1920s Detail

The 1920s

The 1920s signified a period of growth in which 32% of camp dwellings were built (tabulated from the insurance valuation files from the early to mid-1950s). A variety of other facilities were built as well, including an office building, a store replacing an earlier one, warehouses, and other facilities to support the business, and sanitation facilities and domestic water supply to support quality of life for workers. Issues related to the workforce became prominent including the need for higher worker pay and its financial consequences for the plantation; changing expectations and demands of the workforce related to both living and working conditions; and greater attention to the availability of workers and their level of satisfaction/discontent.

Included in this detailed timeline of the 1920s are excerpts from the annual reports sent to C. Brewer by John M. Ross, manager, Hakalau Plantation Company. John M. Ross played a prominent roll at Hakalau, serving as head overseer from 1884-1905, manager from 1905-1942. Annual reports provided courtesy of the Edmund Olson Trust Archive.

1920

This celebration could have taken place in one of two locations in Hakalau Upper Camp, aka Up Camp. It probably took place in the Filipino Social Hall/Theater/Pool hall, built in 1917 and located directly across from the current post office (previously the Hakalau Theater). The Filipino Social Hall was the only theater until the Hakalau Theater was built in 1940. Alternatively, it could have taken place in the Hakalau Social Clubhouse, built in 1919 adjacent to the tennis courts. This building was across the street from the Plantation Manager's house on what is now known as Hanamalo Loop.

Filipino Social Hall, Theater and Later Pool Hall. Built 1917.

Hakalau Social Clubhouse, built 1919.

Hilo Daily Tribune, January 1, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Labor issues plagued Hawaii's sugar industry in 1920, and Hakalau was not immune.
Both Manager Ross and the workers' representatives were respectful in their meeting and in their written communications.
Demands included not only an increase in hourly pay, but sought to limit the work day to 8 hours, provide paid maternity leave, and improved healthcare and recreation services.

Additional insight into labor issues prevailing in 1920 is provided through the Hawaii Digital Newspaper Program and an excerpt is provided here:

1920: In the Oahu sugar strike of 1920, the Japanese and Filipino laborers went on strike together for six months on four major Hawaiian islands. The first inter-ethnic collaboration in Hawaii demonstrated the importance of organizing by class-based solidarity rather than by ethnicity. They fought for a pay increase and improvement in the bonus system. One of the largest strikes yet, this strike strengthened the growers association and led to the start of a primitive social welfare program, which mitigated some negative aspects of plantation life.

Hilo Daily Tribune, January 21, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Conflict between the Wailea Milling Company and Hakalau Plantation continued, complete with fistcuffs and strange anonymous letters to the editor.
Building of the Wailea Mill progressed.

Hawaii Herald, July 30, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Hilo Daily Tribune, March 4, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Hilo Daily Tribune, April 23, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Hawaii Herald, June 25, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Hawaii Tribune Herald, June 29, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Homesteaders needed roads and water.

Hilo Daily Tribune, September 8, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com

Hilo Daily Tribune, September 28, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Hawaii Herald, October 15, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Hilo Daily Tribune, November 9, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Hakalau Plantation Company 1920 Annual Report:

Plantation Buildings: We erected ten cottages for Japanese and Koreans, two cottages for skilled single employees, and one cottage for skilled married employees, together with a new boarding house for single men (skilled). This, with extensive repairs and renewals to camps and dwellings, comprises our activities in this line. There is much yet to be done, in fact, we have barely begun to get all our camps up to the condition that is now demanded by labor. With increased families, larger quarters are needed and more modern and sanitary arrangements than were customary heretofore.
Sanitation: The principal item under this head is the laying of 800 feet of fourteen-inch concrete sewer pipe running from the Hakalau upper camp to the sea bluff.
Improvements Authorized During the Year, But Not Completed and Now Under Way:
There were authorized during the year but not completed, the following buildings:

One reinforced concrete General Freight Warehouse.
One reinforced concrete Sugar Warehouse

These were necessary on account of changing our method of transporting everything by the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company’s steamers to that of having our sugar and supplies hauled by rail. Our old landing warehouse is being converted into a stable, the present dilapidated building is to be torn down and its site used as a lumber yard, the present lumber yard site having to give way for a site for the General Freight Warehouse.

