The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-08-08
DOWN TRoDDEN ITALIANS.

Some weeks ago comment was made
in The Star upon the absurdly false
statements which appeared in the New
York sun relative to Italian laborers on
these Islands, Whence the report came
it was very evident. 1t was manufac-
tured by the same hand and head, or
one very similar, which prepared the
TRADE for the san Francisco Labor I'm
/ ion. As soon as the paragraph reached
the Islands the utter absurdity of it was
shown, and it was pointed out that the
! only Italians here were working for Mr..
Damon. and that they were faring eX-
/ tremely well.
Mr.. Damon was not satisfied with
mere denial, but yesterday wrote to
/ The Star stating exactly how these peO-
| pie were getting on. The letter con-
cisely tells how the men We're engaged,
what work they have had to do and
how they have been treated.
Out of twenty-four Italians in his en-
ploy, Minister Damon has seventeen
under contract and seven under no con-
! tract whatever. Though there was some
friction when the men first came, which
was formented by people in town, there
has been no friction since, and the men
are satisfied.
Certainly these men seen to be down
trodden. They are so ill-used that each
man has an account at the savings
bank, the aggregate saving of this little
colony being 1922 40. This is not a large
sum here, but in Italy it is quite a
stake. This has been accumulated in a
little less than two years. Most assur-
eddy these men would not have been as
successful had they stayed in their own
country. In addition to their savings,
moreover, every one of these men has
sent money to assist his relations at
home
The men have worked with one of
their own countrymen as luna or over
seer, who came out from Italy with
them. There has been brutal Saxon"
in charge. They have been well treat
ed and their employer has even given
them an extra allowance for food, be-
cause he found that so great was theii
desire to save money that they did not
feed themselves properly.
In the matter of housing they have
been well cared for. they have comfort
able dwellings, are supplied with wood
ana water at their doors and have gar
den patches, where they can raise vege-
tables for their own consumption. And
ii is people who have been thus we'll
treated, who are we'll housed, we'll fed
and who have saved money, that are
represented in the New York Sun, as
leading a life of degraded slavery, and
suffering all kinds of injustice.
! II is the easiest thing in the world t.
circulate irresponsible and false state
, ments and there are those here, who
maliciously send these false statements
abroad. 1t is on the other hand very
hard to combat them. 1t is purely envy
and malice which circulates such fOu
aspersions upon the leading people OF
this community, but to chase down q
: lie is no easy task. In the matter OF
these Italians there is not a syllable Of
truth, no a shred upon which to hang 8
little of the lie that has been told, ant
detriment of every person in this place
What irresponsible rascals of this kline
cannot see, is that by spreading such
stories, they not only injure the success
) full whom they hate for their success
but they injure all those who are de.
pendent upon the prosperity of the
} place for a living.