Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-09-13
BI POINTS OUT DANGER NPIAG 90 OUT SUGAR INDUSTRY lAR i TAKEN M
NElf n ~ oss4.

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wor9Sed all shy ID she Held with in
fants strapped to their backs, and Il
either men or women refused to obey
orders, they were arrested, and the
court would fix the penalty-aF fine OF
imprisonment-whieh could be worked
cut Tin connection with the confine
ment in jail or on the plantation OF
which the prisoner had originally
been employed For instance. an EN-
ploye might violate some regulation
be arrested, and fined $25. He could
then be returned TO the plantation ant
there work ont the amount Of histfine
What arrangements were made be
tween the plantation owner and the
government regarding the fine / die
not learn only know that the per
son so fined received no compensation
for his labor during the period GOV
cred by the penalty"
/ What do you say about that being
a true statement of facts?
Mr.. Ballou. | say that is just as
true as "a great many statements ol
abolitionists as to the conditions II
the south before the war 1t is q mix
sure Of falsity and truth. There is 6
great deal Of truth in it. ] think there
are just as many prominent people II
Hawaii that want to return to the pc
I.nal-contract system as there are prom
inent gentlemen in the south who
would go back to the slavery system
and no more.
Senator Reed. You did have ths
penal-contract system?
Mr.. Ballou. Yes: We had the penal
contract system.
Stnat0r Reed. And you made q con
tract that would last frequently for II
years, did You not?
Mr.. Ballou. / do not know.
Senator Reed. And If man broke
that contract any time in 10 years
you would take him up and fine him
would you not?
Mr.. Ballou. Yes, sir.
Senator Reed. And then he would
have to work out his fine, would he
not?
Mr.. Ballou. No, sir; that part j.
not true.
Senator Reed. He could lie it out ii
Jail, but he had to go on and work
out the rest of the contract or lie IN
Jail?
Mr.. .Ballou. Do not understand me
Senator, as defending the penal-con
tract system of Hawaii. 1t is some
thing that could not exist under the
American flag. 1t. vanished al the
first sight Of the American flag.
h Senator Reed. Yes. i
Mr.. Ballou. The only thing I viii
say is that our statutes on the mat
ter are almost verbatim the statutes
relating to American merchant sea
men that are on the statute books to
day.
Senator Reed, am talking about
when the sugar planters owned it.
Mr.. Ballou. When the sugar plant
ers owned il, they were not patriotic
because they could not be. Those are
lot the conditions now. Mr.. Gus
1Spreckels raised sugar under the old
conditions. and now he goes around
telling about the economic conditions
in Hawaii.
Senator Reed. know they were
not patriotic; but could they not have
been humane?
Mr. Ballou. Yes; it was Just as
humane AS
Senator Reed. Now, coming back
to the other matter
Mr. Ballou. do not want to be
forced into a defense OF the penal
contracts system. 1t was something
that belonged to that day; it belonged
to that generation. 1t has vanished
and 1t is as extinct as the dodo.
Senator Reed. Now, want to see
whether the dodo has some offspring
in the way of wages, and want tC
read little further
The sugar growers claim that
white men can not labor successfully
in tropical countries: and the Hawai-
ian Islands are nearly tropical. This,
however, is disproved by the follow
ing facts: The, Russians, who come
from cold country, have shown that
the change in climate has no effect
upon them, and that they are superior
to all other field laborefs; the PortH
guese, who have worked on the planta-
tons for more than 20 years, have
pHOySus S1l4SldCJOfy, anu olOW HO Uaa
effects from the climate; and the
Spaniards, who have not been so long
on the islands as the Portuguese, have
proven successful field laborers.
That is true, is 1t not?
Mr.. Ballou. Not the first sentence;
no sir.
Senator Reed. 1t is true of all but
the Russians?
Mr.. Ballou. 1t is true as far as the
facts of the laborers are concerned,
but we do not claim that the white
men can not work there, when the
territory is spending hundreds of
thousands of dollars to bring them
there. How can it be true, when we
are spending all this money to bring
them there?
Senator Reed Then the white men
can work there?
Mr. Bailou. Yes. It is hard to get
him to be contented and satisfied
there. and, with the exception of the
Russians. we have found it advisable
to bring them from seutherly eli
mates.
ConaIo, De.5 W.. IL - -, -,