BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-08-28
SAN JUAN, AUGUST %, 1901,
Editorial Comment.


still continues and as the BoLETIN MER-
CANTIL has already announced the steam
ship s'California" is expected. TO sail from
Msyaguez in day or two with a large
force of people destined for Honolulu
There are conflicting reports current as
to the facts concerning this emigration and
it is. quite impossible TO secure the whole
truth as it is, since the representatives of
the company engaged in transporting the
emigrants manifestly do not acsh to say
anything that may in the remotest way be
construed to interfere with recruiting, while
the residents OF the island who have heard
from their friends in Hawaii tell d fferent
stories as to the conditions there.
Some time ago certain papers in the
United States published statement affirm.
ing that the Porto Ricans had not been
found stopg enough to satisfactorily per.
form the work assigned them but this is
clearly false as in such nevent the farther
importation Of the immigrants into the is.
lands would cease. The rnmor no. doubt
areso through the weakened conditlcp in
which the laborers arrived, natural result
OF their long and trying journey and the
sea sicKness from which many of them suf
fertd. With time for rest and given pro-
per nourishmenL we have no fear that The
Porto Rican cannot hold his own against
any class of toilerS so far taken to Hawaii.
They can and will do so.
As to. the food supply our inquiries ex
tended among persons who have made the
voyage from here 10 New Orleans and have
i1sus had an opportunity to observe the
chafacfer Of the ration allowance nave led
US to Inc conclusion that this 10 ample and
scell prepared and served. The treatment.
accorded to the emigrants in other ways
leaves no reasonable opening for complaint
The concensus of opinion among the
emlgrants themselves in Hawaii from da
at hand seems to indicate that on the
whole they are up to the present time So j
tisfied with the change. Making allowance
for some natural feeling of homesickness
this is probably the truth Time will tell
ss to the ultimate success of the move
lHept
AS to any cause for alarm in this small
exodus we fail to see any. The needs of
the Hawaiian planters in the labor supply
cannot be large, the islands ara not very
extensive in area and the limits of the
demand must soon be reached. Here the
vast population of the island has given cause
fer universal complaint, there are constant
labor troubles and 10 San Juan and Ponce
there have been strikes Only few days
ago meeting of arorkingmen too place on
the principal plaza here schere protests were
made against the prevailing conditions and
the scarcity of ,cork was proclaimed.
If there is surplus of labor as is affirmed
and a Few hundreds of our people eau better
themselves by seeing homes and livlihood
elsewhere it is spparen. there can be nothing
but good inihe movement for all concern
ed.
Should such emigration hereafter attain
proportions that would threaten our labor
market it will be time enough for protest or
for action TO be taken 10 restrict it if such
action is possible.
At present there seems to be from our
point Of view no cause tor alarm.
The servant girls in Oh cago have.organ j
lied union and have declared against the
oppression Of cooking midnight meals.
Hereafter householders in the Windy City
when they 60 to the theatre at night will
have to content themselves with sack of
peanuts between The acts.
A COW boy in Western America is lead
ing sinners to repentance by means Of a.
lasso.
The American navy department kitchen
appears to be quite busy now with some
very juicy roasts.
There is lively exodus Of gentlemen with
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