The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-08-28
BURDENS ON STOCKHOLDERS ARE
HEAVIER THAN THOSE OF LABOR

While sugar companies will han "a
pay on this years and next years re.
turns from a quarter to third OF their
income in territorial and federal taxes
and while the costs OF all supplies and
materials have gone up lust an have
the living costs of the laborer, the
plantation laborers will receive q bonus
of between sixty,Rve to seventysfive
per cent which will be somewhere from
six 20 sixteen per cent higher than
was last years bonus. This Is one Of
the statements that Is contained In a
letter sent by f. Faxon Bishop TO the
editor Of the Hawaii Shinpo following
an interview on the wage question
which the editor Of that Japanese pa.
per had with Mr.. Bishop. He also an
swers the point that laborer must
work twenty days q month TO partici.
pate In the bonus for that month and
shows that this regulation does not
apply In the case of sickness.
In his letter TO the Shinpo. Mr.. B;sb.
op says: -
Referring to our interview this n.
m, the following covers my statement:
THE Japanese press is loudly urg.
ing higher scale Of wnges for plan
tation employees and the argument Il
based on the high cost Of living. That
the cost of living is high, weyaii know
by personal experience. II is particu.
larly hard on all wage earning classes
and Is felt by every element Of So
ciety. ~ =
" Nevertheless, il seems to me nm
unjust thing to argue and try and
make the employee class believe that
they are not receiving special compen.
sation commensurate with the prevail.
ing conditions. The cost of things that
we eat and wear, are not the only
things that have gone up unreaso nably
in price.
All Materials Are Higher
!" Everything in the way of materials
and supplies has also 6sen skyward
IN price and in many instances in al
higher ratio than the cost of food
md clothing. Lumber, coal, iron, fer.
tilizer. oil, sugar bags and freight rates
ire all abnormally high. Some of
.hese items have increased 300 and
100 per cent and all of them are in
iispensable in operating a plantation.
ttThe Japanese newspaper editor.
al comment discounts the bonus sys.
.em as being Inadequate and LAYS much
stress on the Requirement that the In.
'orer must work twenty days a month,
n order to be entitled to the bonus.
cannot see wherein twenty days. In.
Dor per month is hardship. All Of
Is. who work at all, work at least 20
lays per month on the average. This
5 less than five days of the week on
he average. III.
''Do the Japanese papers know that
( man does not work twenty DAYS
N account of illness, 1t does not count
Igainst himf He may be excused for
ther good and sufficient reasons, if
lie has them. If the laborer receives ;
bonus ut the end Of this year ap.
Tegating, from sixty-fVe to seventy /
I've per cent II is certainly matter
4 great Importance to him, and at the
anne time, it means an increased cost
or labor to the plantation, and the
ost Of its product at the sugar mill Is
ust that much more.
sonus Follows Sugar Prices
"Again the laborer' 3 bonus increase
$ the New York market quotation for
ugar increases, |. e., the gross price. !
I it costs the planter more to make
he sugar. If it costs him more for
reighting it to market, If he has to
ay more for wal. risk, marine insur-