The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-11

! contracts with the Board OF Immi-
grafton.
The understanding with the Jap.
anese Government is that while
the immigrants remain under their
original contracts they are to be
under the immediate guardianship
of the Government, and that the
planters to whom their contracts
are assigned are the agents of the
Government, the latter being really
responsible on the original con-
tracts at all points. This provision.
which is but definite and legal
definition Of the contents of the
contracts themselves, will apply
equally to Portuguese and all other
Iaborers who are performing their
original terms of service under con-
tracts to which the Board is a
party.
From this understanding it fol-
lows that on the Government rests
the duty of enquiring into, and en-
deavOring to settle in an amicable
manner, all complaints and differ
ences that may arise between the
actual employer and the laborer.
To ensure the fulfllment of this
duty, the Government has decided
to establish under the Board of
immigration a Special Commission
of Inspection of Japanese Iaborers,
(of which Mr.. Nakayama is at
present the chief also a Special
Inspection of Portuguese and
others, the whole system being
under the direction of an Inspector
General, who will receive his orders
from the Board of immigration.
Under this arrangement the Gov
eminent will be able to place In
spectors and Interpreters on the
principal Islands.
To these Commissions of Inspec-
ton, all complaints ON the part of
employers of immigrant laborers
are to be made. The Iaborers
themselves will be instructed Gas
the Japanese have already been)
to make any complaints they may
have to these Inspectors rather
than to the Representatives of their
own Government, the two fold aim
being to obviate the necessity of
the several representatives making
official complaints and also to
secure the prompt settlement of all
disputes that may arise between
employers and employed without
need of reference to the Courts of
Law.
It is indeed fully understood
that the actual employers of immi-
grants brought here by the Govern
ment being virtually agents Of the
Government, arrests for breach of
service contracts are not to be made
without the concurrence of the
Board of immigration. The Gov
eminent has confidence that in
almost all cases the action of the
several Commissions of Inspection
will render such arrests unnec-
essary.
1t has further been distinctly
considered and determined by the
Government, that no employer or
overseer (Iuna) shall be permitted,
under any circumstances, Except
in self-defense) to strike or lay
hands upon any contract laborer
who is recognized as Government
ward. This determination is made |
binding by agreements to this
effect, actually entered into; and
it is rendered all the more impor-
tant when considered in the light |
of the sensitive nature of the Jap
anese race, in particular, which
renders any rough-handling of the
laborer abortive, if intended to
secure obedience. 1t must there
fore be understood by all employers
that blows or other violence used
against a contract laborer, except
in absolute self-defense, will be
deemed sufficient ground for the
withdrawal Of the assignment made
to them of any person so dealt
with.
1t rests mainly with employers
to make these new arrangements
successful. 1t is only in detail
that they are nev, the spirit which
animates this Government and the
Governments of the several coun-
tries from which the immigrant
laborers come, is already embodied
in the laws and in the settled
polity of the Hawaiian Kingdom:
Employers have now before them
the understanding on which they
hold the services of the immigrant
laborers assigned to them, and if
they endeavor to bring about the
adjustment of all disputes which
may arise with their laborers Iin
the spirit of that understanding
they will also be acting in sH1dt
which will secure the cordial 9Pm-
mendation, not only of the SEVERAL
Gnunrnrannts Interested bit of all