Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-07
Promotion Committee and
Other Bodies Emphasize
Danger of Such Visits

the Hawaii Promotion Committee.
Chamber OF Commerce, Y. VI. {. A.
and Y. ~. c. 4. to prevent mainland
/ :trms and people from advising en-
! p!Cyment seekers to come to the Ha-
waiian islands, many such seekers
| slip through the gaps that have not
| been walled up and find themselves
! in Honolulu tied W financially when
! they find no employment ard have
! difficulty returning to the coast.
because of ne present cCngeSted
ste mship traffic.
The Promotion Committee, which
/ has been ar active ascent in spreading
! publicity On the mainland that Ha-
wall is no paradise Of ready jobs,
and which has sen; out circular let
| tiers to transportation and tourist Of
| ficials and has made mention OF the
matter in it's press news sheets, re-
ceived this morning letter from
: Young man who came here from the
nainland and now finds himself up
aga INST it," He suggests a certain
course CT procedure to the Promotion
Committee, which. however, the Pro-
motion Committee has been following
for the past year or more; but his
letter is interesting, as is the expert
ence of many young men and women
who have come here under similar
ccnd tons.
This is another case of the dan
ger of coming here ON a Shoestring
without anv definite ARRANGEMENT for
employment" Secretary Taylor COM
mented this morning.
The letter follows:
Sir: have noticed one or two
items in the Honolulu papers regard
ing the question Of people coming
here for employment, and finding
meme.
+ l fully realize that openings cannot
be manufactured to order, but 1t
would seem that something should be
done to stop the influx of young men
into the territory, where there is no
work after they get here.
TIC take my own casea came here
on August !. but up to- present time
am unable to find any kind of an
opening.
| made inquiries at offices with E1a-
waiian connections in San Francisco,
and in two cases | was told that
openings were plentiful and one could
feel sure of a post, but must come
here to get it..
Well, here | an, and hav ng made
application to e"eTy business house
on this island with absolutely no sue
EceSS. -..-z, J.: ~. = ",ti -.
Living expense here is not low, and
money, even with care, dwindles
-Xoo IS,axF iT,rr hnr
full and man finds himself with not
quite enough money to go home to
the mainland with, and no employ.
ment in prospect.
= You will realize that most men in
such a case would return with very
bitter view CT the islands and each is
more Liable to be a knocker than
booster.
I was informed that office help on
the plantations was hard to keep, and
that man whose services were sat
isfactory and who would remain
would have no difficulty in finding
an opening. I find this also IS appar
emily incorrect.
The whole fault is, that people in
the mainland who should know better
are giving erroneous. and misleading
advice to young fellows coming here.
and this. IT, | may suggest it, is a
point where you might prevent an
influx Of young men who are coming
here and getting stranded.
This letter IS not intended as
criticism of conditions here but only
to point out to you one direction in
which the troubles lie
r asked man the question: What
becomes of a decent young fellow
who comes here from the mainland,
finds no opening, and runs short Of
finan2es--so short that he cannot re-
turn homer" I received no answer
Just a smile. In all probability |
shall re abe to answering own ques-
tiGn, unless an opening should pre-
sent itself and enable me to earn
enough to at least return to San
Franc SEQ.
In my own case the experience is
liable to be very bitter, s.nce | have
q wife in Oakland, who is, or was,
hoping to join me as soon as | got
located. 1t would appear to me that
tue Promotion Committee should take
some means Of making public IN San
Francisco the fact that work here is
not so plentiful as intending inComers
are led to believe, so they may be at
least warned before coming. For my
self, | can probably work out my own
salyation-at least | hope so.
/ might mention that until July l.
was for two years IN charge of all
payrolls, storehouse material and &C
counts and correspondence for big
company in California while their
plant was being built and which is
now completed Previous to this
have eight years railroad office ex-