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

ISOLATION are practically one In re-
gard TO labor matters. because the
planters being the only large en-
ployers of agricultural labor prac-
ticaIly dominate the situation. For
this reason the proposition that con-
fsogts Us is whether We are warrant
ed in admitting these people, and en-.
couraging their importation in their
impecunious condition. | know full
well that il is stated they are brought
here 10 Americanize the Islands. but
] can see no honest effort 10 meet
their demands. and the strength of
the planters is being exerted 10 bring
in the Filipinos Their accelerated
importations make 1t evident that in
The next two years there will be more
Filipinos than Chinese in the Hawai-
AN islands. When large importa.
ton was coming off one of the steam
eTs. remarked to the superintendent
of the labor bureau, You seem to
be getting a large bunch of these fell
lows" and he turned to me with the
reply. They are our only salvation"
II is certainly a fact that without
them the plantations that have paid
from 80 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.
I'VE may take il, as far as any fu-
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.
Il feel certain loneliness in set
ting forth these facts and considera-
.tions before You, and 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 l should suppress il,
and ! trust that you will receive these
remarks as set forth with elaboration
and in the spirit of honest impartial
ity.
RICHARD L. HALSEY,
Inspector in Charge. y
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 i'm
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
O short rest In the field at 8 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.