Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-09

ISOLATION are practically one In re-
gard 10 labor matters, because the
planters being the only large en-
ployers of agricultural labor prac>
tically dominate the situation. For
this reason the proposition that con-
fronts us is whether we are warrant
ed in admitting these people. and en-
couraging their importation in their
impecunious condition. / know fun
well that 1t is stated they are brought
here TO Americanize the islands, but
can see no honest effort TO meet
their demands, and the strength Of
the planters is being exerted to bring
in the Filipinos. Their accelerated
importaIiens make 1t evident that in
the next two years there will be more
Filipinos than Chinese in the Hawai-
ism islands. When large importa-
ton was coming off one of the steam
ers, remarked to the superintendent
of the labor bureau, %You seem TO
be getting large bunch of these feL
lows" and he turned to me with the
reply, They are our only salvation.
Ii is certainly fact that without
them the plantations that have paid
from so to 80 per cent on their orig
inal investment will not be able to
continue to do So Most of those
which do not pay large dividends were
oyercapitalized at the start, or else,
owing to the prospects of large pro-
fits went so deeply in debt, endeay-
oring to raise sugar in places where
an apology is due to Providence for
having made the attempt, that they
have been unable to pay dividends.
We may take it, as far as any flu
ture effort can be foreseen, that the
Spanish and Portuguese brought in
here will find their way to the main
land as soon as they are able to do
so, by the exercise of economy and
privation to obtain the means to go
there.
i feel certain loneliness in set.
ting forth these facts and considera-
tons before you. and l know that /
will be without local countenance;
and any person, in this community,
who criticizes the sugar interests will
meet with strong opposition if he
tells the truth, nevertheless there is
no reason why ] should suppress 1t,
and ] trust that you will receive these
remarks as set forth with deliberation
and in the spirit of honest impartial.
ity.
RICHARD L. HALSEY.
Inspector in Charge. :"
The third letter of this new series
is from Consul Arana, who wrote to
President Swanzy- of the Sugar Plant
ers' Association giving his impress
sions of the conditions of Spanish la
borers here. Consul Arana's letter
states that one of the principal causes
of complaint among the Spanish inn
migrants here is the high cost of liv-
ing, of which, he declares, they are
not advised before being brought here
by the territory. To their consequent
dissatisfaction here he lays much. Of
the present movement on to the Pa
cific coast. Consul de Arana says that
life should be made cheaper for the
European laborers or their wages
made more proportional to the cost of
living. He also complains of rough
treatment by plantation lunas. An
other point the consul makes is that
a short rest in the field at 5 o'clock
should be allowed the laborers that
they may take some food. Consul de
Arana takes occasion to praise Man
ager George F. Renton of Eva plan
tation for his progressive and kind
treatment of labor.