The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-12-24
PORTO RICANS ARRIVE. MAJOR POTTER RETURNS
SMALL PORTION OF ORIGINAL.
PARTY HERE.
Nearly Ninety Induced by Deliberate
Falsehoods to Desert Their Compan-
ions-To Work at Pioneer.

After weeks of annoyance the agents
| of the Planters Association succeeded
| in bringing tifty-six Porto Ricans to
| the Islands to work on the sugar plan
] tations. This was less than half of
/ the original number which started
! from Porto Rico to find new homes
! in the Hawaiian Islands. The balance
! hardened unto the voice of the temptor
on the Mainland and are now enjoying
the blessings of public charity to which
their foolish credulity brought them.
! The Porto Ricans arrived Sunday on
the Rio Janeiro and are now probably
safely landed at Lahaina where they
! will work on the Pioneer Mill Company.
| plantation. Whether any more people
from that country will be brought here
! Will depend upon the showing which
the recent arrivals make. Instead of
| being halt starved wan, and cringing
to cruel slave herders as the San Fran
cisco Examiner represented, the Porto
| Ricans seemed very happy and con-
| tented. The desertions occurred from
| the most ridiculous Misrepresentation
| Those who did come looked strong and
| able to do plantation work They are
rather small in size however.
| The idea of bringing the natives from
| Porto Rico to these islands was favored
| months ago by the planters with the
| result that agents were sent to induce
| the Porto Ricans to emigrate to these
Islands. The American governors of
| Porto Rico, one of whom suggested the
original idea, favored the plan and gave
| their assistance to it, When the party
| was rounded up 134 natives boarded
| the steamer and were taken to the
States. From New Orleans they were
conveyed over the Southern Pacific to
San Francisco, the intention being to
| transfer the lot to the Rio and bring
| them here.
Whether desiring to injure the South
| ern Pacific Company and create all
| the possible trouble to that corporation
| possible or else to engage in a deliber-
| ate and maleVolent scheme to injure
! the interests of the Hawaiian Islands
is not known, but in any event the San
! Francisco Examiner had agents as far
| east as FL PasO Texas, trying to dis
| suade the Porto Ricans from coming
here. All sorts of Misrepresentation
utterly and absolutely false, were made.
| 1t was claimed that the crowd was
| given poor food and was half starved.
Investigation by reputable and respon-
sible parties showed this statement to
be absolutely false Every attempt to
annoy the agents and misrepresent con-
ditions was made. The result was that
the Porto Ricans became frightened
and discontented and A of them desert
ed in California before reaching San
| Francisco.
When the train reached Porto Costa
where the Southern Pacific ferrys the
| trains across the straits from Benecia
the steamer Caroline was awaiting to
take the passengers from the train
down the bay to the Rio which was ly-
ing in the stream The misrepresenta-
tions and deliberate mendacity had
done their work however for A more
refused to go on the boat and it was
with difficulty that the Sc were pur-
suaded to take the Caroline and board
~, Ia r1,s Iaf oh &c
of public charity in San Francisco.
The Wilder steamer Lehua was in
readiness when the steamer arrived
from San Francisco and the crowd was
Immediately transferred and taken to
Lahaina where they will go to work
on the Pioneer plantation. There were
also some 23 Italians on the Rio from
various parts of eastern cities who were
taken to Kahului for the Spreckelsvlle
plantation.
Mr.. Pfotenhauer the secretary of the
, Planters Association was seen regard
ing the matter this morning and said:
Il cannot understand the reason that
the Examiner and others had in oppos-
ing the bringing of the Porto Ricans
here. l understand that agents OF
those people began at Ell Paso to try
, and make the laborers discontented by
, misrepresenting the facts to them
! That things were misrepresented was
,
! remained behind in San Francisco
= They said they had been told they were
to be sold as slaves to the Chinese and
, that there was nobody but Chinese
, here The probabilities are that none
, of them ever saw a Chinaman in theil
I own country and knew nothing about
the Chinese except what they were TOLD
a by the reporters and others who tried
) to make them discontented.
Those Porto Ricans had nothing in
their own country. They lived in mis-
q cradle little houses while here they are
to receive far better wages than they
I could have made in Porto Rico anC
. they will be far better off here thar
there The planters have had grea
difficulty in dealing with this labor
I question. We can not depend entirely
0 upon the Japanese for they get up
3 pish" and go on strikes too frequently
e We have brought some Portuguese
:. Italians and others in here and viii
> experiment with all classes Of peoples
{ We are also negotiating for more Port'
g Ricans. Whether there will be any
i further attempt made to bring then
here 1 can not say for it will depen'
a upon how good the present laborer
d prove to be. They will work as ordin
G airy plantation hands, and will be pro
r vided with quarters, fuel and inciden
o tails of that character.
1T looks to me as if deliberate at
tempt was being made TO inJure thes
islands. Such policy should certainl,
not be followed in San Francisco 70
: the interests and prosperity of the Ha
: waiian Islands is some thing which /
, to be advantage of California to en-
courage"
The Warrimoo brought about SO Por
tuguese from New Bedford, Mass I
h work at Lihue, Kauai. OF this numbe
% there are about is children. and 20 VIC
y men. Some of the crowd say the
k signed three year contracts, Will
a others assert they agreed merely
e come TO Lihue, Kauai Only five {
II the original crowd deserted this part!
IS They came with the understandin
2 they We're to receive S25 a month, fu'
n, quarters. medical attendance and sin
IN liar privileges.