The only menace to the health of the workers in the pineapple canneries which might arise from the occupation itself, is the effect of the pineapple juice on the skin. Chemical analysis shows that the acid is so strong, it digests the skin as secretions of the alimentary canal digest food.
By order of the Health Department, rubber gloves are supplied by the companies to the workers handling the fruit; but most of them work barefooted, standing in the drippings from the tables, and their feet were badly eaten by the juice.
On taking this up with the authorities, I was told that the reason the rubber gloves were ordered was not because of the probable injury to the workers, but in order to protect the product from possible contamination.
It would be possible to slat the floors where the workers stand, and flush them well with water several times a day.
None of the Honolulu canneries give free housing accommodations.
The work of screening, operating the syrup machines, cooking, sealing the cans, as well as peeling and coring, is done by men in all the canneries.
| Table Showing Length of Season, Time Shut Down During Season; Overtime Run, in Honolulu Canneries in 1912: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lgth of Season. | Time Shut Down. | Overtime Run. |
| 1-4 months | 7 half days. | 28 hours Sunday, 24 hours night. |
| 2-3½ months | 1 whole, 4 hfdays | 30 hours Sunday, 60 hours night. |
| 3-3½ months | 5 whole, 1 hf day | 10 hours Sunday, 53 hours night. |
| Table Showing Wages paid per hour, Season of 1912, in Honolulu Canneries (As of October 1st.) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forewomen | Trimmers | Packers | Labelers | Over 16. | Under 16. | |||
| No. | Wages. | No. | Wages | |||||
| 1 | $0.09 .15 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | 250 | 100 | ||
| 2 | .15 | .10 | .07½ .10 | .07½ .08½ | 85 | 40 | ||
| 3 | 47 | $0.07½ | 12 | 0.06 | ||||
| Total largest number of women employed | 651 |
| Total smallest number women employed | 142 |
| Total Hawaiians and Part-Hawaiians employed | 242 in 2 canneries |
| Total Japanese employed | 104 in 2 canneries |
| Total Chinese employed | 40 in 2 canneries |
| Total Portuguese employed | 28 in 2 canneries |