The total number of laborers on all Hawaiian sugar plantations December 31, 1897, was 24,653. From January 1 to August 12, 1898, the excess of arrivals over departures has been 2,195, which makes the grand total of laborers on August 12, 1898, 26,848.

These laborers are divided, as indicated, between the Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Hawaiians, South Sea Islanders, and a very small number from other nationalities. They are distributed in the order above indicated. By the terms of the contracts made for Chinese laborers all must return to their own country at the expiration of their terms of service, if not reengaged.

They can not remain and engage in competition with artisans or merchants. The whole matter is under the close inspection of the bureau of immigration, which maintains a rigid compliance with the law as to service, etc.

The yield of sugar annually upon the Hawaiian Islands has steadily increased from 25,000,000 pounds in 1875 to 172,000,000 pounds in 1885, 300,000,000 pounds in 1895, and 500,000,000 pounds (approximately)

in 1897.

The value of the sugar produced in the twenty-three years, beginning with 1875, has reached the enormous total of $180,000,000. This vast production by an average population of less than 80,000 persons gives a sufficient explanation, from the sugar crop alone, for the real and apparent prosperity of the inhabitants.

The census of 1896 showed that the number of males and females of Hawaiian or part Hawaiian birth was about equal, while, of the imported Asiatic laborers, the males numbered nearly six times as many as the females. Taking the entire population in 1896, native and foreign-viz, males, 72,517; females, 36,503-it will be seen that there are twice as many males as females. This fact itself is most significant, as showing that two-thirds of the population is of the male or producing class, indicating a constant increase of wealth to the country by their labor.

The growth of almost all agricultural products found profitable in Hawaii has also been demonstrated to be profitable and successful in other countries where white labor is employed. The production of coffee and rice, it is claimed, is also as perfectly feasible with white or native labor as by imported Asiatic labor. The producing classes of the United States are anxious to have the privilege of making investments and homes in these islands when the conditions which prohibit such investments shall have been obliterated. Give to the American citizen laborer a fair show and let him then take care of himself.

We should here refer to the Statutes of the United States, chapter 164, approved February 26, 1885, prohibiting the importation of alien contract laborers into this country.

Section 1 of this act provides that it shall be unlawful

for any person, company, partnership, or corporation, in any manner whatsoever, to prepay the transportation or in any way assist or encourage the importation or immigration of any alien or aliens, any foreigner or foreigners, into the United States, its Territories, or District of Columbia, under contract or agreement to perform labor or service of any kind.

SEC. 2. That all contracts or agreements, expressed or implied, parol or special, which may hereafter be made by and between any person, company, partnership, or corporation, and any foreigner or foreigners, alien or aliens, to perform labor or service or having reference to the performance of labor or service, by any person in the United States, its Territories, or the District of Columbia, previous to the migration or importation of the person or persons, whose labor or service is contracted for, into the United States, shall be utterly void and of no effect.

Under a succeeding section, a penalty forfeiting $1,000 for each offense is imposed, and the master of any vessel who shall knowingly bring any laborer, mechanic, or artisan into the United States, shall be punished by fine and imprisonment. There are also other laws of the United States which prohibit the importation into this country of Asiatic cooly laborers, with appropriate penalties of fine and imprisonment.

The policy of the United States in regard to the introduction of alien labor which might compete with the wages of American laborers in any of the avocations of life, except those where skilled labor is required, is very clear and emphatic.

The committee is therefore of the opinion that the enforcement of the present United States laws regarding imported laborers, with the application of the American policy of fostering the interests of the individual citizens instead of promoting undue accumulations of corporate capital, or the extension of corporate powers in the control of large tracts of land, and with such other legislation, either territorial or national, as experience and good judgment may have indicated, so as to make the whole of the Territory accessible by good roads and the arid lands available for settlement by means of irrigation, the whole country may then become a desirable place for the development of American citizenship.

S. M. CULLOM.
JNO. T. MORGAN.
SANFORD B. DOLE.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE POSTAL SERVICE.

The Hawaiian postal system is, in its general character, based upon and modeled after the methods long established in the United States. The special details of operation, required by special conditions upon the islands, can be readily provided for by inconsiderable modifications of the existing regulations of the United States Post-Office Department in their application there.

The 111 officers and employees in the Hawaiian postal service are now appointed by the Postmaster-General. By the laws and regulations of the United States they would be classified and appointed, a part by the President and a part by the Postmaster-General.

The receipts of the Hawaiian postal bureau for 1897 were $73,529.99 and the disbursements $66,659.37, showing a net profit of $6,870.62. The following statement will show this in more detail:

With the adoption and application of the United States postal laws there may not be so favorable a financial showing in future, as the rates on printed matter, far below cost to the Government, provided by our laws will at once reduce the Hawaiian postal revenues, and there would be a falling off for ocean postage to the United States.

The interisland mails are now carried free of charge by the lines of interisland steamers in compliance with a provision in their licenses requiring the performance of this work.

Statements are hereto appended of the post-offices, postmasters and other employees, the salaries paid, bonds required, sales of stamps, and box rents; also a communication from Hon. S. M. Damon, minister of finance, pointing out the advantages of the continuance of the present parcels-post system, by which the Hawaiian rates now are to the United States, per pound, 12 cents; to Canada, 20 cents; to the United Kingdom and Australia, 25 cents.

R. R. HITT.
W. F. FREAR.

HAW-10

145

Salaries, etc., of post-office employees, Honolulu post-office.