The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-19

Japanese Strike on Olaa
Plantation.
Sixteen Ring : Leaders Arrested :.
Cause of Trouble--U. S. Deci-
sion on Citizenship.

ne IOllOWluS HGWS Is taken lEOm
The Hilo Herald of the 18th instant; 7
There was little difficulty among r,
the Japanese of the Olaa Sugar Co. on o.
Tuesday which resulted In sixteen of q
them being brought to Hilo and lodged a
in Jail. From information at hand, Il
the trouble occurred in the division e
presided over by Mr.. Fuller and was =
the outcome of the men declining TO I
work at clearing land when their con-
tracts provided for field work.
One gang quit work with the inten-
ton of calling on Manager McStocker.
They marched in the direction of
Mountain View, carrying their hoes
and cane knives, and, in passing other
gangs at work, were joined by them,
so that when Mountain View was
reached there were several hundred In
line AS indications pointed to a riot
all the lunas from the other divisions
were called to headquarters Eleven
men were placed under arrest and sent
to Hilo. Later in the day there was a
recurrence of the trouble, and Sheriff |
Andrews was telephoned to for assist
ance He left at 4:30 p. m. with a
posse, including Frank Smith as a
Especial officer, reaching Mountain View
in about four hours. Five men, be-
lieved to be ringleaders in the difficult
ty, were arrested and brought to Hilo
and locked up, and several OF the lu-
mas came down yesterday afternoon to
appear against them as witnesses.
The presence of so many armed
Japanese in the vicinity of the homes
| of the white employees caused cons1d-
cradle excitement. One Japanese call
ed on Mrs. Fuller and told her that
her husband had been killed and that
the laborers would come to the house
and kill her. At least that is what
the fellow was supposed to have said.
At all events he thoroughly frightened
the lady, and she went into the woods
with her child for the purpose of hid
ing. 1t transpires that the man was
friendly to the Fullers and had no in
tention of making threats. ALL the
striking men but the sixteen arrested
returned to work.
A gentleman connected with the
plantation gives it as his opinion that
the trouble is the result of the convic-
ton of a Japanese in the Police Court
- here last week Of assault upon Mr.
Fuller. That Japanese belonged IL
the camp at twenty miles, where al
the trouble originated; the men thert
are from the interior of Japan and ar
unaccustomed to discipline at home
so that when authority is exercises
here they are inclined to rebel. Vic
lence is not tolerated on the Ola
~ plantation from 1unas to laborers, Blu
IL there is the system of fines the sam
as on any other plantation. The Ia
borers at twenty miles PERSISTENT!
ns and after repeated warnings, violat
sanitary and other rules, and whe
For detected have been given the cholC
of being arrested as nuisances or tai
- ing the alternative of being fined. TT
P'' men have invariably taken the latte
.. course Other Japanese laborers c
IT. the plantation say that those at twel
ty miles are of the opinion that II
arrest and conviction in Hilo OF II
Japanese last week was without re
d son, and that il the two lunas, Full
and Giddings, were out of the wa
:. their work would be easier and the
9. freedom greater. Their ignorance
ted laws leads them to this opinion. l.
gentleman expressing these views b
tied iieves that the difficulty has not en-
ed and will not end until the untam
ort- crew at twenty miles has been su
dued. On Tuesday night the Japane
at the lower camp made an attem
to Join their countrymen further
the line, but were held at bay by D
Won Graevemeyer and two other M
until finally they were persuaded
20 back to camp.
One of the rules of the Olaa Sus
fCo. is that the Japanese 1aborers SD
Id, mot be abused. This being the ca
f, the present trouble there could
have been caused by abuse Take 1t
- in all the few white persons on a pl
Ks tation, surrounded by hundreds
-LA- Japanese, who have not the remo'
idea of law and order, are not IN
enviable position, and at the rate
Japanese population is increasing VI
out an equal among the whites,
situation is not destined to change
the near future. Manager McStoc
is a good organizer and there Is
doubt that so far as the laborers
his charge are concerned they
soon realize that so long as they
the laws of government and the
"a To OF the plantation their lives will p'
harder than in far away Japan. W
~HS they make up their minds to suDm
,nolu. ordinary discipline, without wnlef
plantation can be success, they
find Olaa a pretty good place in
to reside. The matter of fines ma
Questionable one, but when tht
borer prefers fine to prosecute
r the courts, it is his choice, anu
AUV should abide by the result. 1t Is
All fortunate that trouble should
visited Olaa, but better now than
ations. on; the laborers are nearly all
hands, and by the time mill opera
DOR of begin they will be good men
ready to renew their contracts.
or ad- The Water Supply.
The stream of water tapped o
Olaa Sugar Co. has turned out 10
" greater volume than was expecteu
question of whether or no taxing
Block. from that underground stream
terfered with the supply when u
goes into the Electric Light Coma
I'm "A since the las