The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-12-05
PUNE FEUDALISM,
SAYS Mr.. BAKER
AMERICAN Magazine Man Tells
lhc Worst Ne Heard About
Plantation Owners.

ANN NN0 American ANNAAlNe my
particular attention to the "feudAl
aristocfaey" Of the Inahds, reviewing
what no has told here OF the cor,
porato pressure brought % bear
to throttle independence in industry.
he cites an instance where he main
tains the HilO Sugar Company failed
to i've mp to cane contracts made with
number Of independent land owners
after having killed or all competition
for the cane
''of course they expostuiated and
objected" writes Mr.. Bakor, "but
what could they doH There was no
other mill which would bid for their
product and, moreover, they were
heavily in debt to the corporation for
supplies, fertilizers and the like, and
upon these debts, by the way, they
were forced to pay ten per cent. inter
est. And they had to borrow Of the
plantation corporation, because the
banks Of HiIo, controlled by the same
plantation interests, refused to loan TO
thepl In other, words, they were
forced into dependence on the plantas
tion manager. AnS the manager now
began to thresh and winnoW them
thoroughly.
'Gamalielson and his friends, hav.
ing their lands in cane crops and see.
ing no way out, decided to 20 forward
and see If they could make q living by
accepting the price paid by the mill,
and SO sdogged were they, so deter
niiged. that It took seven years to
srixa, them into absolute bankruptcy.
When pill hope was finally gone, they
joined together and began suits. OF
couEse, the rich. plantation corporation
with all the money, all the political in
fluenesi; all. the social, power of the
islands, behind it, could hire lawyers.
and make a long fight, and while the
hoReateadeFs won their contention that
their basic contract was valid, still,
though all sort of, legal devices,
Though the pleading Of the statute Of
limitation and 30 on, the .homesteadeEB
finally came out without a cent
squeezed dry. Gamalielson was forced
into bankruptcy and has practically
nothing left. ~. -,
Z" 10 is difficult for an outsider TO
form any adequate conception Of the
extent, to which "a feudal ,aristocracy,
dominating the land, can direct or in.
fluence even in remote details. the life,
the income, the politics, the education
and even the religion Of the country =
| says the writer, in q preceding section
Of his, article. 81 Not only does the
plantation manager dominate the actual
work on his own plantation but his
domination extends to all the people
who live around the plantation-to all
the little settlements and to all the
small farmers near about. And being
IN most instances an employee himself
with his own success dependent on
making dividends for distant stock
holders, 1T may be imagined how thor.
| Oughly he turns all his power to ad-
vantage with yearly profits in view.
"Let me illustrate: Along nearly the
whole northern and northeastern coast
of the island of Hawaii extends a
broad yband of plantations, Among.
these plantations are quite a number
of small villages with few white men
in each and many Japanese and Portu-
guese. And back on the hills are n
few small land owners and home.
steaders who are nominally independ.
ent of the plantations.
81 ManyNof the plantations have built
wharves or landings in front of their
| mills and here vessels stop and dis
charge their freight. Some of this
freight Is ordered by the sma1l mer.
! chants, and INDEPENDENT homesteaders.
1.-THE nlantatiop iixes q seale of
eharqes ON LANDING goods from the vea.
eel To the wharf have before ma n
iiist of tbe LANDING charges If tbe Homo.
kaa smear COMPANY, For lifting one
barrel Of cement twenty gcents. bee
of Grain ten Giants. harrel If Sb;sEy
| 40 50. \ birvole. fiftv Cents. sawin ;,
machine IN 90. and so on
slTet ma see how This 1-,,rl,s az. IN
tho case Of = ton of harley sbipn.S fro,,
San Frarcisco IN HonoInly nh fra;abr
from Gar Esancisco ~ iIiIo oS,a,. osnS
r,;lss ia 40 T5 = ton Thsra st;Ii
ocaen comnetition from san Fran.; Co.
Rnt NJ Jiio connetition ends All tho
intsrisland. ,sbinnino IL -nrsctically mon.