The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-07-25
Contract Labor Evils
in Hawaii Exposed

san Francisco. july el-The Examiner
prints a detailed story of the alleged
evils OF the contract labor system ln ,he
Hawasann islands as prlcticed by the
coffee and sugar plantation owners and
quotes as It's authority. Rabbi s M Lev,
Of this city, who mas just returned ON
a tour OF the islands 1T says:
Thirty-six Gaiiciana. subjects of th,
Austrian empire are now confined ia the
oahu prison. Honolulu because they re-
fused % comply longer with the oner1us
conditions imposed upon them by their
owners They were convicted OF desert
ing contract service and were sentenced
TO Indefinite prison They can gam re-
lease only by buying their way out q
| prison or going back 90 the cane heds
| Their tale IS todd by Rabbi NJ C Levy
when went TO Honolulu" Dr. Levy
Is quoted as saying j mad occasion 70
vist the reef That !s the island prison
of oahu. where all classes OF offender.
murderers felons and misdemeanors are
confined al hard labor while I was there
my attentson was ara Sn 70 81 ialicana
subjects o. Austria who were connnel
because they had refused 10 fulhll th"t
contracts for labor IN tho oahu piant O.
tions They were dro scd IN str pes iika
all ,he other prisoner They we're mad0
Ho do the same labor q tne on~fi"s and
on the roads They were conveyed about
Islands IN a public hack. accompanied hN
aru,a4 guards and dressed IN tho pr.9 1r
rarb Tn fat. they were made 70 sunel
an the indlenh es and pains Of fel'i
under sentence.
What was their crIme3They had com
mltted mo- crime They had refused 70 IA
IN a contract entered into in Eur''
nri,r to emigration 90 work for thre
wears on the Oahu plantation. / have 'h
orig nai contract made hy Jacob Tee
al Bremen You VIII perceive that it can
for three years lab1r on the plantation %
work ont the passaEe of each imm sr'"
M us a month whether man eon'.
work out his debt al that rate IN thre
years is more than doubtful. Under m
contract his pay would run only for M
time he lq actually employed. II ne ran
e,ck he expenses rnus against him As
r,s+ter ~ fact. Jacob Teper after neari
| hree months N1fh NiN "'
of s1ne s sto the plantation
"why ala they quit work2 They ''
me they we're treated with cruelty an
onoresslon on the Plantation and "ef
given such poor food rhat they were hH
= aide 10 DO the hard and eNhanstng iaDe
4 of , plantation ln the .r'pies That 10 me
e story M
vi "Term OF pris1n2 None whatever i"r
! ore An prison under au Indefinite senten'
n M continue until they pay the aeDi
.pl agres 10 70 back 10 work it out 90 "
n plantatlcn So great was the horror
n me s.vertes u plantation lie tAat 'n'
IN t.ld me they would prefer 10 stay 10
fe forever rather than f7 back 90 '"' o''
company
.e- "Torms n iusuae2 Weh they we
10 s.,,,s,bt before a mas trate on the pia
'r. t,tion and summary convicted oi !
aobt ana then au1 there sentenced WIZ
out trial by Jury. You can imagine va
- kira of Justice they would get under sn
a. circumstances.
o,o one Of me imprisoned Gal'clans rei.
n red 10 was Jacob Teper. an israeAte-
Ian told his story 70 the RABBI The latter
~. I vesrigated found the tale true and n
the raised tl2o. with which ne bought T
ket er's freedom The latter Is now work
m Honolulu. tree man.