The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-10
uget Sound district has hundreds of unem-

Puget Sound district has hundreds Of unem-
ployed japanese, which. by reason of an
unprecedented large number of arrivals,
renders the situation worthy OF the most
serious consideration you can give 1t. Like
all new questions. this one has evolved
some new and interesting points, which
must of necessity sooner or later press
themselves upon you for your consdera-
ton and action.
ION the morning OF May % we boarded
the steamship BrecCushire, from Japan,
with 155 steerage passengers, Japanese.
which had arrived during the night pre-
vious About II O'Clock, while conducting
the usual examinations, several OF the i'm
migrants showed signs OF physical dis
tress, which led to our enquiring the
cause. They had not tasted food for
twenty-four hours, and we at once enquired
why, and made the discovery that there
was a dispute as to who was to feed them.
The captain stated that his ship was char
tered by the North Pacific Steampship
Company. and that his contracts required
him to transport his cargo Of passengers
from Japan to the United States. and that
he had nothing to do with feeding anyone
but his own officers and men. Further in
vcstigation brought out the fact that the
feeding was done by contract japanese
lodging house keeper at whose house Jap
anese emigrants rendezvoused prior to de-
parture to America, contracts to feed them
for a specified sum, per man, per voyage,
he to furnish provisions, cooks, attendants,
etc.
Steerngc Passengers Unfed.
ION reaching the pier at Tacoma the
caterer contended that he had fulfilled
his contract and declined to issue further
rations The company having made no
provision for feeding the passengers, made
no effort to dc so when this man ceased
to do it. | communicated with the North
Pacific Steamship Company and informed
them that it was our duty to protect the
immigrants from fraud and loss and that
we would not examine them until they
were fed. We succeeded in getting them
a meal of boiled rice at ] O'Clock p. H..
after which We renewed our inspections
THE next morning at $50 O'Clock we
boarded the ship again and found the
same state of affairs existed. No one was
ready or willing to furnish breakfast for
the immigrants. We had to wait until
1880 o'clock before we succeeded in get
ting the company to provide for them.
II was my intention to order meals for
the immigrants from some restaurant and
send the bill to the steamship company
and have the account made a lien on the
ship in the event of their refusal to pay.
We succeeded in getting the Japanese oil
the ship to temporary place of deten-
ton, where they are admittedly charge
Of the steamship company and are being
| properly treated. This is due in no small
degree to the fact that We informed them
of our intention to appeal to the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury for decision as to
their duty in the premises.
Another glazing injustice is made
| manifest every day in this connection.
| Every immigrant ship from Japan puts
into Victoria, B. C., before coming into
/ Puget Sound. There most Of the passen-
gers are debarked, the remainder being
brought to Puget Sound ports. Seattle, and
Tacoma. Nearly all those put off at Vic
toria come to Puget Sound the following
day, or at least within a weeks time
They are brought by local steamers
owned and operated by the same company
Immigrants coming by this local steamer
almost invariably state on examination
that they thought Victoria was In the
United States and that on finding out their
mistake they had promptly taken the ear
Hest means of completing the journey.
Notwithstanding the fact that the North
Pacific Steamship Company have debarked
these immigrants at Victoria. they ac-
cept them on their local steamer for Sc
attic and Tacoma and Whatcom only on
the most exacting conditions.
1.-THE regular fare from Victoria to Ia