The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-01
CONTRACT LABOR
FOR THE ISLANDS
Portuguese immigration
to Hawaii.

HONOLULU, Jan. 24-By arrange
ment between Special Chinese Agent
Brown and the attorneys for the Chi
nese who have been denied a landing
here, all these Chinese will be held
here pending the determination of the
appeal to the Treasury Department. AS
TO the others who may arrive and be
refused landing it has not been de-
cided what shall be done. The expec-
tation is, however, that If they also ap-
peal to the Secretary of the Treasury
they will be permitted to remain at the
quarantine station until their appeal is
heard and decided. 1t is not expected,
however, that many more will come.
The Rio brought only sixteen. Evil
IDENTIFY word has reached the Chinese in
China holding permits that the permits
are not recognized.
OF permits issued to Chinese to enable
them to go from here to China and re-
turn there are still about 600 outstand-
ing. OF these there are many that
probably will never be presented. Some
have been practically outlawed by lapse
Of time. Some have been lost or de-
stroyed. Others were issued but never
used, those to whom they were issued
never leaving the islands. 1t is be-
lieved that the bulk Of the permits
which will ever come to light to raise
an issue have been presented.
Of permits TO enable Hawaiian-born
Chinese residing in China to return to
the islands there is no controversy as
TO their validity. They are accepted as
evidence Of the right to land upon proof
that the person presenting them is
really Hawaiian born.
More Portuguese will be brought at
o0ce to the Hawaiian Islands to work In
the cane fields. They will come from
Madeira, the Azores and the mainland
One and perhaps two steamship loads
will be sent from the other side as soon
as they can be engaged and collected.
The nrst steamer should leave the
azores In about TWO months at the la
test. Mr.. Honnung, at London, is act
ing for the planters in engaging the
labor. He is in a better position than
any one else known here to negotiate
direct for the men. BY mail about
three weeks go he wrote that an in
definite number Of Portuguese could be
engaged. 1t was a reply to a question
along the line few days ago that the
Government gave the planters. The lat
ter wanted to know if there were an
objection to the importation of more
Portuguese, and the authorities replied
that there was none. a cable was at
once sent to Mr.. Hoffnung to engage
the number required Immediately.
These immigrants will sign contracts.
Just what their status will be after the
United States laws are in full force here
it is impossible to tell. 1t is almost GER
tain that the contracts will not have
more than civil force, If that. Assist
ing the immigrants with passage money
will also be thing of the past.
Joseph Marsden has written to the
planters association representing Ital
ian laborers. He feels sure that all the
plantation help required may be en-
listed among the peasant class of Italy.
There is something in the contracts
that have to be made with the Italians.
however, that will make 1t impossible
TO import them in numbers. It is re-
Quired by the Government at Rome
that, under certain circumstances. the
laborers are to be returned to Italy at
the expense of the Hawaiian planters.
A letter requesting further informa-
ton concerning the Russian colony pre-
posed for Hawaii has been sent for
q. ward.
John T. Campbell has petitioned the
court for a writ of mandamus to issue
against F. B. McStocker, Collector
General Of Customs, to compel the reg