Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-13
GOES INTO
PEOPLES
SIDE
Fisher Calls on Settlement
Worker To Talk of Social
Conditions Here

Secretary Of the Interior Fisher 10.
day switched his line OF inquiry into
Hawaiian conditions from the ccinmer.
eial and industrial side to the human
and sociological side. Getting James
A. Rath upon the stand near he enc
af the morning session, the secretary
began TO delpe into social conditions
here with the frankness that has dis
tineuished his inquiry from the tart
nath Na1 equally frank IN his an
sWers, and some of these answers
were rather startling in their conn
ment upon life IN Hawaii. For in
stance:
The Secretary took upon line Of
inquiry az 70 the probability or poss
! bility Of Anblo-Sarons tiIling the son,
and Rath, after declaring that most or
the races mingled here with a great
degree Of freedom. gave as his opin-
iof that Anglo-Saxons would not re-
main as part Of a working settlement,
that they would not mix to this ex-
tent with Japanese, Chinese. and 9th
ers, Then Mr.. Fisher asked him why
this would be the case, and IL the,
Anglo-S Saxons would not mingle social
" with people Of another race.
They're perfectly willing 20 give
money to Christianize him" comment
ed Rath, speaking to the relations or
AlIglo-Saxons here TO an individual OF
another race. but they don't want
him IN their midst. He stated furth-.
er that In regard to this feeling, he
sees little difference between the An
gol-Saxon born here and the Anglo
Saxon who comes here.
The @bumsn Side"
Rath was called by Mr.. Fisher with
this suggestion: We've heard good
deal OF the commercial side in this in.
vestigati0n Now let's hear some
thing Of the human side" and Rath
gave Il. He gave as his opinion that
the Filipino phantom laborer tends to
drift toward the cities and that they
seem physically unable to do the work.
He doubted IL homesteading under
present candition Is practical One
of the features of his statement was
that he absolyed the governor from
responsibility for conditions here. Il
don't see how governor Frear Is any
more responsible for conditions here
than / am. declared Rath. He doubt
ed IL social isolation here cuts much
figure In the lack Of independent
small land-holders, stating that aside
from the Anglo-Saxon race, the other
races mingle freely. Furthermore, he
gave as his unqualified opinion there
is no more discomfort amonG the mass
es here than in parts of New England
with whose conditions he is familiar.
He regards the present Industrial con-
ditions as the natural result of indus
trial development, saying that it has
worked out here about as elsewhere.
lntermarriage.
A question from Mr.. Ashford turn
ed Mr. Rath to the subject of inter.
marriage between races and the con-
sequent result Rath said that there
is much intermarriage here between
Hawaiians and Anglo-Saxons, as there
is i'm India between Indians and An
glo-Saxons. But | pity the off
spring." he commented. A little later
he said that when he made this CON-
ment he was thinking particularly of
the conditions in India, and went on
to state that already there are many
excellent part-Hawaiian workers and
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