The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-07-19
MEAD GOING EAST
) QNLAB0lR. MISSION
Planters May Try To Secure
!. SUSPENSION of Contract Labor
Law Is ,UncoDfirmd Report

An effort TO induce President Wilson
10 suspend for Hawaii the provisions
Of the contract labor law, as has reS
emily been done for the benefit of en-
'loyers Of labor along the Mexican
border, is to be made by Royal d.
Mead, head of the labor and statistics
bureau of the sugar. planters associa-,
ion, according to unconRrmed report
n eireulation yesterday.
Mr.. Mead Is preparing TO leave soon
nr the Coast, whence he will 90 to
the national capital, He is extremely
reticent CONCERNING the purposes of
is trip, referring all inquiries along
hat line to Il. ID. Tenney, president of
he association, Mr.. Tenney could not
re located at his home when an effort
"s made last night to interview
him.
Another purpose of Mr.. Mead's trip
according to n statement made last
light by w. o. Smith, secretary of the
planters association, is to endeavor
secure government aid in bringing to
laval a supply of laborers from Porto
Rico to work on the sugar plantations
# these Islands. Mr.. Smith said that
incidentally the subject of securing
Porto Ricans may be taken up by Mr.
Mead. "
| No further information was voueh-
safed by Mr.. Smith, who, like Mr.
Mead, referred his questiOner to Mr..
Cenney, president of the association.
situation Is Serious ,x
Since the "alhng out of the national
, Suard and the calling into active serv-
ice of Hawaii's Class LA registrants
he sugar men have awakened, too
I ateSto realization that the labor sit.
IatiOn is q serious one and threatens
become more serious. 1t is felt that
hat situation must be met in some
"ay, and the planters have been cast
lg about to find way.
President Wilson s recent proclama-
ion permitting employers of labor
long the Mexican border to bring in
limited number of Mexican Iaborers
nder contract for the period of the
| ar has suggested one possible way Of
chewing the situation here. If the
order labor employers are to be al.
owed a suspension of the contract
lbor laws, why not Hawaii Hawaii
| ) raising a commodity needed by the
nited States and its allies and it is
he expressed belief in some quarters
lere that possibly the government
ould not be unwilling to strain q point
nd permit the Introduction of contract
| abOrers into the Islands in order that
| hawaiian sugar production shall not
| all off.
| russians Suggested
1t is not the purpose of the planters
ISOciatiOn, it is understood, to try to
| ecurP Mexican laborers, but to get
hem from any other source which may
prove available. VladivostOk was re-
entity sugge tied as a point where il
would be possible to get plenty of
abor for the Hawaii plantations, if the
| estrictiOns of the contract labor Law
"ecently been discussing an alleged de
'ire of the planters to tap this labor
! supply.
1t is fairly well confirmed, however
hat the plan for getting large mum
ers of Porto Rican lubOrcrs for Ha
vail has not been dropped.
One of the main obstacles to this
Ian was the securing Of ships in which
| bring the Porto Rcans to this is
and. 1t is expected that governmental
il will be asked by Mr.. Mead TO meet
his obstacle, when he reaches Wash
ngton, He returned only few months
ego from trip which took him to
'OrtO Rico. He said on his return
hat there was plentiful labor supply
there, but that the main problem was
| transportation.
Rabbit Returns
Another indication of activity on the
part of the labor bureau of the plant
ers association in now trying to solve
the problem of the local labor shortage
is evidenced by the arrival in Honolulu
If W. II. Rabbit, head of the labor
recruiting bureau for these Islands
is located in Manila.
| Mr. Babbitt said last night he did
not know exactly why he was directed
return to Honolulu at this time, ex
ept that il was for u business confer
nee. The business conferences 10 be
ieyed to be Ms to the labor supply If
he Philippines available for use here