United States. Government. to do. likewise. will have a. beneficialeffect. and if there is not a sufficient amount of a certain type of skilled labor within the Territory they will be attracted there by virtue of the fact: that they are more. or less assured steady employment. and thereby materially assist- the Hawaiians to build. up an American community. The socalled supremacy of thle alien labor in Hawaii is not solely due to the failure of the. Federal Government in employing citizen. labor. The Hawaiian Sugar Planters! Association ha~f not aided and: assisted along this line by giving preferential employment to citizens. In former years skilled citizen labor was employed. on tle. plantations. but as the coolie or alien became well enough acquainted with the workings of the mill he. supplanted the citizens. I regret that some- of the plantations- in the- islands have placed their desire for increased retirn above the duty to Americanize the Territory. [Applhuse] Had the plantations: given preference. to citizens in the skilled. and semiskilled positions in the mills. pumps. shops. and so. forth. and the. Federal Government employed citizen labor. there would not have been the exodus of American icitizen skilled. labor to. the mainland of the United States which has occurred ever since annexation. The Hawaiians. who for the. love of their islands will not leave it. are. compelled to. remain under conditibns adverse. to. their best interest and ekte out anexistence. as best they can. I feelvery strongly that if Congress makes it mandatory thatonly citizen labor be employed on Federal work- within the Territory. gradually the skilled labor- from the mainland will come to the islands. and the Hawaiians and other citizens- will return to their- former trades from which they were driven by the alien. and thereby make Hawaii an American community. As conditions have made the sugar plantations prosperous. and as the alien labor have clearly shown their atttlude in the recent strike. they would. I am sure. having seen the resultof their former action. employ citizen skilled labor wherever possible. Although Hawaii is paying more. yet the War Department objects to this section on the ground that it would make construction on the Army posts. more expensive. as it would be necessary to hire citizen labor.
Keywords matched
alien labor coolie