The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-19
THE INDUSTRIAL ARMY
EXACT FIGURES OF CONTRACT
SYSTEM.
The Number of People of All Natlonali-
ties Who Labor to Make. Sugar.
Deaths and Desertions. ,.

nationalities employed on hawaiian
sugar plantations on December 81, 1899,
was about 40, 500 according to the report
OF Wray Taylor, Secretary of the Bu-
reau of immigration. The exact mum
Der on October 81, 1899, was 35,9S7. This
was an increase of 7,40S since Deem
Der 81, 1898, when the total number was
rs, $40.
OF the laborers on the plantations
October 81. 1899, there 1925 Hawaiians
of whom 1853 were under contract;
2,153 Portuguese, of whom 1853 were un-
der contract; 25.6 54 Japanese of whom
1851 were under contract; 1868 Chi
nese of whom 2,76S were under contract;
10 South Sea Islanders, of whom 10 were
under contract; 267 Americans, 109 Brit
ish; 1873 Germans 81 Scandinavians; 1Sg
Austrians; and &C of all other national
tiles. The total number of contract
laborers reported as employed October
g. 1899 was 20,641.
The total number of skilled laborers
employed on the Hawaiian plantations
october 81, 1899 was 2Ol9, classed as
| OVersee1s, engineers and firemen book
! keepers and clerks, sugar boilers, car
penters, blacksmith, masons, painters
harness makers and chemists. They
are divided by nationalities as follows.
Americans 405; Hawaiians, 219; British,
2J2; Germans, 21S; Portuguese, 305
Scandinavians, Il; Austrians, i6; Jap
anese, f16; Chinese, "a; and other ma
| tionalities, 20.
The total number of Japanese arriY-
| ing in Hawaii since annexation, mat
is since July Z, 1898 has been q, 07O men
and 4,319 women up to the very first of
Il is year A very large proportion Of
| these were arranged for before annex
alton, and quite a number of these werc
actually on their way here before the
| Newlands Resolution was passed. Since
| July Z, 1898, the Board of immigration
has approved applications for the in
production of 29,461 Japanese.
On the subject of assertions the Sec
rotary of the Board of immigration
says:
There have been an unusually large
number of assertions among the Jap
anese laborers. For instance, during
the first six months of 1899 on the island
of Hawaii. in the district of Hamakua
3SS Japanese deserters were reported.
or this number 1873 were from the Pa
| auhau plantation alone. Ookala Sugar
Company reported so. On the 22nd of
June, 1898, made trip through the
district of Hamakua investigating the
numerous assertions, and also COM
plants that had been made. l found
that the manager of Paauhau upon be-
ing notified by the police that they had
caught deserter from his plantation,
|
want the man back, he got redress from
the immigration Companies for desert
Crs so did not lose anything. This had
a decidedly bad effect and is more the
reason than anything else for the large
number Of assertions throughout the
Hamakua district. The Managers of the
various Immigration Companies who
bring in the laborers all complained of
being heavy losers by assertions. Since
April LIST, 1898, the Japanese Govern
nent has allowed these immigration
Companies to exact a monetary bond
from each laborer before leaving Japan,
sufficient to cover the amount of the
passage money. and in the event of de-
sertion the immigration Company con-
iscates the money deposited. Some of
the reasons attributed for SO many de-
sertionS were:
list. Debts caused by gambling.
"2nd. Debts to plantations and store
keepers.
"3rd. III treatment by lunas
'4th Higher wages and easier work
IN the coffee districts.
18th Men who were returned to Jap
an by the Hawaiian Government arc
gradually getting back, they arrive on
the plantations contracted to, then i'm
mediately desert Intentionally.
The plantation on the island of Ca
hu have suffered considerably on ac-
count OF assertions, put there mas been
less complaint on the islands of Kauai,
Maui and Molokai."
DR.. Peterson reporting to the Board
on health and mortality says:
I'm order to arrive at a fairly ac-
Curate idea of the healthfulness and
mortality among the laborers of the
J different plantations, l sent to the Vari-
GUS sugar companies, asking for the
number of deaths and average number
of sick per day for the past two years.
The result of this inquiry cannot BE-
said to have been satisfactory. Many
= professed to have kept no record, and
while few return a full and satisfac-
tory report, many made no return at
, all, Therefore l have obtained from
five immigration companies in Honolulu
the number of Japanese supplied ia
, each plantation for the years 1898 and
1889, and from their records have taken
the number of deaths and desertions
, occurring among these people,"
The number of deaths reported by Dr..
} Peterson for the year 1899 among Jap
anese plantation laborers is 2S6 males.
and 26 females; assertions, 1,462 males
and 216 females.
THE YACHT RECOVERED.