife and children. Not only
| that, the small savings, if there We're
| any, will all be absorbed in the pay
| ment of the doctors bill, and II the
| sickness or accident should continue
| for any length of time, the bills of
doctor and merchants will pile up,
which it is impossible to pay off for
a year or two.
This statement alone, we beg re-
| specially to submit. is sufficient to
move your Christian generosity, and
recognize the justice and reasonable
ness of our request, and assist us by
| granting this our request.
| 80 For further reason, we beg
leave to state that our efficiency as
laborer is no inferior to laborer of
other nationalities who are now being
paid higher wages than ourselves. To
take the example of ordinary field
hands, the laborers of other nationali-
ties are being paid twenty-five dollars
and a half ($2250) per month; and,
besides, they are given cottage for
each married couple and one acre of
good land. 1t Is elementary in eco
Monies that wages are regulated by
efficiency of laborers working under
identical or substantial similar condi-
lions. If so. we are entitled to twenty.
two dollars and a half and cottage
and one acre of good land, or the
| value thereof. We have the pleasure
to presume that you will recognize ouI
} efficiency and do Justice to our claim
r of equality of efficiency.
: Not only from the economic view
point, the moral sense will compel you
to give us equality of wages and equal
ity of treatment. Is it not matter OF
simple justice and moral duty to give
same wages and same treatment t.
laborers of equal efficiency, irrespective
of race, color, creed, nationality or pre-
vious condition of servitude? 1t il
! respectfully submitted that it is mos
9 unjust to discriminate one from thu
t other and pay one laborer twenty-five
d dollars and a half and give a cottage
e and land besides, and pay another onl.
n eighteen dollars and nothing else.
: We respectfully submit that botl
by the economic and moral principle