The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-07-08
Some Interesting Reading Which
Discloses the Manner in Which
Some Plantations Are Con-
Quoted by the Lunas and
Managers.
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, BUREAU
OF IMMIGRATION,
HONOLULU, III. l., June 10, 1897, J


CAPT. JAS. A. KING, President of
Board Of Immigration,
SIR have the honor to present
the following report of visit made
by me- to tho Olowalu Sugar Co.'s
plantation, Island Of Maui, on the
9th day of June, for the purpose of
invest eating certain complaints
made by the Chinese contract labor
ers or that plantation in letter to
Mr., Goo Kim, Chinese Commercial
Agent, which letter l took with me-
Ng Chan, Chinese Interpreter, ac-,
companie1 me to Olowalu.
When l arrived there the man
ager, Mr. Aug. Hanneberg, was sew
eral miles away 10 the fields, and l
had been there fully two hours be-
fore be returned. However, in the
meantime, | went on with my in
vestigation among the laborers
Their letter to Mr.. Goo Kim con-
planned of persistent docking OF
their wages and harsh treatment.
With regard to the former com
plant | had before went to Olo
walu, and still have in my posses
sion, one of the plantation time
books, showing he Chinese laborers'
time for each month from March,
1896, to April, 1897. The book
speakq for itself, and proves on every
page that the mems complaint is
not without foundation The man
sger admitted be locked the men
for working SLOW, it was the law, and
he would do it. He is too severe,
and il this docking habit OF his is
not checked there will always be
trouble with laborers at Olowalu
As to the second complaint, harsh
treatment, examined sixteen of the
laborers on the plantation, ten Of
whom signed the letter to Mr.. Goo
Kim | asked two OF them--before
the mauager-if he had ever kicked
them, and they replied through the
interpreter that not only had he
kicked them but others, too. Mr..
Hanueberg denied their statements,
but admitted to me he had pulled
the men out of their quarters for
various reasons aud pushed them
around.
All Nun, free laborer, who has
been at Olowalu some time, said
that the free laborers were treated
better than those under contract.
The Manager has bad habit OF
going into the laborers' quarters
and pulling them out. Lam Hing
Wing, cook for gang, said he never
got full pay though he worked all
the time. Two Hawaiians told me
they had worked on the plantation
but had left as the Manager was 9
very hard man to work for
The laborers' quarters are the
filthiest l have ever been in, in fact
the whole plantation is in need OF {
cleaning up. The inside OF thu
rooms are black with cobwebs, anc
it looks as ifwhitewash was unknown
on the place, Mr. Hanneberg sale
he intended to whitewash the houses
at once. sincerely hope he ha
done so.
The treatment of sick laborers oil
J the plantationis such that it prac
tically amounts to cruelty. Nea
the beach, good distance from thu
mems quarters, is room about II
IL used as a hospital, The laborer
, call it the Jail. found in it at tn
. time of my visit 5 Chinese aud
| Japanese laborers, all sick. TIL
. room was in a filthy condition
These sick men have to leave thei
t quarters early in the morning whe
!. the whistle blows, and 20 TO Tia