The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-03-13

The SUCCESSFUL Inauguration and prosecution
80 far of the plan of immigration of South Sea
Islanders, has been regarded with much favor by
the community generality not only as promising
to supply our labor market with good and tract
able material, but moreover with their women
and children this cognate race was confidently
expected to largely assist in the work ofrecuper-
atipg the Hawaiian. And in view of the radical
changes which these people have to undergo in
leaving their native islands and coming hither
changes of climate, of diet, and of general
habits of life-it was understood and conceded by
all that they must be treated by those employing
them with more care and consideration than is
found necessary with our own people. To those
Of our planters who have had South Sea Islanders
employed belongs the credit, so far as we are in
formed, of having adopted this line of policy in
their treatment Of the new corners, and we be-
lieve the result has generally been quite ~satislac-
tory.
The public mind was therefore not a little
excited on Monday morning last, and expressions
of indignation were heard on every side, when it
was known that a South Sea Islander had died
the evening before on the deck of the steamer
$500 NOf 1880 NHoN DNN fNAI
much the appearance of culpable neglect if not
downright inhumanity, on the part of the master
of that vessel. The man, who it appears was
one of the crew of the steamer, had been sick on
shore at Kahului for a month or more, and had
been sent to this city by the owner of the steamer
for tfe purpose of being placed in the Queens
Hospital. On the arrival of the vessel on Sun
day morning, the master according to his pub
lished statement), having been told by his owner
to " see Mr.. Wilder" about getting the man into
the Hospital, . not wishing to trouble Mr.. Wilder
on Sunday" went off for the day, leaving the
sick man practically alone on board, with his
body naked, to fare the best way be might. The
master says he " did not consider the man as
dangerously sick, and allowed him to remain on
board" The poor fellow who was thus generous
ly " allowed to remain on board and die Of
neglect, would probably have been unable to get
off the deck to the wharf without assistance. The
master evidently lays great stress upon the fact
that he was told by his owner at Maui to " see
Mr.. Wilder" And had he so far sacrificed his
scruples about its being Sunday Tor was it his
own ease) as to have gone to Mr.. Wilder, no one
who knows that gentleman's characteristics will
question but that the man would have been
promptly conveyed to the Hospital, and perhaps
his life might have been saved. But at all events,
there was the office Of the surgeon OF the Hos
pital within a stones throw of the vessel, always
open on Sunday morning, whereof the master
had understood or desired to perform bis duty to
a suffering fellow mamie could have made
known the circumstances of the case to that
official, which would have fully answered the
same purpose as {" seeing Mr.. Wilder" The
master would thereby have escaped the grave
imputation, which must now cling to him, of
having facilitated the work of death by his mex
,usable apathy and neglect. After the man was
lead, however, the master informs us that bis
consideration and kindly feeling was such, that
be put a Waterman in charge of the inanimate
corpse during the night, Shutting the stable door
.fter the horse was stolen) and had the body
properly inferred the next morning-actually all
his without L" seeing " anybody.
But unfortunately, the death of this poor,
riendless South Sea Islander, under such peculiar
may possibly result in more seri-
us and lasting consequences than appears at a
view. If his fellow-countrymen in their far
Fl island homes shall learn-as they very likely
YiIl, and in a much exaggerated way-that in
oming to Kalakaua's Kingdom they are liable
o sickness, neglect and a miserable death, they
7ill not be so ready to emigrate as they have
cen. And moreover, there is a certain great
maritime Power, whose war ships are constantly
nd iealously watching the labor traffic in this
cean which has a 80 High Commissioner - for
he South Sea Islands, and which is a sort of self
guardian of all the islanders. 1t be- t