The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-06-23
SHOULD
Be DONE by ]
CITIZENS
Public Opinion IN Honolulu
Strongly Condemns Awarding
Of Government Contracts TO
Aliens; Prompt Appeal 10 Con-
gress to Remedy Condition
Urged BY Those VINO Oppose
Oriental Composition.

Oriental Competition. :
~ iiHgTS 10 G1r4rr-4-
Opinion was freely Expressed yester
day that all government work in Tia
waii onght to be done by citizen,
There is no law on this subject now
Government contracts are let to III
lowest responsible bidders, irrtspeetis
OF whether they are or are not Ameri
can citizens. The power to amend thi
situation rests with congress. Man,
expressed the opinion yesterday tina
congress should he asked TO do some
thing toward maintaining 4 strong eiti
zen population In Hawaii. as II ca
do by passing legislation enforcing th
employment Of citizens only on ali gov
eriment works.
Congress to Blame.
According to L. M. whitehouse, tn
first remark a member of congress nj
ways makes when he comes down I,
Hawaii 10 look us over is, f'Why 4,
You have so many Orientalsi WI,
cont you employ more white men n
NEVERTHELESS, he said, Il Is congress
Tint IS to blame. There ought 10 h,
a federal law limiting all Rovernmeht
employment TO citizen labor. The fed
eral law ought to be just the same a,
the territorial law. Nf
Walter Emory said that In his opin
ion It is perfectly right and proper x
employ Oriental mechanics IN the cor
stfuction Of private dwellings and bun
gqlows, because the cheaper labor Re
suits IN a saving Of $500 to $500 h
the cost Of $500 or $4,000 house
The clerk or man of moderate mean.
who VENTS to build home can do u
at that much lower cost and put The
amount that he saves into house fur,
Rishings. \
Hf3ut for the United States govern.
ment to employ Oriental labor Il diff.
ferent proposition, - said Mr.. Emory
HSueh thing as letting a contract foI
putting up new buildings at the Pre-.
sldio to an Oriental contractor or hay.
ing 0rientals employed on any other
government work in California would
not be allowed. California has its sen,
ators and representatives to speak fol-
It, The army and navy departments
would think several times before doing
anything that would be liable to bring
sbont the saAtagonism Of the California
delegation. II.
tt Hawaii Has no Vote.
"Hawaii has no representative in
Washington. This Territory has no
vote, and we have TO take what con,
gress gives us. They think back there
in Washington that anything goes In
Hawaii, and it is Just because We have
no vote on anything affecting the M,
tional policy.
~ think that people who have per
sonal friendships with congressman and
senators ought to write TO them and
tell them something of the difficulties
that confront Americans here In this
Territory. White men cannot compete
with Asiaties, because we have di1fet-
emit standards of living. The United
states government ought to set an ex-
ample. III the government wants moro
Americans here, they should make II
possible for citizens to live. We pay
the taxes
Democrats VIII Not Hap.
Mr.. Emory said that il would prob.
ably be futile to expect a Democratic
free'trade administration DO really do
along these lines, because Ii
is a tenet of Democracy that people
should be allowed TO buy in the cheap.
est foreign market. A government that
has no regard for the industries that
have been built up by its own people
could hardly be expected TO show pref.
erence for its own citizens on govern
ment work.
Ill. Young said that if federal laws
relating to government employment
were on the same basis as the terrific
rial laws II would be entirely possible
FOR skilled American artisans. TO five In
sAs it is now there is mot
enough steady work to keep the me.
ehanies busy all the time. Hence they
do not long remain. They simply come
here for few, months TO work on some
particular job or contract and whom
that is finished go back to the Ooast
again. IL contractors need skilled me
chanics they have to send up to the
Coast for them
Every other country in the world
limits government employment to its
own citizens, z said Mr.. Young. ~
have personal experience with the Can.
adian government. The Canadians want
cd to employ me In the construction Of
some big doeks-ra line of work in
which / have had much experience. II
was asked TO take the lob, but found
that | eohld-no do so without renoune-
ing my American citizenship.
' 81, fyitfoax,a icI.n,,yA 1,,.ns..s