The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-07-20

some 1,150 Japanese across the ocean
to their own shores. The last cores
pondence on the subject was dated
July 10, 1897.
1t is very easy for people to forget
circumstances which were burning
questions a few months before. The
facts connected with the return of
the japanese immigrants might per-
haps, therefore, be recalled. There
had been steady influx of japanese
into the Islands, and so large had it
become that it created alarm not only
in the minds of the government, but
in those of many of our principal
citizens. In 1896 it was found that
whereas the increase of Chinese over
departures for the past five years was
/ 800, that of japanese was 11,OOO Ar
ticle 1 of Act G6 as amended by Act
of the Laws of the Republic stated
who could and who could not land
i'm the Republic. One of the things
requisite for person to land was
that he was the bona fide possessor
of not less than fifty dollars in money.
1t was learned by the government
that the law was being evaded and
that immigrants were coming in who
were not bona fide possessors of fifty
dollars. Upon this point, however, it
was difficult to get evidence, and it was
not till the arrival of the "Shinshiu
Maru" that the required evidence was
obtained. In point of fact the rival
immigration companies split on one
another.
The immigrants were carefully eX-
amned and it was found that the
money was not their bona fide prop
erty, but was supplied them for the
purpose of showing to the customs au-
thorities, and was tlfen returned to
| the immigration agents. That this
! kind of thing had been going on for
! long was shown at trial at Hamakua
where two japanese witnesses testiti-
ed that when they came into the coun-
try they had but five yen each, in
stead of 100 yen, yet on landing they
had shown their 100 yen. They We're
therefore destitute and had remained
destitute ever since. Another case
was that of japanese who was
stricken with smallpox. When the
question was raised he was examined
and found to have only four yen, So.
He was asked what he had done with
the 100 yen which he had shown; he
stated he had returned that to the
labor agent from whom he had Dor
rowed it and had paid him ten per
cent for its use. These are facts.
There was the law clearly on the
statute book, here was the clear eva
sion of the law. What was the gov
eminent to do? 1t could do nothing
but stand by its own statutes and re-
fuse to allow the immigrants to land
1t may have been hard but the Unit.
ed States government is just as hard
and will not permit paupers to land
on her shores. Had the Hawaiian
government not made its stand in
March of last year, we should have
had japanese coming in here at the
rate of 1000 per month, and have
been swamped under the flood of i'm,
migrants.
The contention between this gov.
eminent and Japan was, not that the
law did not exist, but that it was il
conflict with the treaty of 1871. The
Hawaiian government maintained thai
the law was but reasonable exercise
of the police power of a state and
that the Treaty of 1871 was limited
in scope and did not refer to this class
of immigrants.
That is the whole story told in as
few words as possible. In extended
form, together with all the cores
pondence, it can be found in the re
port of the Minister of Foreign At
fairs to the last Legislature.