The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-08-02
LABOR SHORTAGE
:. SiNORE SERIOUS
Relief Not In SIGHT Unless TTans-
ndportation Can Be Secured .tiy
49,. In Some Manner

Thus far the census or canvass Of
unemployed who would he available for
sugar plantation work has not been
highly satisfactory to the labor bureau
of the Planters Association. A careful
going through Of the sections Of the
city that are normally Filipino" dis
tricts has disclosed that there are very
few Of this race, the figure being only
a little more than firty and less than
sixty. . T. o., -
- Canvassing among the japanese has
not yet been completed but the labor
bureau feels that few Of those in the
city would 90 to work on the sugar plan
tations unless they had to do so, that
such change Of occupation would have
to be compulsory.
No Relief Seen
No improvement in the labor situa-
tion is in sight. As the draft goes on
the situation becomes more acute. It
is not, the labor bureau says, that there
is not a source of supply and a new
source must be created through Japan.
csc or Chinese immigration for there
are two adequate sources, the Philip
pines and Porto Rico. The situation Is
the same as that which brough the
sugar famine to the East last year, lack
of transportation. There is no short.
age in the world s supply Of labor but
the available supply is not where it is
needed and cannot be speedily brought
there just as there was no shortage Of
sugar available for transportation but
Ii was not where il was needed, Just as
there are vast stores of sugar here now
awaiting shipment estimated at close
to 100000 pounds. ..# A.. .,. -.
+. ID. Tenney, president Of the Plant
ers' Association has admitted that the
situation is so serious that the planta-
tons may not be able to cultivate their
entire acreage.
Z. Faxson Bishop, chairman Of the
committee on labor of the association
says the situation is growing more and
more critical and relief must be Sc.
cured, evidently hoping for some ar
rangement for transportation.
Question, Of Appeal 49,
No action on the proposal to bring
Chinese labor here has ever been taken
by the trustees of the association and
it is said the same policy will be EN-.
ployed relative to the suggestion of a
change in the gentlemen 3 agree
ment" relating to Japanese inning
ton though some of the planters and
shippers think the 5000 men mentioned
in the japanese papers would fill the
need very nicely. There is also a grow.
ing sentiment toward an effort to bring
in Chinese. The policy Of seeking labor
where no changes in federal law OF
international agreement is required
still holds, however, and the advocates
Of that policy cannot see that Japanese
or Chinese could be brought here il
FiipinOs cannot or why Filipinos can,
: not when Japanese could.
Competition is Keen
Pineapple fields have suffered similar
ly to the cane plantations through the
call of the guard and the draft and, a,
result, there is keen competition
for labor between the two industries
1t is reported that the pine growers are
carrying large advertisements for lab
orers In the Japanese papers and are
offering higher wage than the sugar
plantations pay. So far as the can
neries 20, much of the labor is women
! girls and school boys so that there il
not much demand for male labor there
Relative to the japanese who are EN-
! Ployed in other occupations about Ho
nolulu, not so essential as sugar max
ing, the labor bureau believes they
would go to the canneries as frs
choice, the pine fields as a second anC
the sugar plantations of this islanC
next, to the other islands only as las
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