The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-11-22
$50 Japanese Field Hands Tramp
Over the Pail From Kahuku.
MAKE "A SORRY LOOKING LOT.
Wet, Cold and Hungry-Six Hours From
kaneOhe-Mad Through and Through
Wanted a Luna Discharged-Their
Ultimatum Was Unheeded--Details.

morning an uneven procession of Jap
anese laborers occupied Nuuanu ave-
nue. from its head to Merchant street.
These men out in the mud and wet
and chill of the night were striking
kahuku plantation field hands. They
walked thirty-eight miles over disor-
dered roads through storm.
There We're $50 men in the party led
by seven agitators. They wanted to
see Mr.. Okkots, the chief inspector
and then requested a hearing before
Goro Martha, the Japanese Charge
dAffaires. These gentlemen declined
to talk business until this morning.
Early today Mr.. Okkots will listen to
the statement of grievances. Mr..
Martha is averse to becoming involved
in the affair and will avoid it if possi-
BILE. He will do his full duty but will
not act officially until it is quite nee
essary.
The column of strikers broke first at
School street. The weary travellers
sought friends and various Japanese
hotels. They are quartered all over
the town. These men were mad last
night as men usually get. They were
completely tired out, wet, cold and
hungry. A fighting mood was on
would have caused them to riot. They
complained most bitterly of treatment
by the Kahuku management. They
declared they had been abused out
rageously, miserably housed, put on
short fuel allowance and deprived of
water. They said they were COM
nelled to work day and night at times
and forced to walk from the fields
when trains were running. 1t is
known here that the Kahuku camps
are new and cottages comfortable, and
the water supply second to none on
the islands.
Some of the strikers brought all
their property along. A few of them
asserted they were going back to
Japan to be soldiers. One fellow saw
agely remarked that he hoped to be in
an army to come to the islands and
ravage them from end to end.
Kahuku plantation is by the Pail
road, thirty-eight miles from Homo
lulu. The strikers left there yesterday
morning. Roads through Koolau are
raining all over the district for five
days. The column reached Kaneohe
at o'clock in the afternoon. They
did not tell of their troubles along the
route, but marched straight ahead.
Lunch was taken at Waiahole. They
were short of food there and were
well-nigh starved on reaching Homo
lulu. Some of them had overcoats.
A great many of them were wrapped
in blankets. A number carried UNI
brellas. Part of them were armed
with cane knives and clubs to resist
arrest. They assert they will never
started out with the strikers, but went
back. They could not stand the trip.
1t is task that is trying to strong
team of horses.
Coming up the Pail many of the
Japs became greatly discouraged, but
were urged on by their leaders. Their
clogs slipped on the stones and they
fell and barked their knees. Most of
them were barefooted coming into
Honolulu. One stout fellow, who
| seemed able TO travel indefinitely, had
his trunk on his back. He was we'll
at the head of the line, too. The best
of them were fully six hours coming
| over from Kaneohe. There are proba-
bly, some left along the line of march.
To make the distance from Kahuku to
Honolulu in a day is feat for an
| athlete. Il was very dark last night,
and one of the commanders thought
some Of the battalion might have
wandered off into the mountains.
Grinbaum & Co. are agents for Ka-
huku. Mr.. G.. Bolte, the head of the
| house, declined to give any informa-
ton about the strike. Nothing could
be learned from the manager. The
| telephone did not seem to be in work
| ing order. However, Mr.. Bolte told
| the plantations story to one of the
| Japanese officials and his version was
| repeated to an ADVERTISER reporter.
On Tuesday afternoon the trouble
| began. \ japanese aud Portuguese
both contract men-had fight. a
| luna separated them. Ii was claimed
| that the Jap was roughly handled.
| He appealed to the s-a la " yers of his
camp. They decided in snort order
| that he had been shametuily mall
| treated. a committee called upon
! Manager Arnemann and demanded
the instant dismissal of the Luna. Mr..
| Arnemann investigated and concluded
| that the ultimatum would never do.
! Thereupon the seven wise men who
had determined the merits of the case
between the luna and the Sullivan
esque Jap, went to work in earnest.
They tried to 1ncite riot, but the lab
orers knew the plantations head men
were armed and did not care TO &C
against siX-shooters and rifles. The
| seven disturbers then presented the