The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-04-14
SHEW BACKBONE.

The community would like very
much to hear from the Board of
Health with regard to its intended pol
icy in the event of another ship load
of students" arriving with a clean bill
of health With the expensive and
dangerous lesson, to which allusion
was made yesterday, before them, our
people do not feel very kindly towards
tn. tramp steamers that may come
along. Even regular liners have to be
watched with the greatest care, for
was it not the "Begic" hat intro
duced the cholera here?
Tramp steamers have every thing to
gain and nothing to lose in circum-
stances of this kind. They carry their
immigrants at the lowest figure pos
sible and calculate to get rid of them
in a certain definite time. If they can
do this they make money, if they can
not do this they lose money, and every
day they are detained they lose more.
Once it is understood that ships land
ing immigrants are under any circum-
stances going to be put in quarantine
for eighteen days outside the reef and
there will be less desire on the part
of unprincipled spectators to flood
the country with the very undesir-
able class of students" which they
have been pouring in. The game will
not be worth the candle.
Apparently the Press here is agreed
upon the point that this class of i'm
migrants is not desirable, that the
country is being peacefully invaded,
but it makes no further suggestion. 1t
lifts up pitiful howl and stops there.
This is no manner of facing the ques
ton. The hands of the Government
should be strengthened b. the llnowl-
edge that it has the whole people at
the back of it. When we are being
driven towards a wall, it is time to
cease quarreling among ourselves and
to present united front towards a
common foe.
The influx of uncontrolled Japanese
is as much e.. danger to the Hawaiians
as it is to the Portuguese and other
Europeans ON the Islands. Indeed, the
Hawaiian will feel the pressure first.
ALI unsllilled labor must feel the pres
sure. 1t was only few weeks ago
that in speaking of this matter The
Star pointed out that the students"
were perfectly willing to work for a
time for nothing. Since then several
cases of the kind have come under
notice. 1t is first for nothing, then
for a small wage, anything to GUST
present occupants out of their places.
To get the thin end of the wedge in is
their object.
To meet the position requires firm
front The Government has taken a
good stand in investigating the cases
of those who are trying to come in
and sending those back who do not
fulfill the conditions required. This
action has been criticized, but it has
been now proven to be the proper line
of action and one which will receive
the support of those interested in the
future of the islands. Had it not been
for the care taken in this matter,
smallpox would now have been spread
over the islands.
The next firm step required must
come from the Board of Health, and
the community has a right to have an
authoritative statement of policy from
that body. Let us know what the
Board proposes to do. Don't let there
be hasty scramble at the last mo-
ment and a snap judgment. Other yes
sells are on the way; it is known that
the bill of health of tramp steamers
in nine cases out of ten, is worthless
Prepare to meet the issue.
Lastly, what is the Foreign Office
doing? The public ought to know
what steps, if any, have been taken fol
abrogating or modifying the treaty
with Japan. To go on as we are, ever
with the care shown by the customs
authorities, will only result in some
more crooked method of getting round
the difficulty than the present rathel
crude one of giving each man fifty dol
lars, which he returns to his hacker a
soon as he gets on shore. The Eastern
mind is gifted in methods of over
reaching, and it will rack its brain
until it finds a lcop-hole.
There are thus three positions whicl
the community must insist upon tn
Government taking. First, firm stan'
at the customs. This has been done
Second, firm stand with regard t.
quarantine and suspected vessels ent
ering port. This policy has to be out
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