The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-08-06

the fact that men employed In one of
the fertilizer works were reported Sat.
urday to have heard the railroad men
had had their demands granted.
The demands of the japanese labor
ers for more pay follow two successful
demands made in 1916 and 1917, both
coming like this in the busy pineapple
season. In November, 1915, the freight
handlers bay was increased from $50
to $1.75 and in August, 1917, to two
dollars a day, with steady pay guaran-
teed.
Always the freight workers at the
Honolulu terminal have been given
about twenty five cents more n day
than the section men, who are fur
nished house, wood and water. Upon
both occasions when the freight hand
lers wages were increased, the section
men were given advances also Of TWEEN
| tylfve cents day, so they are now
| getting $l.75 a day besides what they
are furnished free.
Make Good Pay
The freight workers, with some over
time. are said to be now making from
| $50 to $72 a month, far more than
they will be able to make at the pine
|
hour, which it is suspected some of them
are already accepting to tide them over
the period of the strike.
The first demand for an increase
from the japanese came about thirty
days ago, when Superintendent Den
| nison was approached one Sunday by
the gang lunas and told the men ask
ed more pay. They were informed that
l. hn
and they were reminded of their
promise made in 1917 that if they got
that raise they would be satisfied.
week ago committee presented
their claims to the superintendent
again. He assured the interpreter, who
accompanied them, that the advance
could not be given. On last Thursday
the demands were made again through
the bosses, some Of whom have been
with the company for twenty five years.
This demand and the successive one
which followed it on Friday were &C
cOmpanied with the threat to quit work
if the wage increase was not granted.
Dennison Hopeful
After the conference with the section
bosses last night, Superintendent Den
nison said he had hopes that these men
he was confident they did not wish to
quit the work which they liked and
knew, and because they were attach
ed to the homes furnished them by the
company.
; During the conference he told the
men that the railroad was troubled like
everyone else by the high cost of liv.
ing As an instance he cited the fact
/ hot hn - t,h 30 ha h,,tlk Co.
about $400 now cost over $ll00. He
says that unless they do return to
work, however, that they will be re-
) placed by other workers of other races
, A. Macphail, manager of McCabe
| Hamilton and Renney, says that when
| he attempted to get Hawaiians to take
horers on Saturday night, twenty OF
" those asked refused to 90 to work
' However, fourteen men were secured
who kept the cargo workers aboard the
government ship busy during the night
2 Yesterday the stevedOring company
e managed to get two full gangs on thu
\ job. These were supplemented by
Koreans, FilpinOs and Portuguese re
Y cruited about the city by the railroad
e company.
~" ''Op"'' !" ""'N' Po'VH !" R"'tilt
z plenty of men to handle the freigh
@ shipments at the railroad warehouses
Y but it is not denied that the walkOut o
all the 200 section men would seriOusl,
- interfere with the operation of the rail
s road until other men could be trained
o for the right of way repair work.
Il Superintendent DenniSon says tina
t government assistance could be secur
) ed at once, but that the railroad com
{ pany wants to handle its own affair
5 without asking such aid, If possible