Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 167, 8 ʻApelila 1891 — Italians in America [ARTICLE]

Italians in America

For years the capitalists of the Uiiited States, especialiy those engaged in maiiufactures, have been importing laborers from the slutns of Eur6j>e in order ; that tlie Ainei'iean workman might : be content to live on a ir.inimuin while the boss makes haste tn get rich. The ltalian eiement entered largejv into the ehenp labor tlms imported-, aiul in every efiort of the L'nited States meehanie and laborer to obtāined better conditions, the It.ahan who was formerly imported under contract has proved a thorne in the side of American labor. The erection of the " iVorlds Fair" building at Chic«go is a recent illust:*ation of the imported Itaiian haajpering the A rnerican work ma n. The contractors put 011 non-union Italian carpenters at $2 a dav when the union sc:ile was 37A eeats an hour. When this state of affairs was di?covered a de)egation of carpenters gav<? them fifteen minutes to quit and those who clid not move quick eiiough were thrown off the scaff6ld. 4< The contractors have nppea'ed for protection" so we read, and as the labor laws of the Statea li ke the sa m e surt of Ja w s here, | were made by a majority of cajiitalists in their own interests, the x?ontractors will 110 doubt hunt round to see if they ean get Italians at $2 a day to fiiish the entire job, and would ba ennitled to eall oh the govern - mfent for poliee and soldiers to j pmtect them in excluding the Amenean workman from employment on his own national structure, until he ean learn - to-feect his fa|mily after the plan of the eheap Italian, on macearoni and stewe|i eow-heel. - ———•—■ O oe anei kekahi i komo i ka ahaaina lele koali a Hukamakani ma o lae akhlikuli ? laa aole, e pono oe e kome koke, oiai, e nui ana ka lealea, a mea hoi makou hoonaue aku.