The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-06-20

their food and lodging. Accordingly,
in October. a Mr.. Grip, Commissioner
from Sweden and Norway, arrived
and spent five weeks in sitting
the many frivolous charges that
had been made. He afterwards made
an elaborate report to his own Govern
ment, which entirely exonerated the
employers from blame.
From his account it appears that but
one-tenth of them were real agricultur
lists, too many of them having been re-
cruited from the idle class of the towns
At the same time not a few OF them have
turned out to be good citizens.
In November, 1880, Messrs. Hackfeld
& Co. were authorized to procure immi-
grants from Germany on the same terms
that were granted to the Norwegians.
On June Is, 1881, the bark Ceder ar
rived from Bremen with 124 passengers,
"a of whom were children. for the Lihue
plantation. Iu October. 1882, the bark
Iolani arrived from Bremen with 1873
passengers, and in 1888 the ship Ehrenfels
with 5Y5 more. including 240 children.
There has never been any trouble on the
Lihue plantation, but the immigrants by
the last two vessels were restless and
Disconnected, and gave their employers
no peace until their contracts were cam
cell. d. The majority OF them emf
grated to the United States on the expir-
alton of their contracts. On the whole,
the experiment of Northern European
immigration cannot be considered to
have been a success.
Japanese Immigration.
The arrival of the first company of
Japanese immigrants by the Scioto in
1868, and their subs quent experiences,
have already been related.
After long correspondence, in 1884,
the consent of the Japanese Government
was obtained for the emigration OF its
subjects to these islands on certain con-
ditions.
The first company sent out under this
agreement, consisting of $50 Japs, IN
cluding rO1 children, arrived in the City
of Tokia February 9, 1885. 1t was stipu-
lated that twenty five per cent. OF the
wages of Japanese laborers should be
paid to their Consul, to be returned to
them at the expiration of their contract.
Mr.. K. Inouye came in June, with the
next company of immigrants, as spe
cial commissioner, and Mr. Nakayama
was appointed inspector. Numerous
misunderstanding arose between these
people and their Employers during the
next four months, in regard to which
Mr.. Gibson said, "The number and
character of these complaints, coming as
they do, from portion of 720 people en-
gagged in service here, exceed anything
that the Hawaiian Government has had
to deal with in the whole course of the
immigration into this country of about
80 600 laborers of other races"
The Japanese Government suspended
the emigration for several months.
Meanwhile special inspectors were APP
pointed to assist in settling disputes, the
Japanese We're made to understand that
while here they were subject to the Ha-
waiian laws and courts; and there was
soon a much better understanding be-
tween hem and their employers.
Count Inouye, in behalf of the Jap
anese Government, required and re-
ceived assurances from Gibson that the
restrictions on Chinese immigration
should not be relaxed.
At length, in March, 1886, an Emil
grafton Convention was concluded and
ratified with japan.
Since then the increase of the Japan |
ese population has been constant and |
rapid. The total number amounted in |
1890 to 1850, and at the present time |
is not far from q, 900 They have found |
out how to evade the Act relative to the |
landing of aliens by borrowing the re-
quired $50 from their local bank. The |
last report to the Planters Association |
were then employed on plantations |
They manifest an increasing tendency to
settle permanently in the islands with |
the approval of their government. |
UI der the "most favored nation" clause |
of the treaty of 1871. the Japanese Gov
ernmeUt has claimed for them entire po- |
litical eq1anty with any other class of
foreigners in the country. Their charac-
teristic traits are we'll known to you AS
laborers they are more clannlsh, tickle
and inclined to strikes on small provoca-
ton than those of any other nationality.
Their competition with white traders
and artisans is even more dangerous
than that of the Chinese. They are YER
satile, ingenious and ready to learn new
methods No race in this country ap-
pears to be more tenacious of its nation
atty, or less inclined to renounce its
allegiance to its home government and
to become thoroughly identified with
Hawaii. The presence of so large an
Oriental element in our population con-
stltutes the strongest argument now |
used in the United States against the
annexation of these islands to the great
Republic.
Statistics.
AS result of forty years of assisted
the population of the Re-
public, In round numbers, now stands
about as follows:
Hawaiians and part Hawaiians... 10000
Chinese ........ Is 900
Japanese ....... ......... ...... 1000
Portuguese, including those born
here......... e. 80. ............ 1900
Other Europeans and Americans. 1000 |
Polynesians ......... ............- 1000
AoG4l .'.' .IUO,UUU
In looking over these figures it must be
that, as the Labor Commits ion
puts it, The sugar Interest has not i'm
proved the body polite" to any great
hu in ~ b0 |