Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-30

a Joint resolution or house and
senate to congress asking for an
amendment to the immigration laws
so as to permit the entrance into this
territory Of Chinese labor in numbers
lot TO exceed 10000 there have ap-
peared printed copies OF a petition
that was presented TO the president.
cabinet Officers, members OF the sen
ate and national house of representa-.
tives and the committee of immigra.
ton and labor by the United Chinese
Society. This petition presents
strong arguments for the admission of
Chinese into the territory and seis
forth many facts. highly rrcditable to
the Chinese. which all races in the
islands must be ready to admit arc
strong reasons why other Chinese
should be permitted entry into the is
lands. according 10 the prayer Of the
petition.
Goes Back 1873 Years
After an expression OF assurance in
the spirit Of AmeriCanism for fair
play and equal rights the petition
gives review of some of the earlier
history of the Chinese in Hawaii which
ID tlOl hnONh anu ID Ger
tainly but little known on the main
land: ... -.... 49, f.. r.
In this review the petition cts
forth that in Vancouyer's book
OF voyages a Capt. Metealf set
forth from Macao, China. with a
crew of 10 Americans and a. Chinese
in 1898 in the schooner Eleanor. The
vessel was said to have called at the
islands of Hawaii and Maui. It is
commonly believed that all or the
greater part of the Chinese remained
in the islands for not third of the
- was needed to work the schooner
When Vancouver himself returned to
the islands in 1894 he found Chinese
settlers already here and that com
mercial relations with China had been
established through high chief
named Taiana, for Kamehameha /.
At that date Chinese immigration be.
gan and the first industry was rice
for the Chinese We're quick to see that
the taro patches were admirably
adapted for rice cultivation They
also found that sugar cane was in
digenous and were the founders Of
that industry, the first sugar mil hay-
ing been brought from China in 1862.
Though the sugar industry is now
controlled by Anglo-Saxons, the rice
industry is still to large extent in
the hands of the Chinese, but owing
to the exclusion of Chinese since an
nexation the industry has deteriorated
and it is for it that Chinese labor is
now chiefly sought.
Much Land ls Reclaimed
Hundreds of acres of waste, swampy
land has been reclaimed by the Chi
Dese for the rice industry and there
are still thousands of acres that could
be reclaimed and made valuable as
set to the territory and the United
States were satisfactory and suitable
labor obtainable for its development.
Much of the originally reclaimed land
has been abandoned and could be
readily reclaimed again but there is
the lack of labor owing to exclusion,
deaths and returns to China If the
Chinese cannot have the same priYi-
leges as other Oriental races much of
the land now under cultivation and
worked successfully only by Chinese
will go to waste.
Chinese Labor Is Sought
Continuing the petition tells that
from 1889 to 1852 the immigration OF
Chinese was not extensive for from an
issue of the "Polynesian," a Hawaiian
paper published in the early days, it
appears that the growing sugar in
dustry demanded added labor that
could not be obtained. Still later, in
issues of the same paper, it appears
that after due elaboration China was
selected as the source of supply for
labor and the Hawaiian Agricultural
and Historical Society sent Capt. Case
and the Thetis. In few months he
returned with 195 laborers and 20 boys
and house servants. The experiment
was successful and Capt. Case was
again sent and brought an additional
hundred. But from 1852 to 1864
though immigration was encouraged
only 704 landed at Honolulu. At that
time many merchants at San Fran
cisco began to establish their business
here. , -@-.'. -. >.~...
Assisted immigration Comes
In 1865 the sugar industry having
come largely into the hands Of Anglo
Saxon race and shortage of labor be-
ing keenly felt and the sugar planters
and Hawaiian government from years
of past experience had grown to recog-
Hize the worth of the Chinese, DR..
William HiIlebrand was appointed by
the king as royal commissioner of i'm
migration and sent to China to pro.
cure labor for the plantations. Up to
the time of annexation Chinese labor
was given preference over all other.
DR.. Hillehrand carried out his instruc-
tons and proceeded to China to OBJ
tain 500 laborers. This first immigra-
ton was succeeded by many others
and their service in the sugar fields
gave the industry a tremendous i'm
petus, and were leading factors in
rice and pineapple industries as well.
IslE.ds Not Flooded With Ea1or
ToFvnnn 1850 and annexation there