The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-09-25
Kobe Company Explains its Position
in the Business.
Care in the Selection OF Laborers- Guarantee
10 the Government Officers Of
the Company.

when, in the interest of individuals
and the public, justice demands public
explanation and the refutation of mis-
representations calculated to damage
the business standing of business ri
walls.
AT the present time there are three
immigration companies in Honolulu
seeking the patronage of the planters
for japanese laborers, two of which
have been doing business for some
time, and one recently started.
OF these three the Kobe immigration
Company is the oldest, being the first
to organize in Japan after the passage
Of the immigration Relief Law, by
which the japanese Government aban-
doned the direct supervision of the for
eign immigration business to response
bic citizens of Japan willing TO comply
with the law and the directions OF the
executive officer of the Foreign Depart
ment, whose duty it is to keep super
vision over immigration matters. As
an effort has recently been made to
damage the standing of the. Kobe I'm
migration Company and to convince
planters that they could not rely upon
the above company to carry out its
contracts, we desire, with your permits
sion, to place before those interested in
Hawaii the names of the members of
our company and their standing in
Japan; also the conditions imposed up
on immigration companies by the jap
anese Government under the immigra-
ton laws of the country.
In this connection we might first
state briefly some of the provisions of
the Immigrant Relief Law of Japan, viz.
No citizen of Japan is allowed to en-
igrate to a foreign country unless ap
proved by the executive officer of the
Department.
Provision is made for the appoint
ment of Commissioners, whose business
it is to recruit immigrants and to take
charge of their transportation to for
eign countries.
No person or persons can get permits
sion to act as Commissioners unless
approved by the executive officer. To
be eligible to act as Commissioner, the
applicant must be an Imperial subject
or a corporation composed of Imperial
subjects; and they must have their
principal Office in Japan, where the
business transacted can be supervised
by the Japanese authorities. In other
words, the Commissioner or corpora
ton is what we know here as an i'm
migration company.
Every Commissioner Tor company
must file bonds with the Government
in Japan to the amount of 10000 yen,
which money may be used for REIN
bursting immigrants, relieving or taking
them back to Japan in the event of
breach of contract by Commissioner
or the non-performance of the require
ments of the law. The bond to be in
creased from time to time to cover
every possible loss immigrants might
be put to as the number sent out of the
country by the Commissioner increases
These bonds are retained by the eXecu-
tive officer until the last contract with
immigrants expires, and the Commits
sioner is in the mean time required to
keep his business Offices at home and
abroad open until such contracts do
expire, under penalty of FORGETTING his
bonds, even though his license as Com
missioner may be cancelled.
Agents of the Commissioner must be
approved by the executive officer before
they can transact business, and no i'm
migrants are allowed to be sent to for
eign countries where the Commission
er's manager or director is not sub
ject of Japan and so approved.
Then follow the penalties and duties
of Commissioners, all of which are
strictly looked after by the executive
officer. To become a Commissioner or
his agent the parties must have the
highest standing in Japan, and any
overt act or attempt at evasion of the
law, or breach of faith with immigrants
means cancellation of bonds and Ii
cense.
Now, as to the Kobe Immigration
Company. In the first place its mem
bers are as follows:
T. Yoshikawa, Esq, one of the rich
est land owners in Kobe
T. Imai, Esq, manager of the Kob,
Colored Mating Company, one of thu
largest corporations of the kind il
Japan.
Z. Takuma, Esq, the largest ant
wealthiest sake brewer in Japan.
K Hino, Esq, president of the Osaki
Cotton Factory.
The company was incorporated il
June, 1894, and has the largest connec
ton of any immigration company il
Japan.
Moreover, some of its members ar
owners of large steamers, which ar
always available to bring laborers t
this country or elsewhere if the order
are large enough to warrant specia
steamer, or when necessary TO get Their
here at a given time. The company la
sent out to Australia and India tn
largest shipments of immigrants whic
ever left Japan, and in each case it
members had steamers ready when re
quired We have agents in all the lead
ing eenters of Japan where immigrant
are collected. and can always procuT