The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-03-09
AMERICAN VS.. ORIENTAL
AS EMPLO YMENT GETTERS
Advertiser Photo.

ly be filled by Orientals, but there are
large number of positions that could
and should be filed by white men, and
l consider it only just and right to this
community and Territory that the
firms which depend for the bulk of
their trade upon the white people of
this city should employ white men
whenever and wherever possible.
There are many other examples of
men in this city in comfortable or
well-to-do circumstances who boast of
their Americanism and are loud in
their claims for the protection of
American shipping and American man.
ufactures, and yet employ Orientals
almost exclusively in building their
homes or cottages for rent or for va.
rious lines of mechanical work. ! would
like to ask what kind of Americanism
is thisY Is TINS sincerityf Is this
right to the community and the Ter
ritoryi
There is a large number of people
who, l believe, can be excused for EN-
ploying Orientals. For instance, the
man of small means who desires to own
his own home and has to save from his
| salary, and also borrow money to help
him build a small home for himself and
| family. In such cases it means no
home or else the employment OF
Oriental carpenters. As, / believe, the
owning of his home makes a man feel
more settled and helps him to become
a better citizen in every way, | do NOT
feel like censuring or blaming such q
man for employing 0rientals when
| nthnrwtan hn xunt,1J ha
afford to build. But / do believe most
decidedly that every man who employs
labor owes 1T to his family, if he hai
one, and to the community in which h,
lives to employ citizens, whether h
employs clerks or statesmen in his bust
ness or carpenters or mechanics in thei
branches of work
| will say frankly that 1 thinl
many of our clerks, carpenters an,
mechanics are themselves to blame TO
not securing employment, and hav,
brought certain amount of discredi
upon themselves as a class. The,
arrive late to their work, are careless
and slipshoddys take time off for al
occasional smoke and knock off worl
little early or the moment the wills
lie blows, regardless of whether the,
could complete their work in fey
moments more, and seem to take bu
little interest in what they are do
ing. | have known personally whit
men to drag out their work SO as l.
make job last as long as possible
or disregard instructions deliberately
My observation is that the general ru
| of Orientals are conscientious in thei
work and do all in their power t
please and satisfy their employers.
The above statements are not mean
to be swe ping or to apply to the ma
Jority of white men, but there ar
enough careless and uncOnscientiou
men in the various trades to brin
much discredit upon their fellow work
men.
have heard many white mechanic
blame employers and heads of firm
for employing certain number o
Orientals in their business, and We
they trade themselves almost entirel
with OrlentGls, buying not only thei
meat and groceries, but most of thei
clothes at Oriental stores. Is this cor
. sistentf But why go into further. Dc
tailf Is ii not the duty of ever
American in this community to Civ
this matter careful thought, and Will
not openly discriminating against Or
entails, for / believe they should b
employed in certain lines of worl
make every honest effort to give tn
white man employment where possible
both on the plantation, in business an
office and in building operations an
mechanical linesf In this way W
, show whether we are true citizens o
our great republic, and it is only i
this way that we are going to bull
up the right kind of community herr
where we live and where we will wan
our children to live.
A HAWAIIAN BORN AMERICAN
Honolulu, March O, 1909.
---s-<-s.--
VIM. Larsen, Jr., denies having bee