Speech #590134173

As a result of failing employment large numbers of workingmen have left the Islands and returned to California. and the population of white mechanics has fallen off considerably. Part of this movement undoubtedly represents merely a reaction from the abnormal condition produced by the excitement attending annexation. But the fact remains that building is still going on in the Territory to a considerable extent. and that Asiatic workmen are successfully competing for the work with white mechanics. The procession of unemployed back to the coast. therefore. represents to some extent the displacement of whites by Asiatics. Not only are they successful competitors in the construction of cottages and small residences. but they are making their competition strongly felt on a larger and more Important building work. A white contractor in the islands. who used white and native labor only. reported that he had not had a contract of any Importance for nearly a year and a half because he had been ruinously underbid either by Japanese contractors or by white contractors using Asiatic labor exclusively. The only urban occupations not subject to Asiatic competition are the English printing trades and some forms of employment in machinery and metal working. Some forms of furniture are made in Asiatic shops in Honolulu. and Asiatics compete with whites In carrtige making and repairing. wheelwright work. and in millwork and jolnery. In the passenger carrying or hack business. bothin Honolulu and throughout the inlands. the Japanese are rapidly gaining complete control. Oriental blacksmiths and horseshoers have shops in Honolulu. and the Japanese compete with boiler makers in making the large tanks used as receivers for the fuel oil now employed for steam making in the islands. Although the language difficulty as yet forms an insurmountable obstacle to the employment of Asiatics in English printing offices. there are several Japanese and Chinese newspaper and job printing establishments in the Terrttory. catering chiefly to the needs of the Oriental population. that occasionally do English work. The manufacture of sugarmill machinery. skiled electrical work. brewing. and a fraction of the building trades. where the most highly skilled workmen are employed. are the main branches of Industry not invaded by Asiatic working people. The competition between Asiatics and white and native workingmen has been felt in some degree ever since the Asiatics first began to come Into the Islands. but not only is this competition now felt through all grades of labor. but it has also spread out into commercial lines. White merchants are now complaining of the effect of oriental competition as vigorously as are tie white mechanics and white laborers. In the end the competition will be more disastrous to the merchant than to the mechanic. The mechanic can gather up his toolshis working capitaland return to the mainland. suffering. it is true. from the time lost and from the fact of having practically to start anew where once he may have had a patronage established. and embittered by the feeling that in an American territory there was no room for him. an American citizen. on account of the economic dominance of aliens. But the white merchant can not so easily withdraw from trade without such a sacrifice of his stock as may represent ruin to his small fortune. Many small merchants are now feeling the effects both of the depression and of encroaching Asiatic competition. and are dogged.� carrying on a struggle which they believe to be hopeless. but still unable to bring themselves to the point of sacrificing their stock and withdrawing from business. A number of merchants were interviewed. outside of Honolulu. who felt that they had held on too long already and had allowed to pass the favorable moment for retirement. S * * * C C The Honolulu Merchants Association. In a recent correspondence with the Planters Association. thus expressed their views upon the immigration and competition of Asiatics: " his country has been inundated with an influx of Asiatic population that threatens to undermine its political security. so far as the ascendency and control of the white race is concerned. For the purpose of obtaining cheap labor there have been Introduced here twice as many Asiatic laborers as have been necessary for working the plantations. and this has resulted disastrously to all but immediate sugar interests. The surplus labor. which numbers in the neighborhood of 50.000. is engaged in professional. mechanical. and mercantile pursuits that in a Territory of the United States or in any country legitimately belongs to its citizens." The predominance of Asiatics in the population of Hawaii has thus come to he regarded not only as a peril to immediate trade interests. through the competition already existing. but as creating a grave menace to business security for the future. It Is not easy to give an adequate idea of the resentment and the bitterness felt by the white mechanic and the white merchant who see themselves being steadily forced to the wall. and even driven out of the Territory. by Asiatic competition. They feel that they are being defeated in the struggle. not because of superior mechanical skill or superior business instinct on the part of their successful competitors. but because of a lower standard of living. in the face of which they are helpless. They feel. furthermore. that the white citizen who goes into new American territory to cast his lot with a neiv community and to join In its upbullding on American lines is entitled. if not to favored treatment. at least to protection against the kind of competition that the Asiatic alien represents. The most recent developments in this line seem to Indicate that the Asiatics are going into agriculture on a still larger scale. Since the report for 1902 was written. a Japanese cultivation company of some 55 members has taken a fiveyear contract to raise all the cane upon one of the smaller plantations. They thus gain control of all field operations. including administration. subject to the general supervision of the plantation manager.