The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-12-11
JAPANESE PAPERS
|. DISAPPOINTED BY |.
new BONUS system
Editorials Unanimous IN Express
Ing Regret At Action Of
Sugar Planters Association
SHARING OF HIGHER COST
SEEMS WRONG TO WRITER'S
Ignoring Of Requests Of Local
Wage Raising Association !;
is Severely Criticised

lulu are unanimous in their disapprov-
al of the revised bonus system for
plantation laborers as announced by
the Hawaiian Sugar Rlanters'. Assoc
citation. The four daily Japanese pub.
LEGATIONS yesterday referred with keen
disappointment to the change, which
they claim is illogical and unjust.
While conceding that the planters
are confronted with a big increase in
the cost Of production, the Japanese
editors maintain that the plantation
laborers are suffering from the increas.
ed cost of living @# ..AH NJ.
Several papers express the opinion
that the planters have ignored the sug-
gestion and good advice" rendered
by the association on higher wages
question, and this, they declare, is un-
reasonable. II is asserted by the Jap
anese editors that when it was decided
to reduce the bonus, consideration
should have been given to an increase
in the rate Of pay. 1T
Hochi is Grieved 81
In commenting editorially on the
new bonus system, the Hawaii Hochi
says: @ M. l...sf INA,
( 1.-THE announcement Of the new
bonus system was received with great
disappointment and an extreme grief.
The disappointment was because we
were given reduction while we ask.
ed for an Improvement Of the bonus
system. The grief was because we
could find no betterment whatever in
the attitude of the planters toward
laborers. 3D. "rs ..,1t.e3
1.-THE new system is so contrived as
to reduce by twenty-one percent the
bonus hitherto given to laborers by
raising the bonus commencing price
to $85 from $71. The planters say
that laborers should share in the
increase of the cost of produc-
ton. The production cost sharing
policy adopted by the planters is not
necessary and is improper. However,
there is Inconsistency in treating
laborers as co-workers only when shar-
ing in the cost Of production and not
SO treated when distributing the profit.
When the profit is great the planters
take the most part Of 1t paying to
laborers only wages. Such wages
should be looked upon as purely part
of the cost of production. Conse-
quently, to make laborers share in the
cost of production is against the logi.
cal inference. Since the new system
is the product of this inconsistency it
is matter of course that it has many
defects. ... 80 "..
Restrictions are Maintained .I,.s
"That in the new system the aboli.
tion Of the working day restriction re-
quested by the Association on Higher
Wage Question was not made is one
of the great defects of the system.
When laborers are made to share in the
cost of production they should be also
entitled 70 receive impartially the
bonus which is paid for their labor.
When shareholders are entitled to re-
ceive the dividend for even single
share of stock owned, there is no rea.
son why laborers should not participate
in the, bonus when they work less than
twenty days Fifteen days in case of
women). If laborers are not entitled
to receive share of profit for their
work which is less than twenty days,
the planters should not impose any
share of the cost of production on
them. ...
Voices Another Criticism
"Another defect of the new system
is that there is no rule to pay the
balance of the bonus to those laborers
who go out of plantation during a
bonus period. Do the planters intend
to confscate this balance Of the bonus
as the punishment for leaving planta.
ton during bonus periodf If so, will
the planters pay damages to laborers
when they obstructed the laborers
convenience by misadiustment of pro.
visiOns3 We are not satisfied with
the new system and believe that there
is necessity of Improvement. We
will refer to it in more detail later
having only shown general outline
of our dissatisfaction D. ..a...
The Hawaii Chocho has the follow,
ing to say regarding the change:
HWe find at least two points of par
ticular interest in the announcement nj
of the revised bonus system.
81. That the bonus of one and one.
half percent commences with sugar
at $S5 per ton, and increases one and
one,half percent for every dollar per
ton over $S5. ,ft... >.
ihub VI LnO
shall be the average price upon which
sales of Hawaiian raw sugars are de,
termined. ts..rs 81
- In regards to the other facts
namely, the laborers entitled to bonus
and settlement prices and participation
etc, we find little or no change. e..
Means Less For Labor =. -......
According to the old plan the
bonus has been paid on every dollar
above $7l,. but this time il was in
creased to $S5 and therefore means sc
much less for plantation laborers. And
moreover, in the old plan, the basis oil
the bonus was reckoned at the New
York price, while under the new sys
TEN it is to be calculated on the aetua
Hawaiian figure. Isl
Fictitious Argument
"lnasmuch as the Hawaiian prize,
may not be published as was the cas-,
when the New York price was tn,
guiding figure, we fear It may teud Il
foster an uneasy feeling among plan
tutiOn hands, In addition TO this, la
bOrers know that the Hawaiian pric,
must be cheapertthan the New Y0rl
price. Bad feeling is, therefore, likely
to be increased.