Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-14

Ths Labor prsblssM

Editor Kennebec JOurnAAs
I shall not attempt to discuss tan
subject ct length,-at = tao ets, o.s
some phases only q the peooaea-
waa ordained in the beginning tnes
man should earn his salt-And uttte
mere-by the sweat Of his brow or tns
tax OF his brain; and il Vas also of-
dained that the white man should %
dominant; at any rate he dosinates
everywhere; therefore he neeo never
fear the yellow peril. nor the or0wn
peril, nor the black peril and Wil
not except the little Japs As smart
az they are. How do they do NJ !
will tell you how. They farst send mis-
sionaries with the Bible. foioweo
closely by captains OF industry with
the rum bottle trailing along behind
to complete the job and when they arg
converted, subdued and well In hand
then their lands are taken away rom
them by cheap purchase or robbery
and they become ever after "subjects-
That is how England with = few
soldiers and few Chieftains and Princes
rules India with her vast population
Of three hundred millions. And tnat -
about how the Hawaiian Islands were
conquered. the poor natives suodueo
and made to serve their masters.
was told by one who had long re-
sided in Honolulu that all the native
population desired or wanted was
enough to eat and to wear and . hut
to sleep in; with that they were per-
fectly satisfied. they had no further
ambition. Thus it was that the white
man and eOmmercialism dominated a.
it always had done and always will
do as long as the world lasts.
But what has all this to do with
the labor question? / am coming to
that shortly. When the white man
became rich and powerful in lands and
merchandise, then he began to look
about for better help than the poor in
dolent natives could render. What
better could be offered than docile and
obedient Chinese and Japanese labor
ers? Nothing SO far as they could see.
So they-the Captains of Industry
Americans. English and Germans, en-
ployed these willing 1aborers by the
thousands on a contract basis. and
consequently they prospered wonder
fully, many of them becoming mil
lionaires and multi millionaires. This
sort Of thing could not last forever
however A storm Of protest was aris-
ing from the ranks Of organized white
labor Observation-Disclosures all the ef-
forts OF the Sugar Barons and Mer-
chant Princes to Quell 1t, it prevailed
to such an extent that Congress was
obliged to pass law forbidding con-
tract labor of Chinese and Japanese.
similar to that existing in the United
States at the time. This did not mean
exclusion. however, for both peoples
Japanese are largely in the ascenden-
cyl are employed on the sugar planta-
tons and as household servants. They
have proved their worth by years of
faithful service.
Since then conditions have changed.
These laborers are not satisfied with
simply enough to eat, to wear and a
hut to sleep in; they demand wages and
better housing. This they get, also
SIS to $1S per month. a fair house to
live in and a physician's services
thrown in when sick. That is one OF
the things organized labor has accom-
plished. Good.
AS household servants the Japanese
are unexcelied so they are employed in
families in Honolulu and other places
almost exclusively. 1t is said that
white people do not work out there
that Is no manual labor-all is per-
formed by Chinese and Japanese labor.
How lovely. Wouldn't il be nice to
have such help in Maine?
Dear me! l thought / could say all
wanted to in one article-impOssi-
BILE. BY permission Of the Editor I
wish to show in a second article some
of the beauty and economic value OF
organized labor.
w A.