The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-05-28
LTHUE PLANTATION.
Report Of Secretary Wray
Taylor.
"There Is No Way In Which Can
Speak Good of the Lihue Plan
tation" Says He-some Per-
tinent Paragraphs.

AS it is understood that the Gov
eminent still has under considera-
ton the recent riots and the staying
OF a Chinaman at Lhue, comments
upon the able and apparently i'm
partial report of the Secretary TO
the Board OF Immigration are with
held.
So much has been already written
in connection with these matters
which have great Importance upon
the future of the labor market and
tho conduct of employers that TIE
INDEPENDENT considered it but jus
tico to both the laborers and the
plantation to procure the publica-
ton OF the report OF the Gov
ernments specially detailed agent.
With the consent OF the acting
Minister OF the Interior and OF Mr..
Goo Kim Fui, the Chinese CONNER
cia Agent, the following report of
Mr.. Taylor's Investigations is now
presented.
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, BUREAU
OF IMMIGRATION,
Honolulu, III. l., April 81, 1917
CART, j. A. KING, President Board
OF Immigration.
Sir:-Iu accordance with your iu-
structions, left Honolulu on the
steamer Mikahala Wednesday, April
21st, and proceeded to Lihue, Kauai,
for the purpose of Investigating the
causes that led up to the recent riot
on Lihue Plantation, and which re-.
suited in the death OF Chinese con-
tract laborer and the arrest of fifteen
others on the charge Of rioting. Ng
Chan, a Chinese interpreter, accom-.
panied me.
Arriving at Lihue on the 22nd at
4 p. m., at once made myself kno wn
to Mr.. Carl Wolters, the manager,
and stated to him the object OF my
visit, and then had long converse
tion with him. At the time OF my
arrival all was quiet on the planta-
ton.
Early next morning was out in
the fields among large gang of
Japanese and Chinese laborers. !
picked out the following men: Lau
Pow, Leong Chin, Chung Hop, Shun
Bun, Chin Vow, Fook Lung, Dung
Nee and Wong Duck, took them
one by ono and examined them
through the interpreter in regard to
the recent trouble as we'll as to how
they had been treated on the plan.
tation since their arrival. The testi
mony was very much the same in
each case.
Their chief complaint was direct
cd against the head luna, William
Zoller, who they said was at al
times very hard in his treatment Of
them. When they would line ur
for work in morning, waiting tc
receive their tools, if they did moi
move quite fast enough to suit hin
he would knock them about or els,
kick them. Sometimes he would
poke them in the back with the han
die Of hoe. When in the field the,
were at work doing their best h,
would yell at them to work quicker
in fact he was at them pretty mucl
: all the time they were out in tn
fields. He rarely spoke to then
through an interpreter, and as
consequence they could not under
stand what he said, as they are no
acquainted with the English Ian
guage, On the morning Of the row
they testified, that after lining u
, and while waiting for their tools
| the luna, instead Of giving out tn
tools shouted out something whicI
Z they afterwards understood was a
r order to go and pick up rocks. A
the time they did not understan
the order, and this, they claim,
t what started the whole row and le
to the fight, as they were prett
we'll warmed up and very niue
annnrnd tnmards The lima III h