The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-12-11
URGE IMPORTATION
I OF chinese LABOR
Plan, Held To Be Only Solution Of
Serious Problem Nation
Is Now Facing

in line with suggestions that have
been made from time to time in Homo,
lulu to meet labor shortages by the
importation Of Chinese workers, par
tieularly for agricultural work, recon.
mendations are being advanced from
various quarters on the mainland along
the same line and advocates Of the
plan hold that in Chinese labor lies the
only solution of the farm labor prob.
lem in the United States.
With the country rapidly being drain.
ed. Of its young men called to serve the
colors under the draft, the need OF
farm labor is said to be becoming acute
In many districts and eoincident with
this need Of hands to till the soil comes
the need Of greater production of food.
stuffs TO feed our own men at the front
and the Allies, besides caring for home
needs. .....,.. ...y.. $500. g
Must Get Labor -.
( " is urged that the present is no
time In which to trust TO experiments
or to attempt any plan Of drafting
labor from the cities which could give
only men ignorant and untitled for the
tasks set. them on the farms of the
nation. Still, the need of men is not
to be lodged and many who have
STUDIED all angles of the problem see
In China's great population Of skilled
agrieulturists the only solution by
which farms can be made to yield the
foodstuffs so urgently needed. "a
y Various schemes have been advanced
by which Chinese labor might be used
temporarily. One Of these is the adj.
mission Of workers for limited terms
under some form Of restriction and
supervision with security in some form
given that all those admitted would in
time be returned to their native coun-
try, What form of organization might
assume an obligation of the sort and
methods of its operation and probable
effects are details of the problem yet
to be worked out. ... . as.. -.
Van Norden Gives Views ,.'c,
Warner M. Van Norden, who has pro.
nonnced views on the subject, sees the
importation of Chinese workers as the
only key that will unlock the great
potential stores of foodstuffs the nation
is able to produce. ~;
"The United States Government has
but one alternative when it considers
production for the coming year, - said
Van Nortlen in an interview for the
New York Sun when asked to comment
on the proposed governmental legisla.
tion relative to his plan of importing
Chinese farmers. ..'.>>'
" Before the spring planting of 1918
arrives this country shall either have
to draft men from the cities to work
on the farms or import Chinese farm,
ers. 1t has never been denied that the
Chinese farmers are superior to the
farmers of any other nation in the
quantity of produce they exact from
each acre they cultivate. So far our
Government has done but little to
stimulate the increase Of crops in this
country. Price regulating has opcr.
ated eontrariwise.
''The position of the farmer may
readily be understood Should q
farmer raise a thousand bushels of
wheat and receive 1925 a bushel, he
would net $3.50, On the other hand
should he raise twelve hundred bushels
and receive 80 bushel he would
net $2,400-a difference of $3.50 less
for the twelve hundred than he would
receive for one thousand bushels-not
considering the additional expenditure
for labor, fertilizer, etc, necessary to
raise the greater amount. Should the
farmer raise twelve, hundred bushels
the subsequent year instead Of one
thousand his net loss would be 1850.
Not a. very great incentive for inten.
sive cultivation, one must admit.
Must Have Men 49,.
despite this situation 1t is impera.
tive that we produce and intensely
produce. The time is too critical to ex.
pertinent By sending inexperienced and
unframed assistance to our farms.
Thrift economy demands that we apply
the efficiency available and easily pro.
durable to the needs of our country.
"This means the admission of 500,.
900 Chinese farmers to our farms. In
this respect do not refer to the Chi,
nese coolie, II is the agriculturist of
China who is now teaching agents sent
abroad by our Agriculture Department
for that specific purpose, Why not
conserve time, energy, and expense, in
cidentally profiting materially by the
production that would result from such
teaching upon our own farmsi"