The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-03-15
Some OF the students and Artisans Lately
Arrived said to Have Received Pre-
viOus Military Training In the Array
Little Information on the Subject.

The unexpected arrival of the Ger
man steamship Independent yester-
day MOI ming from Kobe, Japan, with
90S Japanese and 400 tons of freight,
oil for this port, created vast amount
of talk. Outside of those interested
but very few had any knowledge that
such vessel was expected, or if they
did they were careful to keep their
information very much to them
selves.
It was ordinarily supposed, among
the general public, that with the te-
sumption Of Portuguese immigration,
for which Minister Thurston has
worked so hard for the past few
months, besides taking special trip to
Europe, that the importation of Japan
ese laborers would cease, at least
for time. Such is not the case, how
ever, as today's experience shows, and
it seems to be generally understood
that this immigration is to be kept
up, and that the arrival of just such
steamer with just such consignment
of passengers and cargo may be looked
for every two or three months.
Curiosity led an ADVERTISER re-
porter to make some inquiry regard
ing the Independent, her passengers
and cargo. AS far as can be learned
the vessel was chartered by X. S.
Ogura s. Co., a large Japanese firm
whose principal place of business is
at Osaka, and which has agencies or
branches in several large Japanese
cities. It has q branch in Honolulu,
and is recognized as one of the largest
importing firms here. The vessel it
self, however, is consigned to TheO. II.
Davies & Co.
Her passengers number a few over
900, of whom two only were in the
cabin. OF the remainder 125 were
what is termed free steerage, that is,
men who come on their own respOnsi-.
bility and who have complied with
the laws of japan and Hawaii in 30
doing, the principal one of which is
the ability to produce $50 each in cash
previous to landing. Some OF these
have their wives and families with
them, who are, of course, not subject
to the $50 qualification. The balance
are ordinary contract IabOrers, but
brought here through the agency of
Ogura & Co. and not by direct order
of the Board of Immigration of Ha-
waii.
Such being the case the Hawaiian
Government has nothing to do with
them> beyond seeing that the usual
quarantine regulations are enforced,
the principal one of which is that all
steerage passengers arriving by YES
sells less than eighteen days from Ori-
entail ports shall be subjected to at
least five days quarantine. Although
there is no suspicion Of any infectious
disease among the Ind pendent's pas
sengers, this regulation is being strict
ly carried out, and between IL aud 2
o'clock yesterday tie immigrants
were all landed at the quarantine sta
ton.
All of the laborers are under
contract to work on the sugar planta-
tiors of these islands for the usual
period and terms. They were con-
tracted for by four leading firms here,
viz: Shaefer & Co, Irwin & Co. ,TheO.
II. Davies & Co., aud Hackfeld & Co.,
and as soon as their quarantine has
expired will be shipped to the
various plantations represented
by these firms. In this
it may not be amiss to
SLdLC Ih0b LhO ACNAASASLOoo SSAAS "
these four firms exceeded the number
which arrived today about seventy,
that is, that seventy more were ex-
pected than actually arrived. The de
ficit, Of course, will be divided proper
ttonately
While the arrival of this large in
crease to the population, and the COM
ing of an equal number of Portuguese
in a week or two, has created much
comment in the city during the day,
it has given rise to number OF rumOrs,
bearing particularly on the 'free la
bOrers," as they are termed. All that
is known of this class of japanese is
that they pay their own passage
money, produce the necessary $50
on landing, and come entirely on
their own responsibility, but rumor
has it about the city that these "free
labOrers," although ente' ed on the
passenger list as doctors, students,
artisans and general Iaborprs, are
really here for other and uIteriOr pur-
poses
That most of these men have had
more or less military experience is
regarded as lending cO'Or to the above
rumOr, though that fact is easily ac-
counted for by one familiar with the
compulsory military system in vogue
in the land of the Rising Sun.
No foundation could be ascertained
for any of these reports.