The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-02-20
HAWAII NEWS
Japanese Strike on 0laa
Plantation.
Sixteen Ring Leaders Arrested =.
Cause OF Troube--U. S. Deci
sion on Citizenship,

There was little dificulty amonl
Ihe Japanese OF the Oiaa Sugar Co OF
Tuesday which resulted In sixteen ol
them being brought to fIilo and lodged
In Jail From information at hand
the trouble occurred in the division
presided over by Mr.. Fuller and was
the outcome OF the men declining 20
work at clearing land when their con-
tracts provided for field work.
One gang quit work with the inten-
tion 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 riot
all the lunas from the other divisions
were called to headquarters. Eleven
men were placed under arrest and sent
to Hllo Later in the day there was a
recurrence of the trouble, and Sheriff
Andrews was telephoned to for assist
ance. He left at 1880 p. m. with a
posse, including Frank Smith as
special officer, reaching Mountain View
in about four hours. Five men, be-
lieved to be ringleaders in the difficult
ty, were arrested and brought to Hlo
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 consid
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-
tion Of a Japanese in the Police Court
here last week of assault upon Mr..
Fuller. That japanese belonged to
the camp at twenty miles, where all
the trouble originated; the men there
are from the interior of Japan and are
unaccustomed to discipline at home,
80 that when authority is exercised
here they are inclined to rebel. Vio-
lence is not tolerated on the Olaa
Piantation from lunas to laborors, but
there is the system of fines the same
as on any other plantation. The la
borers at twenty miles persistently,
and after repeated warnings, violate
sanitary and other rules, and when
dnt uip ha shnipa
of being arrested as nuisances or TAX
ing the alternative of being fined. The
men have invariably taken the latter
course. Other japanese laborers on
the plantation say that those at twen-
1y miles are of the opinion that the
arrest and conviction in Hilo of the
japanese last week was without rea
son, and that if the two lunas, Fuller
and Giddings, were out of the way,
their work would be easier and their
freedom greater. Their ignorance Of
laws leads them to this opinion. The
gentleman expressing these views be-
lieyes that the difficulty has not end
ed and will not end until the untamed
crew at twenty miles has been sub
dued. On Tuesday night the Japanese
at the lower camp made an attempt
to join their countrymen further up
the line, but were held at bay by Mr.
Won Graevemeyer and two other men
until finally they were persuaded to
go back to camp.
One of the rules of the Olaa Sugar
Co. is that the Japanese laborers shall
not be abused. This being the case,
the present trouble there could not
have been caused by abuse. Take it all
in all the few white persons on a plan
tation. surrounded by hundreds of
Japanese, who have not the remotest
idea of law and order, are not in an
enyiable position, and at the rate the
Japanese population is increasing with
ont an equal among the whites, the
situation is not destined to change in
the near future. Manager McStocker
is a good organizer and there Is no
doubt that so far as the laborers in
his charge are concerned they will
soon realize that so long as they obey
the laws of government and the rules
OF the plantation their lives Will be no
harder than in far away Japan. When
they make up their minds to submit 70
ordinary discipline, without which no
plantation can be success, they Will
find Olaa pretty good place In which
10 reside. The matter OF fines may be
a QUESTIONABLE one, Dul NutH NHt Ia
borer prefers a fine TO prosecution in
the courts, it is his choice, and he
should abide by the result. 1t is un-
fortunate that trouble should have
visited olaa, but better now than later
on; the laborers are nearly all green
hands, and by the time mill operations
begin they will be good men and
ready TO renew their contracts.
The Water Supply.
The stream OF water tapped by the
olaa Sugar Co. has turned out TO be OF
greater volume than was expected. The
question of whether or no taking water
from that underground stream has in
terfered with the supply which usually
goes into the Electric Light Company
ditch is unsettled. Since the last rain
and until Sunday night the lights hay'
been particularly bright, but on Sunda!
and Monday nights they were din
enough On Tuesday and Wednesda!
nights they appeared bright again