Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-22
DIR. CLARK finds
LABOR IS TREATED
WELL in HAWAII
Federal Investigator Makes
Lengthy Report on Wages
and Living Conditions
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE
GIVEN PRAISE FOR WORK
Referring to Oriental Prepond-
erance, He Rebukes the
"AIarmist" Attitude


to give bright promise Of civic devel
cpment, and the efficiency of it's main
industries Is firmly established, In
the opinion Of Or. Victor s. Clark
who has made a lengthy report for
the department Of labor.
DR.. Royal Meeker. commissioner OF
labor statistics In the Department.
bureau OF statistics, and DR.. Clark
came to Hawaii last year to secure
data for the report DR.. Meeker was
able to remain but a month. DIR.
Clark was here somewhat more than
two months, and was familiar with
island conditions from previous visits
and from q residence Of several years
here. first as . federal officer and Ia
ter as the territorial commissioner Of
immigration.
The report, which is part Of regu-
lar series. has reached Honolulu by
mail. While interesting. IL is any
thing but sensational. being compos-
ed mostly of tables and statistics. The
discussion IN general commends Ha-
waiian industry. Some OF the inter-
esting points are:
Compensation High.
A large Oriental population and a
tropical climate make labor conditions
in Hawaii different from those on the
mainland of the United States. But
there Is probably no other tropical
country except northern Queensland
where average earnings and the stand
ard Of living or workers are as high
as in the islands. Cuban plantation
hands receive more pay per day for
part of the year. but employment at
these wages Is not so continuous as
IN Hawaii. while housing aud sanitary
conditions for ordinary laborers are
below the Hawaiian standard How
ever, wages IA the territory are low
er, and the opportunity for 4 eornmon
laborer to advance Is less than In CAL
ffornia.
Labor d ohlfsinp.
The table indicates clearly that
white and Hawaiian laborers leave
plantation work for other occupations
80 rapidly that their numbers can be
maintained only by constant acces
sions from without the territory. The
same thing Is even more observable
in the case of the Japanese on ac-
count of their large numbers. Since
1908 they have decreased from nearly
$4,000 to about $1,000, In spite of the
growing Japanese population of the
Territory. They have been replaced
by another Asiatfc race, the Fflipi-
nos, but as over $4,000 OF these have
been brought to Hawaii within five
years expressly TO work on planta-
tons, and since the total number Of
those who have returned to the PHIL
ippines. together with those now on
plantations. Is only about 5000. II is
evident that many Of the latter. also
rave sought employment elsewhere, -
ocvernsuent Il Praised.
As sugar IL the dominant econon r.
Interest Of the islands. Il is consc.
quently the dominant political inter.
est.
The territorial government. con.
troiied In large part by the. sugar in
terest, seems TO an outside observer
TO compare favorahly with the state
governments OF continental United
States IN point OF honesty. inteIli-
gence and progressiyeness
The use of the native Hawaiian
Language In legislative debates and
official documents, carried over from
the days Of the monarchy. makes the
carrying on OF government more diff
cult and expensive. A thorough
knowledge Of the English language
should now be required Of all office
holders and voters
Refers 10 Government
The county governments are quite
generally referred TO as examples of
the corruption and incompetence that
are bound to emerge when the suf-
frage is granted to ignorant people un-
trained In self-government under
Anglo-Saxon institutions As evidence
that there is a public conscience IL
must be noted that some OF the cor
rupt county officials who misappro-
priated public funds and abused their
power while, In office are now serving
sentences In the penitentiary. It
should also not be forgotten that cor
ruption and inefficiency are not un-
known in connection with local gov.
eminent on the mainland.
No Reason for Jlnsoism.
There is no reason for an alarmist
attitude toward the Japanese. Thoss
In Hawaii are not unmindful that
some mischance may in the future dis
turb the friendly relations between
their country and our own; but they
do not court such an event. They
maintain their national characteristics
and allegiance very stubbornly, and
transmit them to their children born
In Hawaii
Their Americanization is as yet on
the surface; II has not touched their
hearts. Nor is there much reason why
1t should. They are Disseminated
against in the matter of citizenship
and are separated by social and lin |
guistic barriers from the white popu- |