Conclusion: The present outlook for the sugar industry is not very bright, and every effort will have to be exerted to make ends meet. This is a big problem after the season we have passed through when heavy payrolls and bonuses were the order of the day.The payroll we still have with us and it is likely to continue. The saving feature is that our bonus will not be so large, but it will be some time before the demoralizing unrest caused by the 1920 bonus will allow labor to get back to normal again.

Kamaee Korean Camp House #532

Hakalau Upper Camp Boarding House (Building #41)

Hawaii Tribune Herald, April 23, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Reinforced Concrete General Freight Warehouse, built 1920.

Hawaii Tribune Herald, April 22, 1921, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Reinforced Concrete Sugar Warehouse, built 1920.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin, November 13, 1920, accessed via Newspapers.com

1921

Sports activities continued to expand: tennis, soccer, baseball, and the latest--volleyball.

Hilo Daily Tribunes, March 27, 1921, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Hilo Daily Tribune, May 7, 1921, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Hakalau Plantation Company 1921 Annual Report:

Plantation Buildings: One new laboratory; one new limehouse; one large Japanese house at Chin Chuck Camp, which is used as a single men’s boarding house.

Conclusion: In the entire depressing situation of the sugar industry we are pleased to report a more settled condition among our laborers, and a better spirit of cooperation and efficiency among them for which we tender them due and grateful recognition.

1922

Hakalau Plantation Company 1922 Annual Report:

Replacements and Betterments to Mill and Mill Buildings: During the year these have been comparatively light and include the replacing of two rollers, two couplings and two gears (second hand) which we had on hand as spares. These together with the general overhauling of all live and exhaust steam lines, juice lines throughout the house, rebuilding our furnaces and repairs and painting of the building, comprise the major portion of our outlay and leaves your factory in very good shape to take care of the 1923 crop.

Plantation Buildings: A matter of some $10,000 has been expended for new quarters for our unskilled and semi-skilled laborers, together with much repair work and painting that would be tedious for you to have in detail, but which is all incorporated in the respective accounts.

Sanitation: Under this head we have done more than for several years. We will not enumerate the different times for they are all found in their respective accounts and approximately total an outlay of $1,200.00.

Recommendation for Future Improvements: We would recommend that there be spent from $10,000 to $15,000 for housing, $5,000 for sanitation, $2,000 for domestic water supply and approximately $10,000 for caterpillars and trucks.

Labor: We take this opportunity of bringing to your attention a better spirit of co-operation among our laborers than has been the case the past few years, and which is as creditable and profitable to them as pleasing to us.

Conclusion:…It is with pleasure we start this year with brighter prospects than we did 1922, and are more than pleased, also thankful that our pessimism of 1922 was a bad guess.

Honohina Upper Camp house #652, built 1922.

Chin Chuck Genjiro Camp house #418, built 1922.

Honohina Lower Camp house #686, built 1921 or 1922?

C. Brewer records summarize the sugar crops by plantation from 1913-1922: In the decade 1913-22, Hakalau Plantation was considerably bigger than most others on the Hamakua Coast. Pepeekeo and Honomu were half its size. Based on tons of sugar per annum, it was roughly on a par with Hilo Sugar and only somewhat surpassed by Onomea.

As with the other plantations in this period, yearly production varied mainly as a consequence of rainfall. Although there was serious attention to improving yield per acre, success with that would not happen until later decades with better cane varieties and mechanization.

Source: C. Brewer records provided courtesy of the Lyman Museum.

Hawaii Tribune Herald, October 16, 1922, accessed via Newspapers.com

1923

Hakalau Plantation Company 1923 Annual Report:

Labor: Labor throughout the year was on the whole sufficient for our needs, except for three or four months in the rush season. A good spirit of co-operation was shown, which was creditable to the laborers as pleasing to us.

