The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-07-26
LABOR PROBLEM OF
PLANTERS GROWING
STILL MORE Trying
Planters Association Through
Labor Bureau Starts Can
Vass For Available Supply
DATA ON FILIPlNoS
&C. AND JAPANESE SOUGHT
Hawaiians Would Find Work II
They Would Apply But Are I
Not Included In Canvass


Steps are being taken by the labor
bureau Of the Hawaiian Sugar Plant
ers' Association to secure a census Of
the number of Filipino and Japanese,
not now employed on the sugar plan-
tatiOns that may be drawn from non
productive and unessential work into
the productive and essential sugar N.
dustry.
Actual and immediate needs Of the
plantations for labor are in excess Of
$500 men. They could use more If
they had them but they could get
along very well with $500. Bad. as
is this situation the future looms up
still more threatening for more men
are required to bring the two new
regiments up to required strength and
it is said that there will be a call by
the end Of the month for a. thousand
more men. Fully half of these new
draftees and probably more would be
drawn from the ranks Of, agricultural
labor.
win Need Three Thousand
Thus far in the draft fifty-fve per-
cent of those taken have been Fill
pinOs. OF the thousand required it
is safe to say that 500 will be taken
from the plantations leaving the ac-
tual immediate necessity 5000 work
els. For these the crop is actually
suffering.
SO far as can be learned the labor
shortage has not actually affected the
planting of the new cane and may
not do 40 directly, that is today there
are probably enough men to plant the
crop but there is CONSIDERABLE talk Of
curtailing the crop Of two years
hence. This might be done by not
planting, by not attempting to cult
vate or by not cutting
This talk Is similGr 20 that which
was heard when free rugar threatened
last. Then It was said that the plan.
tatiOns might cr ase to cultivate their
least prolific fields and that is the
course that is now spoken Of. Even
if the fields be planted as usual, the
present labor available would not be
able to cultivate and free from weeds
the entire area. To harvest the next
crop and to cultivate the young cane,
all of the fields, with the present labor
supply is impraeticable.
Canvass Is Started
With no other course from which In,
Dor can be secured Immediately it is
natural that the planters should turn
their attention to the supply that may
possibly be secured from the Islands,
from FilipinOs and japanese that are
not now engaged in essential industry
and that is what is being done. A
canvass is being made in Honolulu and
outside Oh this Island to find out Just
how many are available and can be
turned into fields where their work
will be of value.
If, as has been intimat2d, the coming
call for 1000 men be supplemented by
a further call the condition will be pror
pOrtiOnately worse according to tho
ratio of those taken from the planta-
tions. There is no such force of suit.
able plantation labor securable in the
Islands so that the best that is hoped
from this source is improvement, not
cure of the ill.,
Chance For Hawaiians
1t is admitted that there are large
number Of Hawaiians who would be
welcomed on the plantations if they
would apply for the work but, thus
far, no canvass 6f these is being made.
1t has been said by Hawaiians that
the plantation work pas insufficient.
ly.
Pay and Perquisite
The poorest paid regular worker in
the fields of the cane plantations re-
ceives $50 a month for 26 days work.
TO Tins is added the monthly bonus
which is one-thrd of that wage. This
gives the cash returns for the lowest
paid $26.67 but in addition to this
there is free house rent, free water for
in al
free wood for fuel, free medical and
hospital attendance and free medicines,
These items materially increase the
compensation with an equivalent for
actual cash and at the end Of the bonus
year there is further addition to
cash compensation. Then is paid the
balance over and above the amount al
ready received in monthly bonus
money. Thus far this year the bonus
rate is fifty five percent of the wages
earned: This means an added pay
meut of twenty-five perC ent in pres
ent prices bringing the pay up to
pra> tically $3l month With other
'Terquisites.
Chance To Improve
The Hawaiian need not remain
common labOrer in the fields. There
are more lucrative channels open to
him in plantation work, dependent up
on industry, attention and initiative.
For the health of himself and his
family the Hawaiian might well turn
his attenti"u to plantation work. The
environment Of the plantation is bet
ter suited to health. To get out Of
the tenements and the slums is essen.
tial to health which cannot be bouE ht
but may he secured by seeking proper
surroundings and this feature is for