The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-08-05
BLOW TO COOLIE
IMPORTATION
Especial to The Labor JournaD

washington, ID. u, july 3O.-(By
MaiD-Coolie importation for poem
age on Hawaiian sugar plantations
was given a severe blow here today
when Hawaiian labor representa-
tives, accompanied by President
Gompers of the American Fedora
tion of Labor and fully dozen 9TH
er labor representatives appeared
before the House Committee on
immigration.
President George w. Wright of
the Honolulu Central Labor Union
gave the committee a complete ac-
count of the plantation labor situa-
tion and made it clear that, en-
tirely aside from the principle of
Oriental exclusion, there is no eco
nomic excuse for the importation of
coolies.
AS important as any statement
made by the labor representatives
was a statement of Congressman
Baker, of Oregon, member of the
Committee Oh immigration.
"The proposed joint resolution, if
adopted" said Congressman Raker,
"would make of Hawaii an island
Of criminals. 1t would let down
the bars to every criminal class
everywhere in the world. And once
on American soil they could go any,
where on American soil without
passports"
President Wright described plan
tation conditions and told how
plantation workers had gone into
government works because of better
pay. He made it clear that with
the establishment of suitable wage
conditions the labor supply neces-
sary to the handling of the sugar
crop would be available. He added
that if there then should be any
shortage the PHILIPPINE Islands
would furnish the required number
of workers. Methods of planta-
tion operation were severely criti-
cised from the standpoint of inef-
ficiency.
The Honolulu Central Labor
Union, it was testified, submitted
to the sugar planters a proposal, or
program, for the relief and remedy
ing of the labor situation in the
Islands. This program contained a
uldSHOSlS VI IHo SlIudIlOH anu d
remedy therefor as follows:
DIAGNOSIS: We find that the
plight in which the sugar industry
finds itself today is due primarily
to the lack of a proper understand
ing and cooperation between employ
er and employees. This results in
the encouragement and antagonism
of the workers which lowers their
efficiency to approximately so per
cent of the normal, and causes
dissatisfaction and the consequent
drifting away from the plantations
of the laborers whose services are
required to take off the crop. Ex-
tremely low wages and the impos-
sibility of earning a living except
at the lowest possible standard of
subsistence prevents those living
outside the plantations from TAX
ing plantation jobs, though there
are probably enough unemployed
and temporarily employed who would
be willing to fill the jobs if the
conditions were such that there
was any inducement offered.
"REMEDY: Follow the approved
industrial methods and endeavor to
increase the efficiency of your en-
ployees by effecting a right un-
derstanding with them. Recognize
the principle of collective bargain
ing and signify your willingness to
meet with representatives of your
employees in conference which
we will arrange and to which we,
as representatives of the Central
Labor Council will be present as the
third party acting as mediators. We
will guarantee that if this is done
in the right spirit of cooperation
on your part it will be met in the
same spirit by your employees and
an agreement reached whereby you
will gain the friendship of your
men and increase their efficiency to
normal AS one of the chief mat
ters to be considered at such a con-
ference we suggest the establish
ment of a new wage scale based
upon the cost of living, details as
to flexibility and determining fac
tors to be worked out later.
"If this increased efficiency does
not then relieve your shortage, and
the return of workers drawn back
to plantation life by incentives Of
fered still falls short of your re-
quirements, we believe that plenty
of new labor can be recruited in
the Philippines, with the co-opera-
tion of the Filipino labor commits
sion.
GAS an added source of supply
| we point out that large number
| of men will be discharged from
| federal construction work upon the
| signing of the Rehabilitation Bill,
| or shortly thereafter, who will be
| forced back on the plantations where
they belong, provided you make it
a point to employ citizen labor in
the skilled and semi-skilled indus
tries which your influence domin-
ates. There is no question in our
minds but that you will thus be
able to fill your shortage of labor
and maintain your industry at a
normal pace without the importation
| of any other oriental labor"
Chairman Albert Johnson, con-
Quoting the hearing, made what la
Dor representatives declared to be
a studied effort to entangle Presi-
dent Wright and to discredit his
testimony, but to no avail. AT
the conclusion of the days testi-
mony Chairman Johnson was oblig-
ed to compliment the labor man
upon the fairness of his testimony.
Under the terms of the coohe
importation bill, the subject of the
hearing, it would be possible to