The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-11-23
CLAIMS FORA|GHER
7. WAIGESPRESENTED
Committee Of Japanese Associa-
ton Gives Result Of En-
.q beavers To Planters

Proposals Of higher wages or for
changes in the bonas system were yes
terday presented TO the Hawaii Sugar
Planters Association BY the Japanese
higher wage question association. This
action followed the acceptance and APP
proval Of the report of the committee,
appointed by the latter association AZ.
ter the presentation of such report at
a meeting which was held last Satur-
day evening TIE pf0b6sals were com
manieated in writing and 20 at length
into the situation. The committee
which took up the negotiations Is com!
posed Of DR.. 7. Mitamnfa, X. Wada,
r. MashimO and g. Eigi.
The most important requests made
in the proposals that have been pre-
scented to the Hawaii Sugar Planters
Association are for a removal OF the
restrictions that are provided in the
twenty days Of work clause TO which
objection has long been offered. This
clause was inserted in the bonus agree.
,ment in order to provide stability
,of labor that was otherwise not to be
secured and only the regular workers
participate in the bonus payments UNI
der the present system.
Borus For All
IL further, asks that a reasonable
bonus be paid to laborers who leave
plantation before the end Of the bonus
year, Under present arrangements one
third of the bonus for each month is
payable mt the end of that month and
the other two-thirds is payable at the
end of the bonus year.
4 IL Is claimed that the average planta-
ton laborer earns from $50 to $24
month and that living costs are $24.S1
4 and that II costs a married man with
two children $46.22 to live and keep
his family. /, v. t,.t ~,
Day Nurseries Needed II asa'
Another point made is that there
are laborers who. have wives and chill.
dren and whose wives are unable TO
work and so help maintain the family
bHea1sc of the care required for tho
children. TO remedy this children's
homes or day nurseries are asked.
The POINT is raised that the planta-
ions have made extraordinary profits
| IN the past year and that IL is their
natural duty to share those profits with
labor and continuing says;
1.-THE present bonus system is in fact
aSsort Of higher wage provision, but
there are, restrictions TO the application
Of the system !, such as in the case of
men who work under twenty days and
women under fifteen days a month,
and unless their regular wage is not $24
a month, and further unless they con
tinue TO work in the same plantation
until, the end of the year ~ ,s8
Claim Discrimtn ~, y. &.
On the whole the present bonus sys-
tenn is, q discriminatory method of
treating lahorers, and the paragraph
ends by declaring the system does not
encourage diligence among labofers and
y, not giving the higher wages that the
association requests.
IL Us now some weeks ago that the
| first meeting was held in Honolulu at
which an, organization was formed to
seek higher wages for the laborefs ON
The pIahtations.G The first meetings re.
suited in something of fiasco, as the
committee named to prepare and pre-
sent requests, or some of the members
of the committee, declined to 70 for
ward with the project. Then there was
d reorganization. Since such reorgani.
zatioh little publicity has been given TO
! the nntter from the association, but
there have been Japanese editorials Inv
| the Japanese papers from time to time
and the question has in that and In
other ways been kept alive by the
Japanese. a ( 5Fag W.
! There have also been letters written
4 by Royal ID. Mead and others of the
Planters Associations, setting forth tho
] planters views OF the situation.
| III. - 49, - A-S----- '''