The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-08-16
LABOR SHORTAGE ONE or
MOST SERIOUS SITUATIONS
SUGAR HAS HAD Tp,MglEET
Plantations Recognize Fact and viii Do
Best They Can While Awaiting Relief
From Washington; Oihers Seek
Oriental Labor Supply

Following its policy Of Keeping the
government informed on the needs of
the sugar industry and Of leaving il
10 the government, largely, to devise
the ways and meanS, the Sugar Plan
ters' Association is not, suggesting TO
or asking of the government amend
mcnts to or abrogatfon of amy of the
imnfi grafton laws or relies. The plan
tofst view point is that the government
is as svftaIly Interested in seeing the
crop, maineiIned in Hawaii as are
TIE planters and will take the steps
neeessary to relieve the labor shortage
when possible. If consulted on ways
and means they may have suggestions
10 Joffer hut they prefer to be called
upon to offer suggestions rather than
make requests. &c. ''.''s 80
iOthsrs Take Action -...-..
Meantime the, Governor, the Delegate
and some of the citizens are taking up
the matter of aabor shortage; not as
affecting sugar Alone but Rs affecting
rice and generally the making Of the
Territory self snslaining These persons
are considering the matter OF Oriental
labor and how to 0btain IL. = &C..
=, Reports on labor conditions from the
plantation 10 the labor bureau tell OF
the least number they require to meet
their absolute needs and the bareau has
applications for more than $500 labor
ers. Each plantation manager appears
to think, jedging from the letters
which the bureau receives, that his
plantation. is the most seriously affect
ed of any and alh are agreed that the
pEeSent situation is one of the most
I Eerious4 that has ever confronted the
Ishnds. Letters received from Hawaii
compare the conditions there with
those Aof the drought there and the
season of the worst plague of leaf hop
1 per. Ono dplantation manager writes
that he had already reported the need
Of 120 men and asks that the burean
please double bis former request. Maui
Plantations are even more seriously
affected. ~ > '..|
No Steamer Room
when Il was fIrst reported that sugar
was Co be carried from the Philippines
on former Hawaiian sugar carriers the
:. plaTters did try TO arrange to secure
same Philippine labor but 1t was i'm,
,praeticabie. The Lurline for instance,
could take only thirteen steerage pas
sengers without cutting down its sugar
load and, as the steamers were put on
thRt run to carry sugar and not labor
.ers, the plan came to naught. ..
The transports will bring no labor
ers And there the situation stands
according to the report of the labor
bureau, members Of the labor commit
tee and officers Of the association. &
Two meetings have been held Mt tho
Governor Office, the last yesterday
morning being attended by the Gov
ernor, the Delegate, Robert w. Single
w. H. McInerny and w. n. HindIe
This committee decided to inquire
whether under the Overman Act tht
President might not suspend through
a proclamation the Chinese exclusion
net 80 far as it applies to Hawaii and
sufficiently to admit 10000 Chinese
laborers.
Chance Of Legislation
g. Adyiees from the mainland from high
officials have Haid there was little Of
TO chance of the passage at this TIM
of Legislation to admit Chinese or Japa
nese, especially the former, as the Iabol
unions were too stroIgly opposed. On