The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-08-15
Contract Laborers Treated Worse
Than Cattle.
No RIGHTS THE OWNERS ARE
BOUND TO RESPECT.
Men Sentenced for Life and Iroued
for Trivial onenses.

1t is questionable if there is any one
man in this section of the globe who
has been a more extensive traveller
and who has more extensive fund of
information at his command concern
ing the countries through which he
has travelled, or of what he has seen
during those travels, than has Profess
sor W. T. Brigham, who bears an
enviable reputation in this city as a
scientist and profound scholar, and
who is at present curator of the famed
Bishop Museum.
Professor Brigham has spent a
number of years in the South Ameri-
! can republics, and travelled extens-
/ iyely throughout Central America.
/ During his residence in the latter
/ country he made journey on mule
I back from the Atlantic side to the
/ Pacific, which enabled him to gather
( reliable information concerning the
I topography of the country, and at the
same time TO make a study of the
people, their customs and the condi-
/ lions under which they exist. As a
result of this trip Professor Brigh am
has written an interesting and valua-
BILE work on Central America, under
title of Guatemala" whichwo can
be found in the public and many pri-
vate libraries in this city.
An ADVERTISER reporter had the
pleasure of a conversation with Pro-
lessor Brigham q few days ago, dur
ingwhich an allusion was made touch
ing the recent introduction of Japanese
into Central America to labor on the
coffee plantations. Replying to q
question, Professor Brigham did not
hesitate 10 denounce in strong Ian
guage any scheme that had for its OBJ
ject the employing of any race of peo-
pie TO go to Central America TO work
on the coffee plantations there. He
stated further that for long time the
only class of labor procurable for plan
tatfon work in Central America was
that of the Indians, of whom there
are eighteen tribes in that country.
These Indians, said the professor,
are strong, able-bodied and indus
trious people though very independent
in spirit. They refuse to be made
slaves of flor no other term can be
used to define the systeml and as
consequence the plantation owners
were compelled to look elsewhere for
their labor supply.
Continuing, Professor Brigham said
the slave laborers are domiciled in
long wooden sheds covered with cor
rogated iron, the windward side being
boarded up, with the leeward left
open. In these sheds are placed tiers
of small hunks, in which the
the laborers are packed like sardines
in box. The only bedding furnished
them is q small piece of mating. The
old style of houses were constructed of
a species of cane, with matched palm
roofs. The heat in these new buildings
is described as almost suffocating.
Professor Brigham says the laborers
on the coffee plantations are treated
worse than we treat cattle in this
country; that the lunas, or captains,
as they are called there, are all half
caste Spaniards, being vicious and
cruel by nature. They go armed at all
times, and the individuals who are so
unfortunate as to come under the ban |
of their displeasure are cruelty beaten
and imprisoned.
In the event of Japanese being in
troduced into Central America as
labOrers on the plantations, they
would enjoy no rights the plantation
owners would be bound to respect,
and should luna, or captain, ill-use |
or kill any of them, the authorities
would take no steps to punish them |
for the OffeDse.
Then again, the Japanese would not |
receive, or be able to demand, the OBJ !
servance of the semi-weekly holidays |
enjoyed by the native labOrers. 1t is |
not considered crime in Central |
America to kill foreign laborer; but |
should dog be killed, that would be
considered and punished, as dogs are
classed as property. Professor Brig |
ham questions if the Central American /
government employs agents to intro
duce foreign laborers, and inclines to
the belief that if such authority is
vested, it comes solely from the own
ers of the plantations.
Concluding the conversation, Prof.
Brigham expressed pity for these
japanese who had already been in
duced to 90 to Guatemala from these
ASi1nuSf anu nOpeu l1dl the JdpdlSSt
government would take cogniZance of,
and make through investigation in
to the matter, thereby preventing her
subjects from being made slaves of.
In speaking about the matter of
prisons and the mode of punishment
in vogue in Central America, the pro-
fessOT said that If any one is sentenced
TO the penitentiary, and often such
has been the case for the most trivial
ofenses) 1t is always for life term.
That an iron band is welded about
their legs, which is never allowed to
be taken of. Such thing as an es-
cape is never heard of, and any at
tempt in that direction is punishable
by death.