The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-06-22
HAWAII SHiNPO
EDITOR WRITES
Says japanese Laborers Haye
No Quarrel Except With
immigration Companies.

Editor Advertiser: We are not agita-
tors, as some party who is interested
with the immigration companies call us,
but We are saying the right thing at the
right time. AS the editor OF the Hawai-
Shinpo, which was charged by some
paper as one of the agitators or the in
stigators of the strI1es among our la
bCrers, | believe il is my duty to make
public what we are writing in our own
Japanese paper. The attitude that we
are holding firmly is nothing but TO de-
fend our poor, miserable brothers from
the oppressive grasp Of the imm- grafton
companies, which. taking advantage OF
the ignorance of the most of our labor
ers, are trying to drive them again to
that jgnoble slavery from which they
were freed just now.
once Hawaii was under the Stars ana
Stripes, the system of the contrast labor
was null and void by virtue of the Con
stitution, and anybody who can read
and understand what is SAID in the sec
ton ten of our Territorial law. can not
but recognize that those contracts are
null and void. Now let us see what the
immigration companies claim: They
want to let the laborers believe that al
though the contract between the plant
ers and the laborers was terminated by
| the American law, the contract between.
the laborers and the companies which
was agreed to in Japan under japanese
laws. should not be terminated, ana is
binding on both parties yet, just the
| same before.
So, therefore, in spite Of their con-
tracts being null and void, now, in fact,
they contend they should not leave the
places for which they were contracted
without the consent of the imm gra ton
companies. Also they are required tc
give from their wages every month $2.5
to 81. as the case may be. to be entrusted
| to these companies as return passage
money for the laborers.
/ In the case Of the laborers breaking
even one of these terms the companies
| claim that their securities or bondmeT
| in Japan should be liable for the non
| performance of the contract. and thai
| all deposits heretofore made by the la
borers should be- confiscated also. The
/, idea of the joint notice and the edict is
sued lately from the five immigration
companies and our Consul General re
spectively are none but above mention
ed. And they also state there shall no
be any reason that American law shoul,
affect the mutual contract which wa
agreed to under the Japanese laws. Nov
just think of It! There is no need t
say the Hawaiian Territory is a part o
Uncle Sam now, and everybody who re
sides here must pay respect to the Con
st.tution and laws of the United States
and any action which would be perform
: ed here shall be subject to this coun
, try's law. In short, any labor contrac
is against the Constitution, is agains
the spirit of Americansm, is inhuman
and humiliating In this civilized century
is unjust. and Is unlawful. Wheneve
! the object of any contract is unlawful
, any consideration of the contract-a pal
of II or the whole of it's null and vol
and Terminated, whether it was contract
4, ed here or abroad. OF course, their way
Of misinterpretation of the contract al
none but absurd and nonsensical. W
, wonder why the immigration companie
Z and Mr.. Mkt Saito, our respected Cor
e sui himself, can not understand such
! simple matter like this. The reason
because they are In very diIncult cond
; ton at present to refund the depos
money to the laborers that amounts,
T round numbers, to something more thai
! say. about 100000 owing to their il
q vesting in some way or other.
: The main object of the troubles. we III
n derstand. is to off hands from the imm
!. grafton companies. and that is ALL Ye
some OF them may want to move fro
g one plantation to another, and some
n them may ask for the higher wages. to
: but IL is the truth that the majority
" them don't ask these. We feel very so
ry to see such state of affairs no.
IL and we are urging earnestly to have Il
Ie esteemed help of our Consul General
Is lend his best efforts to quiet them, n
J. by means of following the immigrati'
~ companies course, but by using his oy
m discretion and integrity as far as he ca
ID And we hope again that not ou1y o
AZ Consul viii not act with the compani
but all our planters would not entanl
10 with them. The troubles now are troubl
X between the immigration companies a
ne the laborers, not between laborers a
e planters. AS the Stars editorial sa
"A II Is foolish to try to help them.
IL And. in concluding, we declare again
Iis liz our duty-and in the meantime the
Of iect OF our Hawaii Shinpo-to guard I
poor laborers from the greediness of I
~ so-called gentlemen who are livi
he princely lives from the sweat and bic
N. of the oppressed. Y. SOGA