Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-15


ping Jaws. and beg to say do not
think he has made a very strong case
or argument against me. Excepting
The loss 10 American ship owners.
he Gaems 10 have nothing, or very
little. 10 say in support OF his side
O: the argument. excepting that he
stands Tor protection, and that | evil.
IDENTITY am not an American, am a
non-prcducer. aad what seems to be
4 greater sir. seem to favor lowering
the wages CT the Japanese laborers
Bot for the sake OF argument | will
admit that it is possible | may be
wrong. but # so am in good COM
pany Tor all the editors and many
other prominent men are also in the
wrong. And | would like to intimate
that possibly these men have thought
out this subject much more deeply
than Maxim has done; and they have
come e the conclusion that the sus-
pension of these laws would be an
advantage to Hawaii
| may also have used too strong
language in regard to the harm that
these laws have done to this country.
But ! am still of the opinion that
the great majority of the people
would agree with me if they dared.
And though | did not expect all the
shipping of the world (as he seems to
, think to come here for freight in
, case these laws were suspended, I
did think there would be a sufficient
number that would be allowed to
, como here and take freight as to very
materially reduce the freight rates.
But then | may be wrong, but this
remains to be proven. and it will take
a great deal more than Maxim's letter
to do that
AS 70 my knowing nothing Of what
he is think, admit the sweet i'm
parchment. but I do know what
great many other men think of this
subject, which is a great deal more
to the point; for they see as I do,
that the freight, and not the passen-
ger traffic is what is most effected
by these laws, and 1t is the opinion
of these men that million dollars
could alone be saved on freight on
sugar if these laws could be sus-
pended.
And therefore, it may be true that
| represent the views of others 1t is
also true that they are mine also, nor
would ] express them for anything if
they we're not
| have no axe to grind, no favor to,
ask, no interest to serve, excepting
so far as it effects the public good 4
But as to whom am. or what do,
thing that is beside the question, but
] will say, that love this country
and have worked for it's best interests
increasingly, AMI for the welfare of
the whole people for, more years than
| would care to say .-. q
The question, however, is not who
or what / am, but am I right, or am
! wrong, and are these laws benefit
cial. or are they not? H. = lid
Honest discussion, as Fair Play
has wisely said, will bring out the fact
that these laws are anything but ben.
eficial to these islands, and as he has
pointed out more thoroughly than I
can do, the true meaning of these
laws, | will say no more upon the SUBJ
1ect at the present time
But ! should like to say a word or
two about reducing the wages of the
Japanese laborers, as | am accused
OF wishing to do this. Now, what
think of the matter is of small i'm
portance, but. there can be no ques-
ton but that it will have to come to
that; and not only will the wages of
the labOrers have to be cut, but also
the salary of the managers ar,l every
employe of every description will
have to share the same fate; that is
if the sugar industry is to survive.
Everybody knows this, even the la.
borers themselves, and many of them
wonder why it has not been done be-
fore.
How many people know that many
OF these plantation laborers, who take
contracts on the sugar plantations,
can afford to ride around in. autonio-
hiles on account of the high wages
they are getting?.
Do you call it a fair thing that
while many Of the stockholders have
10 give up their automobiles and walk
on foot, that these Japanese contract
CTS. and plantation managers, yNld
other plantation employees should draw
big salaries and sport around in their
automobiles.
But this is not the worst, for many
of these stockholders who are decrepit
and past the work age hardly know
where the next meal is to come from,
and some of them would get none at
ell unless their relatives or friends
provided something for them.
1t may be unfortunate that this is
The case, and that wages must be re-
ducCl on the plantations, but it is
either this of the closing Of them upI
Or a great many of them.
Yours very truly,