The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-05-19

Meshiime. iht INTERPOLATION III DO
nuHrt. which 500 bfhflitaNF eUrI .HHnal
deferred ratianhif iofieiiahle trEIfik
inE and cultivation contracts ehieh
nitr zach iahufnf n property Interest IN
ihe cane which ho can aiaintaih Only ~
constant nttcntiun 90 its cnltiyathn.
and prompt harvesting aud manufacture
al maturity, win probably divide plan
taiion hands into two CLASSES. tho more
influential and ultimately the more
numerous of which will be opposed 20
labor conflicts.
However, the strike has created n
new grievance among what Il called
Citizen labor In Hawaii tho several
thousands vi Inwaiians aud Portuguese
who went on the plantations as strike
breakers and The friends Of these. Tor
tho returning japanese were welcomed
and on most plantations the strike
breakers were turned adrift In favor Of
this cheaper labor. This was not true
OF every plantation. AZ Kahuku before
the strike, Asiatics, excluding Filipinos
who are rated as American labor, form
ed 50 por cent Of the plantation force;
In April 1870 when this place was last
visited. Asiatics formed but 40 per cont
OF those employed. An emergency force
could not have been recruited so easily
had the strike occurred ON any other
island than Oahu, whore two.thirds of
the population is urban, and the num-
Der of casual laborers is large.
"Tho'white trade uniunists in Homo
lulu seemed rather to sympathizo with
the Japanese in the purpose of their
strike, and to consider their demand
of equal pay with other nationalities for
equal work just one; but there is no
relaxation of the fixed disapproval with
which in general white workingmen in
Hawaii regard all oriental labor.
Conclusion.
''The legal and social condition Of
labor employed in Hawaii appears to
have improved during the past Eve
years. The economic condition of many
classes of workers is better. Wages
have arisen on an average nearly 10
per cent. The. cost of staple articles Of
consumption has increased faster than
this, or in the neighborhoOd of ID per
cent. But certain items of expenditure
do not affect plantation employees who
constitute the bulk of the labor here
studied-being provided by the en-
ployer in kind. These include fnel
medical attendance, and house rent.
Housing conditions have improved on
the plantations, without increasing the
cost of living for the laborer
The condition of urban laborers. as
shown by the study of the cost of living
and the wage schedules gathered in Ho.
nolulu, is not below normal. In general
unemployment is not serious-and
forced unemployment of manual work
ers, whether skilled or unskilled, for
any considerable period is very uncom.
mon.
The position of the oriental in the
economic life of the Territory is more
important than five years ago, because
1t is more securely established. The
property holdings of people of these
races have increased much more rapidly
than the population. Their competition
has extended to greater variety of
occupations and is backed by larger and
more varied resources, both Of skill and
capital. On the other hand, this popu-
lation is less shifting, has rising
standard of living, is more exigent for
higher wages and better terms of en-
ployment than formerly. The oriental
poplation promises by .natural increase
far to outstrip all other elements of the
population, and upon this increase inn
migration restrictions are not likely to
have determining effect. Some UMPIRE.
dietable change in population move.
ments may reverse present tendencies,
and the next decennial census may show
smaller number of orientals than at
present. But up to date there is no
lndleatlon of such a change. The
smaller proportion of Japanese work.
ing ON plantations is about compensated
by the increase of Filipinos, and it win
take a series of years-until the field
OF employment sought by the Hawaiian-
porn oriental population that will with
IN lew years reach working age is
ascertained-to settle the probable con.
stltution of the future plantation force.
Bona Eide Effort.
Meantime bona fde effort is being
made by the territorial government,
backed by the large employing interests,
TO settle larger proportion of Cauca-
slan workers and settlers in Hawaii.
1t is doubtful if any large industry up
on the mainland has in the past been
willing to disregard the economic de-
mand for cheap labor, in consideration
OF what are at least partly civic mo
tives in securing more costly labor, to
the same extent as have the Hawaiian
planters. They are willing without re,
serve TO employ all the Caucasian work.
ers the government can bring to the
Islands, at a wage one-third larger than
they pay for nearly as efficient labor
brought from Asia.
Little progress has been made In
settling American farmers in Hawaii
Recent changes in the land laws NAV
remedy this to some extent. The Terri
tory is now providing for public mar.
keting department, to handle produce
ana promote markets for small farm.
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