Statement showing the imports of South Australia, &c.—Continued. Return showing quantity of metals, minerals, &c., exported, the produce of the colony, for the year 1882. Return showing quantity of wool exported, the produce of the colony, for the year 1832. Return showing quantity of breadstuffs, grain, &c., exported, the produce of the colony, for the year 1882. Statement showing the navigation at the port of Adelaide, South Australia, for the year ending December 31, 1882. Statement showing the value of imports at Hobart for the year ending December 31, 1881. Statement showing the value of exports at Hobart for the year ending December 31, 1881. To United Kingdom.. To British colonies... $2,492, 105 45 5,078, 104 15 Statement showing the navigation at the port of Hobart for the year ending December 31, Statement showing the navigation at the port of Hobart, &c.—Continued. Statement showing the value of imports and exports between Hobart and the United States for Imports.. 14708 C R, PT 2—53 the year 1881. $37,656 98 Nil. A. G. WEBSTER, Consul. POLYNESIA. HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. Report by Consul McKinley on the trade, commerce, and industries of the Hawaiian Islands for the year 1883. LABOR. In my last report I gave as nearly correct as possible the number of laborers of each nationality employed in plantation labor. Since that report the number has been increased by immigration, as will be seen by reference to Table 11, following. These Chinamen all come per Pacific Mail Company's ships, and were brought by Chinese companies, or paid their own passage (a not very likely thing). The Portuguese came under contract. Immediately after this large arrival of Chinese the trustees of the Planters' Labor and Supply Company held a meeting at which it was unanimously agreed not to offer them more than $8 per month, with a bonus of $50. Every effort was used to make them engage to labor on these terms for the period of two years, but they persistently refused, and scattered themselves over the islands in gangs of from twenty to thirty, asking $15 per month and found. The labor subject has for some period of time been one of debate between the Government and the planters. The Government, wishing to bring in a class of immigrants as a basis for "repopulation " of the country, and looking to this fact, have turned toward the Portuguese. The planters seem to like the Portuguese as laborers, but say that they are too costly. Nearly every Portuguese has a family of children, and the planter has to furnish house-room and do something toward the support of the children. Taking these facts into account, and also the fact that the Chinese are about as effective as the Portuguese, the former are far more popular. At the planters' convention, held in Honolulu in October last, the committee on labor made a long report upon the subject, of which the following are the main points touched: Your committee are of the opinion that so far from being dissatisfied with the present influx of labor, renewed efforts should be made to secure an increased supply. During the coming year we shall want all the Portuguese we can obtain. They are first-class laborers, and though high-priced it is not likely that we will obtain too many of them. We need them especially as an offset to the Chinese; not that the Chinese are undesirable-far from it-but we lay great stress on the necessity of having our labor Your committee thoroughly believe in Chinese labor; not because it is the very best, but because it is the only available source from which we can secure an adequate supply of labor at reasonable rates. * * No country is expected to prosecute industries which are not profitable, and the experience of sugar growing, the world over, goes to prove that cheap labor, which means in plain words servile labor, must be employed in order to render this enterprise successful. In the judgment of your committee, not less than 600 laborers should be brought into this country during the next year. 834 |