The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-08-12
THE GOVERNMENT AND CONTRACT
LABORERS,

las IeluaTkett III ycSlcTuay lSSuc,
the declaration of policy henceforth
to be pursued regarding contract
laborers, just issued by the Minister
of the Interior, is one of the most
important state deliverances ever
promulgated in this kingdom. In
predatory paragraphs His Excellency
gives full recognition of the strong
public opinion that has been elected
in favor of settling Portuguese,
Japanese and other agricultural
laborers in the country makes state
ment of arrangements now perfected
with that object in view, and sup
ports the proposition that, "Pecu-
liarities of race require considera-
tion," by citing the teachableness
of the japanese in conjunction with
their acute sensibility to anything
short of kind and just treatment.
He then points out that the under
standing with the japanese Govern
ment is that, according to the
original contracts, the immigrants
are under the immediate guardian
ship of the Government, and that
their employers are agents of the
Government by virtue of the con-
tracts. This definition, he says,
applies equally to the cases of Portu-
guese and all other laborers serving
under contracts to which the Board
of immigration is party.
Therefore the Government as
sumes the duty of "enquiring into,
and endeavoring to settle in an
amicable manner, all complaints and
differences that may arise between
the actual employer and the laborer."
To this end there are to be estab-
lished, under the Board of Immi-
grafton, Special Commissions of
Inspection, respectively, of Japa-
nese and Portuguese laborers, under
the direction of an Inspector General
taking orders from the Board of
Immigration. Incidentally it is
mentioned that Mr.. Nakayama,
Japanese agent, is at present the
chief of the commission for his
countrymen. Employer and laborer
are to prefer any complaints one
may have against the other to the
commission. The twofold aim of
this is to obviate official complaints
on the part of foreign representa-
tives, and to have disputes between
the two parties settled without re-
ference to the courts of law. sit
is indeed fully UNDERSTOOD so the
declaration sets forth, that employ
ers of immigrants brought here by
the Government being the latter's
agents, ''arrests for breach of service
contracts are not to be made without
the concurrence of the Board of
immigration" The Government
expresses confidence that the action
of the commissions of inspection
will render such arrests unnecessary.
Finally, the Government gives
fair and square notice to all en-
ployers "that blows or other violence
used against contract laborer, ex-
cept in absolute self-defense, will be
deemed sufficient ground for the
withdrawal of the assignment made
to them Of any person so dealt with.
The document then concludes by
relegating the main responsibility
for the success of the new arrange
ments to the employers. Only their
details are new, it is stated, thei1
spirit being embodied in the laws
and settled polity of the Hawaiian
Kingdom.
In view of this new departure OF
policy by the Government, it will
not now be denied, as was attempted
to be done few days ago by our