The Industrial Condition of Women and Girls in Honolulu: A Social Study — John Shaqi
The Industrial Condition of Women and Girls in Honolulu: A Social StudyBlascoer, Frances
General
The Industrial Condition of Women and Girls in Honolulu: A Social Study
Blascoer, Frances
Child labor -- Hawaii -- Honolulu; Honolulu (Hawaii) -- Social conditions; Women -- Employment -- Hawaii -- Honolulu
As in other tropical communities, the struggle for existence is not
agonizing. Even on kona days, throughout which all Honolulu wilts, night
brings relief. The meanest tenement in Kakaako is swept by the cool
trade winds that come down over the cloud-capped heights of Tantalus
during the greater part of the year; and there is no dread of the coming
of winter.
Kamaainas say that the aloha of the spirits of departed Hawaiians—who
were in life gentle, generous to a fault, loving flowers and music, but
caring most of all for their island home—forever guards their former
haunts and exhorts all evil.
Honolulu itself tempts one: the Pacific ocean at the waterfront,
changing from emerald to purple and sapphire, with the violet glow over
all which transfers itself at sunset to the slopes of the grey-green
hills backing the city; and between, the bungalow and cottage dotted
city itself; most of its squares built up solidly with tiny dwellings
surrounded by scarlet and pink flowered hibiscus hedges and shaded by
feathery-leaved algarobas, cocoanut and date palms and multi-colored
flowering trees; with ferns and vines everywhere.
One must look hard and often at the rectangular and unornamental
tenement blocks which obtrude themselves indiscriminately from
Kalihi-kai to Waikiki, before one remembers the law of supply and demand
which is, alas, still in force although increasingly hard-pressed by
public opinion, minimum wage-boards and the Industrial Workers of the
World.
Before considering the supply and demand, however, I wish to express to
the Board of Trustees of the Kaiulani Home my keen appreciation of the
opportunity to make the survey; especially in view of the fact that this
work involved a considerable enlargement of the plan they originally had
in mind when I was asked to come here. Conditions so clearly indicated
the necessity for a comprehensive constructive social program that while
a much more detailed piece of work might have been done in the
industrial field, I question whether such detail would have developed
anything more salient or pertinent than has been shown.
Since progressive thinkers agree that preventive measures make far more
surely for social betterment than anything corrective which has yet been
evolved, I have endeavored to gather together the measures which have
been successfully placed in operation in other communities and to
present to you for consideration such of them as fit your needs and
conditions.
Three representative bodies engaged in social research: the Bureau of
Municipal Research, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Consumer’s
League,—all of New York City—cover practically the entire field and are
always at the service of those who wish information or advice.
More personal service is needed everywhere in Honolulu. The best program
possible to formulate soon becomes useless anywhere if carried on by
unthinking, unprogressive, however well-intentioned methods.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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