We have started out the new year [1924] with brighter prospects ahead of us than even 1923, for all of which we feel duly thankful.

The Honolulu Advertiser:

Hakalau gets electric light.

The Honolulu Advertiser, September 14, 1923, page 3, accessed via Newspapers.com

Safety concerns lead parents in Umauma and Honohina to seek building of new school closer to home. Crossing the Hakalau Gulch on the railroad bridge to get to Hakalau School is deadly...it didn't open until 1932.

Hawaii Tribune Herald, March 23, 1923, accessed via Newspapers.com

1924

Hakalau Plantation Company 1924 Annual Report:

Labor: During the year the labor situation has been very much disturbed but we are pleased to report that, notwithstanding the constant agitation and unrest, our labor as a whole has behaved wonderfully and turned out with reasonable promptness. Because of this attitude on the part of the unskilled employees on Hakalau Plantation it was possible for our plantation operations during the year to be prosecuted with minimum interruption.

Additional insight into labor issues prevailing in 1924 is provided through the Hawaii Digital Newspaper Program and an excerpt is provided here:

Around 13,000 Filipino sugar laborers went on strike. During the failed eight-month strike, the picket-line violence killed sixteen workers and four police officers in the "Hanapepe massacre." Afterwards, the Territory of Hawaii did not have the money needed to prosecute the strikers, so the HSPA gave money to conduct the court cases. Sixty of the sixty-six strikers received prison sentences, many of them for four years. Afterwards, at Washington, D.C., the plantations lobbied for loosening legal restrictions on immigration. Uncomfortable about the developing relationship between the Japanese and Filipino workers, they wanted to import workers from many countries and prevent worker solidarity.

The Honolulu Advertiser: A glimpse of community life.

The Honolulu Advertiser, December 27, 1924, p. 9,
accessed via Newspapers.com

1925

Hakalau Plantation Company 1925 Annual Report:

Replacements and Betterments to the Mill and Boiling House:…May I…again bring to your attention the enviable record your factory holds for its efficiency for the past four years? The credit for this record is, first to the operating staff, coupled with loyalty from the operators; then the co-operation from the field staff and the general desire on the part of all to excel. This Company and its management is duly thankful for this spirit of pride in each and every ones’ particular job.
Labor: During the year labor was plentiful, quiet and contented. And we are pleased to say that we received good and faithful services from them, and for which we are duly appreciative.

The Honolulu Advertiser, April 30, 1925, accessed via Newspapers.com

1926

C. Brewer Board of Directors Minutes:

Construction of new store and office building okayed for around $50k in September 1926.

Hakalau Plantation Company 1926 Annual Report:

Roads, Trails and Bridges: We are now about completing the first section of the new road on Kamaee…This road, when the second section is completed, will be of tremendous advantage to us and will soon pay for itself in lower operating costs of transportation.

Reservoirs, pipelines and ditches: We erected a domestic water supply tank of a capacity of 50,000 gallons at Hakalau, replacing the old 70,000 gallon tank which was leaking badly, and which we cut down and rebuilt, using all the good staves. We also had the misfortune of having the spring go dry, which has all these years been supplying the main Hakalau village with its domestic water supply. We, therefore, were forced to lay 8,135 feet of 1-½ inch pipe to another spring that fortunately held out. Our old spring is now back to its normal flow.

Building improvements: Our much needed new office…is nearly completed, and we hope to occupy the same in early March [1927]. There now remains the authorization for a new Store to replace the present structure, which has done service since the Company started, and is now beyond all repairs, together with the usual yearly building program which is before us for some years yet.

Labor: We had sufficient labor throughout the year, and all were very contented and loyal.

1927

C. Brewer Board of Directors Minutes:

Jan 28, 1927 Ross acquired homestead land in his own name for use by plantation because the Company could not legally acquire it. Interesting business practice.
Funds were appropriated to build a new Hakalau Hospital on September 23, 1927. Note: the hospital opened July 20, 1931 and closed December 31, 1948.

