The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-09-25
IMMIGRATION MATTERS.
Kobe Company Explains its Position
in the Business.
Care in the Selection of Laborers-Guarantee
TO the Government Officers OF
the Company.


grievances of a purely business nature
should be made the subject of news
paper controversy, there are times
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
BILE 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 Inn
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 lmm1gra-
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 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 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 Cor 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 tt
keep his business offices at home an(
abroad open until such contracts d(
expire, under penalty of FORGETTING hi
bonds, even though his license as Com
missioner may be cancelled.
Agents of the Commissioner must b.
approved by the executive officer befor
| they can transact business, and no i'm
/ Ill 10 % 60,
eign countries where the Commission
er's manager or director is not sub
ject of Japan and so approved.
Then follow the penalties and dutie
of Commissioners, all of which ar
strictly looked after by the executiv
officer. To become a Commissioner o
his agent the parties must have tn
highest standing in Japan, and an
overt act or attempt at evasion of tn
law, or breach of faith with immigrant
means cancellation of bonds and i
4 cense.
Now, as to the Kobe Immigratio
Company. In the first place its men
bers are as follows:
T. YoshikaWa, Esq, one of the ricl
est land owners in Kobe.
lIudl, EASH., u1dAdSSI VI Tie 1AOL
Colored Mating Company, one of IL
largest corporations of the kind
Japan.
E. Takuma, Esq, the largest an
wealthiest sake brewer in Japan.
K. Hino, Esq, president of the Osal
Cotton Factory.
The company was incorporated
June, 1894, and has the largest come
ton of any immigration company
Japan.
D Moreover, some of it's members al
owners of large steamers, which a.
always available to bring labOrers
this country or elsewhere if the orde1
are large enough to warrant a speci
steamer, or when necessary to get the
here at given time. The company hi
sent out to Australia and India tt
largest shipments of immigrants whiC
ever left Japan and in each case i