The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-11-19
LABOR QUESTION
IN SUGAR LANDS
Same Problem of Scarcity Faced
in Australia, Cuba and
This Territory.

Our readers generally are familiar
with the fact that the dominant polit
zeal party in Australia is controlled by
the so-called labor element, and when
it came into power one of its first
efforts was to deport from the common
Situation in Cuba.
The labor situation in Cuba presents
some parallels, but along rather differ
ent lines. As has already been stated
in these columns, the Cuban govern
ment insists that the employees in the
great factories shall be natives to the
extent of at least seventyive per cent.
The native labor, stimulated in this
way to seek factory positions, is less
willing to engage in ordinary field
work. To overcome this, the great
sugar factory interests are endeavoring
to secure colonos, or tenants who will
grow cane on land belonging to the
factory, or even on their own lands,
provided the factory will furnish more
wealth all of the so-called Kanaka, or
South Sea Island, labor, says the
Louisiana Planter. The sugar industry
OF the province of Queensland had al.
ready attained large development,
producing 100000 long tons and up.
wards of sugar, and it was feared that
the loss of this Kanaka labor would
soon destroy the industry. The gen
eral government of the commonwealth
interviewed, however, and bounty was
paid to cane grown with white labor
The regulations as to the ascertain
ment of the labor employed were very
severe and thorOughgoing. For in
stance, if colored man drove the
horses or mules pulling train of tram.
ears from the cane fields to the central
factories, such cane was not considered
as being produced by white labor and
would fail to get the government boun.
ty for this single and but slightly par
ticipating cause All these matters
have been discussed extensively in the
,, various Australian states during the last
few years and the troubles are by no
means solved as yet.
. The northern part of Queensland is
very sparsely occupied and lying south
of the equator as Australia does, the
northern part of Queensland is very
tropical and the impression prevails
there that no other industry than the
production of sugar cane can be made
a success, and that this can not be
, made n success without Kanaka OF
o other colored labor. Later on we may
find the Queenslanders going north to
n the Philippines, endeavoring to secure
!, immigrants for cane culture in Queens
/. land, as our Hawaiian sugar planters
are now attempting to do in securing
, Philippine laborers for their more dis
Z, tant country.
!, or less of the means necessary to keeI
| the work going from one season to the
next. "
With the increasing acreage pat i'll
cane in this and other ways the labor
; problem begins to present itself III
! tCuba with increasing intensity and
with suggestion, if not the certainty
/, of very serious difficulties, and this al
n an early date, in the way of getting 9
|. competent supply of labor. Ever since
|, the abolition of slavery in Cuba somC
forty years ago, the scarcity of Labor
a has gradually increased.
q At that time production of 100000
? or 100000 tons of sugar was consider
+, ed large crop for Cuba, and now
. that this production has been triplet
. and with no material increase of the
, population of the island, it is manifest
l. that the only way to bring the sugar
J industry up to its present development
| has been by virtue of the use Of thu
!. many laborsaving appliances that ar,
/. now being used in the sugar industry
and practically all of which originated
r. in Louisiana, where the labor problem
! has been for many years perhaps tn,
J, most difficult one that we have had tt
= solve. Louisiana inventors right OF
!. the spot have been able to furnish thu
oh Ia 4
3 nearly two-million-ton sugar crop, nov
>. claimed as standing in its fields,
[. Also Hawaii's Problem.
A feature that will intensity the diff
X ficulties in Cuba is that which prevail
in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawa
s, iians, living in the Paradise of tn
n, Pacific, some of them owning the land
a. they now occupy, and their number
]. reduced from nearly million back il
n, Captain Cook IS days down to 5000
r or 10000 natives still remaining, hay
l. such resources, or can live so cheapl
that they are unwilling to do Ordinar
m labor, and the Hawaiian planters VIII
N, have secured control of practically a
d. of the available lands, are reachin
a, out to all parts of the earth to seen.
their industry. Before Hawaii was al
nexed to the United States these labo
ers brought in to the Islands were al
~ prenticed and held compulsorily for
w. term of years. The annexation to til
" United States terminated this con
~ pulsory labor, and ever since that tn
~ Iawaiians have been seriously en-
~ baTassed in securing adequate lab,
30 To work the fields TO their cultiyab
NJ capacity,
os O** \ *** ~ y y ** 4
Ter son, II. J. Lille, F., b. Mauie, Mr.. al
rs Mrs, ~ q, Campion, c. r. Hemenwa
:, A. strader, Mrs, j, Helbing, Miss
an lielbing, Miss NJ, Buckley, Miss
A, Buckley, Miss j, Armiio, Mrs, T.. \
AK beardsley, c. r. MeKeone, 5. NJ, Kan
m, hnnui, w. II Beers, NJ A. McCoonle
~ J. -. Barrett, Mrs, r. w, shinple, Nj
~ Lady hncfarlane, Il W, shngIe, vi
arl Lang,
a, Per str ~ q llan. from Kau