Hakalau Plantation Company 1927 Annual Report:

Flumes and Trestles: This account is, as usual, large. We built 7,000 feet of new flume to facilitate and reduce cost of cane transportation. We rebuilt four flume trestles, averaging 75 feet in height and 260 feet in length, and the usual extensive replacements and repairs.

Building Improvements: I would like, however, at this time, to compliment the Directors and Stockholders of the Company on the completion of their new office and store. The store was completed on December 27, 1927, and was occupied and formally opened by Director E. Faxon Bishop on January 27, 1928. Both of these buildings make for improved working conditions, and do much to add to the welfare of the plantation employees who are compelled to make use of them. The buildings are also a great credit to the Company and also to the Territory. The Hakalau Plantation Company has been highly complimented on these buildings and the spirit of progress which they represent.

Labor: Labor was sufficient for our needs throughout the year, and we take this opportunity to thank them for loyal and efficient service.

The Honolulu Advertiser:

The Honolulu Advertiser, March 26, 1927, page 3, accessed via Newspapers.com

Hakalau Store on the left, the office on the right circa 1927. Photo courtesy of the Lyman Museum.

Opening Day at the new Hakalau Store, January 27, 1928. Photo from the Waichi Ouye Collection, courtesy of his family.

Plantation Manager John M. Ross in his new office. Photo from the Waichi Ouye Collection, courtesy of his family.

Mill Staff, along with John M. Ross, displaying the C. Brewer Shield for Total Efficiency Award for the period 1921-1926. Photo from the Waichi Ouye Collection, courtesy of his family.

A new Japanese Language School opens at the Hakalau Jodo Mission.

Hawaii Tribune Herald, October 12, 1927, accessed via Newspapers.com

Read the article

Hakalau Japanese Language School on the left, Hakalau Jodo Mission on the right. Photo from "Light on the Ocean" published by Jodo Shu in 1934.

Landslides were common (and still are). This landslide at Kolekole Gulch showcases trust and creativity. Would this happen now?

Hawaii Tribune Herald, January 4, 1927, accessed via Newspapers.com

1928

C. Brewer Board of Directors Minutes:

March 1928 approved building “Recreation Hall” and appropriated $1,500. [Note: Hakalau Gym Built 1928. According to Ken Okimoto in Exploring the Hamakua Coast: A Pictorial Guide to the Plantation Era, the gym was built with lumber taken from the old Hakalau Store, which was dismantled in 1927.]

Hakalau Plantation Company 1928 Annual Report:

Mill Buildings and Machinery: The buildings, boiling house and engine room were entirely re-roofed, and we also renewed the wall on the north side. This leaves the buildings in excellent state of repair.The principal item of additions to machinery was two sets of Diamond Soot Blowers for our Stirling Boilers, which are proving most satisfactory. The balance was made of replacements, viz: re-shelling mill rollers and crusher rolls, together with replacing all of our high pressure steam lines.

Plantation Buildings: We overtook all of the work under this head that we reported last year as having fallen down on, so that we kept pace with our yearly building program of new cottages and buildings, together with the usual repairs and upkeep.

Labor: We are pleased to report labor abundant throughout the year and we take this opportunity to thank them for loyal and efficient services.

There was a concerted, well-organized effort to replace bridges along the Hāmākua Coast.

Read the article

1929

Hakalau Plantation Company 1929 Annual Report

Plantation Buildings: We went somewhat easy on this account and only expended about one-half of the amount you authorized. We are getting along nicely with that, viz.: four new three-bedroom cottages, five re-constructed cottages, one community kitchen.

Labor: We are pleased to report that we had plentiful labor throughout the year; in fact, we had a surplus during the long dry weather of September, October and November. We take this opportunity to thank them for loyal and efficient service.

Development along the Hāmākua Coast focuses on bridge building.

Hawaii Tribune Herald, December 28, 1929, accessed via Newspapers.com.

Read the article

See 1930s Detail