The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-09-12
LOWER WAGES
OPPOSED BY
JAPANESE
Nipponese Press, Commenting on
Possibilities Of Retrenchment to
Meet Conditions Brought About
by Removal of Tariff on Sugar,
Advises Against Cutting Labor
Payroll.

Commenting editorially ON the arti
Gle in The Advertiser announcing that
the wages of plantation laborers vii:
be cut to meet changed conditions un
der free sugar, the japanese newspa
pers appreciate the planters position
in measure, but without exception OPP.
pose any wage reduction.
In arguing against the reduction, il
is advanced that with cut in wages,
the laborers would do less work and
also that the supply of labor would
run short, making it difficult to work
the plantations. 1t is declared that
the present rate of pay is merely liv-
ing wage, considering the high cost
of living. The japanese are urged to
sympathize with the position in which
their employers are placed and to CO.
operate with them by working harder
10 make the plantations profitable, but
are advised to oppose any cut in wages.
The Hawaii Shinpo believes it would
be difficult to induce the laborers to
return to the old scale of living and
that they would leave the Islands, so
causing scarcity of labor which would
in itself be calamity. The Shinpo
says:
"With the reduction in the price of
sugar it is natural that the plantations
are contemplating the adoption of a
lower scale of wages and negative
policy in the general management.
+ Difficult to Return to Old Scale.
However, the cost of living among
all classes of laborers has gone up with
the general prosperity and it will be a
difficult thing to return to the old scale
Furthermore with the reduction in
wages it is question whether the plan.
tatIons could keep their laborers who
would naturally migrate to where they
could get more money. This condition
would naturally reduce the supply OF
labor in the future-the pendulum will
swing the other way when the supply
of labor is lessened.
"At this juncture we are unable tC
figure out just exactly how the reduc
tion of the tariff will affect the price
of sugar and to what extent the plan
tiers will have to reduce the cost vi
production.
"We hope the plantations Will adop
positive instead of negative. policy
and will keep the wage scale where 4
is at present. japanese laborers viii
appreciate such an attitude on the par
of the planters and would try to d,
better work than they would do i
wages were reduced. If the laborer
do less work for less wages what will
their employers gaini
"The tariff situation has been thor
oughly explained through the Japanes
press and cannot fail to bring out
better spirit among the laboring classe
if the positive policy is adopted.
"If the laborers can be taught t
appreciate the attitude of the employ
ers their sympathies will be with tn
employers who will be the gamers i
the present wage scale is maintained
In our opinion this would be the bes
all around policy for the employer
would SO attain their object by reduC
ing the cost of production while the Ia
borers would not suffer financially bu
would simply have to work harder
Business would not suffer as it surel
will If wages are cut.
"The subject will be watched wit
keen interest by the general public i
the hope that an equable adjustmer
between employer and employee will b
reached.n
May Drive Labor Out.