The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-09-11
CORRESPONDENCE.


We do not hold ourselves responsible for tn
statements made. or opinions expressed by OIL
correspondents.
The Bowler CIaims-Mr. Thurston Ex
plains why He Refused to Pa.
Them.
fConcluded.)
ISLAND LABoRERs. a CLAIM Fol
$39 ,275.00 AS DAMAGES FOR NOT BE
ING ALLOWED TO CARRY OUT THE CON
TRACT.
The gist OF the committees report con
corning this claim is as follows:
l. That in 1887, prior to the date o
the contract, there were between $50 anC
400 South Sea island laborers in the
country whose contracts had expired anC
who were ready to return home;
2. That by the contracts the Gov
eminent was bound to guarantee thei
passage home if they desired it,"
3. That Mr. Bowler had consultation
with Mr.. Gibson and Mr.. Aholo, the
Ministers OF Foreign Affairs and of In
terror, with the result that Bowler pur
chased the bark Kalakaua for the pur
pose of returning said laborers, and fitted
ner up"
4. That on the Goth OF June, 1887, q
written contract was made between Bow
Ter and Henderson and l.. Aholo, Presi
dent of the Board of Immigration, by
which the kalakaua was chartered to re-
turn said laborers at $50 per head;
5. That Mr.. Bowler was also granted
permission to recruit labor;
8. That there was about this time a
change of Administration, the contract
was cancelled and permission to recruit
laborers was revoked;
z. That the vessel could have recruited
from $50 to 800 laborers at a cost of $50
each, for which $l05 each would have
been received.
g. That the vessel was to take $50 tons
OF coal and supplies for the Kaimiloa at
So per ton.
8. That there was an appropriation
from which MIR. Bowler could have been
paid.
On this statement the committee re-
commend that Mr. Bowler be paid as
follows:
Passage of $50 laborers at $50
each $500 90
$50 tons freight at So. . 1850 90
$50 recruits at sos, $26 $50 Qess
cost of recruiting at $50 per
head, $l2, 5OO). ....... 1880 90
Total .......... $24, 800 90
l desire to state:
First-That the committee have, I'M
Intentionally no doubt, made total mis-
statement of fact in their first and fourth
points, viz: That there were in 1887
between $50 and 400 laborers who
were ready to be returned, for
the return of which, under the con-
tract, Mr.. Bowler was TO receive $50
apiece, and i'll proof thereof cite the fol-
lowing facts:
1.) An official statement on the re-
cords of the Board of immigration, dated
June Is, 1887, is that " there are so,
more or less, South Sea Islanders en-
titled to be returned"
o. The first that appears of record
Mr.. Bowler, is letter from
him to the Board of immigration, dated
July 20. 1887, in which he offers to re-
turn the South Sea Islanders " NOW AT
THE IMMIGRATION DEPOT" for the sum of
$50 each
49, On the same day the Secretary OF
the Board replied that he was instructed
by the President to accept his offer to re-
turn the South Sea Islanders :" NOW AT
THE IMMIGRATION DEPOT" for $50 each
a. On the same day a contract was
signed by Bowler and l.. Aholo, wherein
it was agreed that for $50 each, Bowler
would return to their homes SUCH
SOUTH SEA islanders AS THE PARTY OF
THE SECOND PART (AHoLo) MAY PLACE
ON BOARD"
go During the month of July, 1887,
effort was made to get together all South
Sea Island laborers who desired to be re-
turned, and all who could he found were
returned on the 9th of July, 1887, by
those who were legally responsible for so
doing.
Ali the labororers whose contracts had
expired and who were ready to return,
who were at the immigration Depot"
on the Goth of June, and those who came
in during July amounted to 81 men, SO
women and Is children.
All of this evidence is documentary,
on file in the Interior Department, and
subject to the inspection of the COM
mittee.
Second-The second statement of the
that the Government was
bound to guarantee the passage of the
laborers home, is one of those half truths
which is no truth at all, and in view of
the actual facts in this case amounts to
q direct misstatement of the financial
for the return of these
laborers. In proof of this cite the fol-
lowing facts:
a.. These laborers were introduced
into the country by the Planters Labor
and Supply Company, by permission of
the Board of immigration.
The permission was granted upon GER
tain conditions. Two of the conditions
were as follows:
1.-THE Board of immigration
agree to your proposition WITH
THE DISTINCT UNDERSTANDING THAT THE
BOARD is NOT AT ANY EXPENSE IN THE
SAME -
SIT is stipulated in the contract that
on the expiration of the time of service
the immigrant, shall, if he desire, be
returned home; AND 1T is HEREBY con-
DTTIoNED THAT SHOULD THEY so DESIRE,
1T SHALL BE AT YOUR EXPENSE, AND NOT
THE BOARD X :"
III OTueT 10 protecI the rlSntS OF the
laborers, the whole business was con-
Quoted under the supervision of the
Board, and in order to give the recruiting
vessels legal standing in the South
Seas, and for the convenience of plant
ers, the contracts were made upon Board
OF immigration forms, by which the
Board is a nominal party, precisely as it
is nominal party to the present Japan
csc contracts; but in both cases for the
purpose only OF convenience to the en-
ployer and protection to the laborer, and
with The distinct understanding that the
Board is to be subject to no expense by