Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Volume VIII, Number 15, 10 ʻApelila 1869 — The Labor Question in Queenstand. [ARTICLE]

The Labor Question in Queenstand.

l:: a'w c! disru<*ion now so nctive re£nrd« „• thc L'ooni' Q i Jestion, the followinsj fncts >ut intfreM. Ai»out t\vo ycars sinco Mr. E. VV. Dilkc, j<« * voiume exjtnicd " Creater Britain; a i*' «•<.;,! < < Tr.ivel in Knciish speaking Counv •*>." r\pri-seil an ©p>t»ion regardmg the j ' i j(urc ot the L;ihor Qucst»on in i»u<x tlie North Eistem colony of Ai. jr.iii.i. ivhi.*h r»veive» puinlul conflruin- ( } : y lU- ;;i.-t atlvices frotn that Southern < ■ ruM:t. Ilrsays: I*. it, the other colonies permit their ;j'i« rn >«ster to confmue in her course of <iark-skinned laborers, 1o form a ,* n j oj w.ati(>;i. aitw years will see her u • «-thy cottoti and sugargro\ving country, •.'i t!u- viccs of a slavc-holding governi \vitbout ihe nnine of slavery. Tru i lnntvrs ot the co«st and vill«ges, united Aiili thc s«|uatters ot the table-landjs or Pi'U?;*-." vvii) i:ovrrn tiueensruid, and ren- .! r <>:r w:th it»e tree impossible. i;rcnt i:>'ivl tlfs«*overtes take plnee, and cout»try lo AuMra!in. \\«Tf ;i noi the j r;de ol roce that everyv. .-! > ws i;.soif ui thc acts of Engltsh - thcrc l»e a bright side to the [h'hii, 4 ol i{ueeusland colony. The . o oreJ ;»: »n rs at preseut itttroduced—in-*li!-tru»t:s Tongans and nctive Hill-cooites «r llm.l l;«lK>r.oiw\ >ober. Rtul free >Ujvr>tition —$houUi not on!y l>e nhle »a J v 11: .• e ilie eo<»raercin 1:ort unes of Queensu d t!n'v have those of the Mauritius, - r ♦ •.—n:u.t]iy to tnke an nj'ial ?hnre in free (•wui.'iii'iii With their »vhite employers. To « 4 tne n cvil <<f ihe iicgradation < : » m.l l.iiK-r, uhieh has ruincd momily as t\ori »mtcAl(y the Southcrn Statts of A«uvr;v \n rcpubii«, the ludian, Malay, ;*tiv i iit ?c aboaT.s shou!d be teuipted to .. iM, ol !and*holding associntions. \ - n«ni suu"ar growing population i N Quivu»latul would requirea vast , : ,t\, jK»puiaiu»i« in the south to feed l u iWo hituerto rtvals, ;':t ::ow up siMter countries, eaeh de-.w-in;: the other !or the supply of haii . > it >s. howrver, worthy of notice i...u t?iv the Queensland plant- : trjth ihe importe4 d<»rk-skinned fieldi'i s poviJe on!y for the |vivment of wages •; a: the r*tes of6s. to tOs. a month. !:«• ' cOi*is" cons»stof pip4s,tobacco,kntves, :.nJ ivau>. Judgmg fro*n the experience of i , »ud Cryloc, tbere ean be littlc ; ;«o t»! :he e*>Deral »dmĪsji>on «>f co!ored men v> t v settlers; aml the i'a .ne iniaml* otfrr so temptmg u tield to . U;i9ping »kipprr? that lhere is mueh tear HutttisiMad inay to »ho«r us not iwnscmi-sUrefy. but peotiag« of that vrorM of kinds, in whwh il is cheaper to the Ut«orer to death than to " l>reed n tum. la tfce J«ntary number of the Spirit of Mia«*n*, New Vork, we tiod the follofring Tt» " Ao«r*lianChuinchmnn *' «•)•«; " lt Im« r«ttmaied th»t there are at pment *fcwK lslaiiders in Queens« \\\ *iv oot aware thji auj retuni Uvu j f by thc iioeal gomattteiu, iWu-h ihe rrceui ®ei raquircs that all who rw r ir, v ītUiider» ahouhl regiater them. \tt w»va lW mHiiiwr in whīeh they t«*rc betro ittcl«c«4 lo |eive th« islaml<, and i** *«**»» pkem from whieh they havc

been wouiO ei-.eil tsct? aīe not crcditabie to oar naiionai hooor.• The*employment of men who harc no religioos ia«tructora among them, who are untioght savage?, cannot be sitisfjctorv. The capt tains who have brooght Jhese men hare been desirous oniy tn make ap a ccrtain nnml»cr, withnut retercnce e;ther to their char3cter or adaptabil:fy for empioyment. We eali the atu.-ntion of the Chrj«tian Church to these inr£uiar and unjcst proceeding." The hiodrar,cc< to the work of the Mei;*nesian of Hishop Patteson whieh bare reccntly reap. pearcd, are ascrtbed to the feelinir of revenge against ai! whites excited by this kidnap*ping traffic. The Aborigiocs' Protection »society of London has the Home Government on the BUi>j?ct. ' We wouid not Ijc understood as jntimating that the imported laborers in the Hawaii,an are in any degree systematically illtreated, as are their fellows io Qoeensland and eisewhere—though there are even now jeviis to whieh attention is being drawn. But it is more and morc manifest that the ( System of Bonded Immigration is a vicious | one, having in it, *>ven on these isla»ds, the ' gcrms of evii? whieh it is*the duty of every jcitizcn to carefuity consider. I' ree Immigr3tion would benef»t all, while j this system of long terms of bonded service • especially when the contracts are made labroad t cannot but work prejudiciaiiy to the |gener.il mterests of Hawaii nei. lf it is not ;sale to import certain c)asses of laborers, | without having them under long oontracts of labor, then it wiii be for the uitrmate good of all that they should not be imported. lt is gnttifying to find that the hearings of this subject among us are beinjr more and more trujy apprehended. And we doubt not that still more light wiil yet be shed upon \i, as the ugitation progresses. '