The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-11-30
BONUS
MAY WAIT Until
COSTS AREKNOWN
Plan May Be Presented To Plant
ers' Meeting For Certain
Wage Scale and Bonus

Higher wages or increased bonuses
for plantation laborers are not likely
at the present time, despite the requests
made by the Hi cher Wage Association.
The matter of wages and Of bonuses
will be one of the more important mat.
tiers that will be considered by the Ha.
waiian Sugar Planters Association at
its annual meeting, which win convene
Monday. Decision may be reached at
the meeting or the question may be re.
ferred to committee and a subsequent
report made to the trustees and through
them to the membets of the association,
One of the proposals which will be
made TO the Planters Association, IL is
learned on good authority, win be the
determination of regular wage scale
at the present, to which shall be added
one.third of the amount so paid each
month, and that the matter of what
bonus shall be paid shall be held in
allegiance until a later time, when it
can be determined what earnings are
likely to be, what are the costs, how
the war taxes work, what price the
sugar commission allows - in short,
when the planters have had an oppor.
tunity to get on their feet and find out
just where they stand in war times and
under the new conditions that will con
front the growing, harvesting and mar,
keting OF the coming crop.
Result Problematicai &c.,.
How this proposal will be taken by
the Japanese remains to be seen. It is
hoped that they, will take the proposal
i'm the spirit offered, if the plan goes
into effect. should strike be the re.
suit it is likely the matter would be at
once taken up with the sugar commits
sion and through that body with the
United States authority. It is said,
also, that a strike would merely precipi-
tate, congressional legislation which will
permit the bringing in Of Chinese la
Dor, which has, for so many years been
excluded. THE federal .rf1pernment is
acting qdieklyiin the matter of strikes
which tend to hamper the production of
necessities, and especially food supplies.
Reduce or Close Up ~.
Some of the smaller plantations at
the present time say it will be impos-.
sible for them to pay the bonus, rate of
this year for another year with. costs
rising SO fast, Especially is the cost of
fertilizer mentioned, about doubled;
DaBs are nlBnerj tnere Is laN on DlllS
Of lading. Practically everything
which the sugar planters need is higher
and the bonus is paid upon the gross re.
ceived from the sugar, not ON the net.
Another reason for a later determine.
tion as, TO bonuses is the matter Of ship
ping and freight costs, No matter
what shipping arrangements are made
for the moving of the crops it is conf
IDENTIFY expected that freight rates will
be higher, very likely doubled. 1t is
urged that until the planters know
what they will have to pay for freights,
whether they will be able to move the
crop with any celebrity, what other
added costs, would be in all directions,
they cannot be. expected to determine
what bonuses shall be paid.
1t is further pointed out that the
present bonus system was arranged to
meet conditions which were very differ
ent from those of the present, and that
some. changes, will undoubtedly be
found necessary. ..''5