The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-01-11
SENTIMENT CROWS
FOR BRINGING
CHINESE LABORERS


Much interest Tha2 been reused IN Ho.
noluiu by the Associated Press des-
patches which told Of the action Of the
California Development Board in fav-
oring the Immigration for the period
OF the war at least Of Chinese farm,
ers and farm labor. This coming from
California was considered decidedly
surprising because OF the past attitude
OF the. people Of THAT state toward
Oriental labor. With the labor prob.
lem looming up larger for the Islands
the change Of attitude on the part Of
California takes ON added Importance.
In California the sentiment has been
working toward Chinese labor for sew
eral months past, in fact almost since
the passage OF the Selective Draft Law.
As far back as November % concerted
action looking toward such policy
was taken. This was ut the eonven-
ton OF the California Fruit Growers
Association when George H. Hecke,
state horticultural commissioner, was
authorized to appoint n committee to
seek from congress admission of Chi
nese on other labor and resolutions set
ting forth the need were passed. Such
committee was named on December IL.
Reserve Bank speaks
In,the bulletin of the twelfth federal
raaerys district. issued by the Federal
Reserve Bank Of San Francisco and
reviewing conditions in the district up
TO january I, II was said:
The supply Of farm laborers which
has been inadequate during the past
year, and which has been diminished
by the military draft, promises TO be
materially short Of the needs Of the
coming year. The suggestion Is being
made with increasing frequency that q
large number, perhaps zoo, 900, of Chi
Bese farmers be, brought To- this cDun-
Try. under bond for their return, to
raise crops during the war. Apparent
y, no objection is made 10 the proposal
except BY, the labor unions The i'm
portpnce OF Increasing food production
Is yitai,n illF .9 y, j2sf4,, +. n.
Planters Do Not Urge
While others have taken up the mat.
Ter of bringing Chinese labor TO Ha-
wall and 4 memorial to congress has
been presented, the Planters Assoeia-
ton has taken no action on the sub
ject. It appears 10 have been the
theory Of the association that the
lands Of the Islands were to in the
end be distributed among citizens u
the United States and that It was the
hope of the government to see the agri-
cultural lands of the island 30 owned
and titled. This, together, with the
known attitude OF Hawaii's nearest
neighbor, California, may have held
them back from endorsing thu proposal.
Filipinos Detriment - nv,
Filipino labor Is detriment and not
an asset to the Islands and this fact
lis coming more and more into recogni-
tion. Spanish and Portuguese win not
work, willingly, on the same planta.
tion with, them. The major proportion
Of the crimes OF violence in the Islands
can be laid to the Filipinos, court
statistics prove. In the past few months
there has been considerable, exodus
of Spanish labor, moved by the employ
ment Of Filipinos here and led by the
reports. Of high wages paid In munition
factories on the mainland; Many Fiji
pinos, also, have gone back to the Phil
ippines. Thus II appears that the Fill
pinos, are not orderly, reputable citi-
zens, in a large number Of cases, that
other labor refuses to work with them
and to remain on plantations with
them, and they do not remain perma-
hently. The number now employed
only. makes up for the falling on Of
japanese plantation labor since the
importation of Filipinos. ~. ,g'5.a
Attitude II Changing -. H.
with these points IN view and with
the changing attitude ON the mainland
II will not be strange II the planters
shall soon come out and Join in the
demand for the admission of Chinese
at least for the time Of the. war. f
The argument is advanced that the
mainland proposal win not meet the
needs Of the Islands. With the Fill,
pinos II has been shown that where
several thousand males are brought in
crimes Of violence increase. II is urged
that il the men are allowed to bring
their wives here there would be less
disorder and o better and more de-
pendable class Of labor could be Sc