The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-11
LABOR FROM
PORTO RICO
Four Hundred En- Route
To Hawaii.
TEN THOUSAND TO COME
Unfortunate Islanders Leaving a
Country Where They Have
Suffered.

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. "A special
says: The steamship Arkadia of the
New York and New Orleans Porto Rico
Steamship line will reach this port to-
morrow morning, having passed quar-
antine at the mouth of the river. A
dispatch to the Times-Democrat from
it's correspondent at the jetties says:
A sorrowful looking set are the 3S7
the Arkadia. All are suffering from
They came from the interior of the is
land, where thousands are now in a
destitute condition. There We're three
deaths on the voyage, but none from
Iccntagious or infectious disease.
1t was a pitiful sight to witness these
poor creatures line up on deck to pass
muster and inspection by Drs. Thomas
and Ably. The cold affected them great
~. 1t is reported that 10000 are to be
transported to the Sandwich Islands to
work on the sugar plantations, but
from the physical condition of these it
will take months of good feeding to
prepare them for work. One able-bod-
led cornfeld negro could easily do the
work of ten of these Porto Ricans.
These latter are the words of the quar-
antine physician, Dr. Thomas
For three days c.. VOTERS of San
Francisco has been in New Orleans
awaiting the arrival of the immi-
grants. He is a representative of the
Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association
and of the people who are transport
ing the natives of Porto Rico to the
distant plantations of Honolulu. VOL
tiers admitted that he would chaperon
the immigrants. He refused to discuss
the matter, but was fierce in his de-
nunciation of the San Francisco pa
pers, which had, he said, done all in
their power to kill the slave business.
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. lon Janu-
airy 4th the steamship Arkadia of the
New Orleans-Porto Rican line will ar
rive here with 400 Porto Ricans bound
for the Hawaiian Islands. OF that
number 200 viii be men, 100 women
and 100 children Of different ages. c..
Wolters, an agent of the Hawaiian SUI
gar painters, arrived in this city from
San Francisco tonight. He will meet
the Arkadia and her passengers at this
port and accompany them to the Pa
cific. He explained his presence by
saying that some of the San Francisco
papers had done all in their power to
kf1l the business and to create dissatis-
faction and rebellion among the first
lot of Porto RicanS.
He said: They told those poor ig-
norant people that they were being
sold into slavery to Chinese, to be
ruled and governed by them. I came
on to New Orleans to accompany the
people to San Francisco and to see that
they are all right
t"You consider the change a good
one?"
Il do, indeed. In Porto Rico these
natives receive only SO cents a day
and they must furnish everything
their homes, their food, medical at
tendance and everything. In Hawaii
they will receive SIS, SIG and SIT pei
month, respectively, for the first three
years, at the expiration of which time
they will receive a bonus"
How do the two countries com
pare?"
Il have been in both and / know the
conditions. These Porto Ricans should
thank their lucky stars that they car
get to a country like Hawaii. Porto
Rico is crowded and in many of the
districts gaunt famine stalks abroad
What they need is thinning out an6
making room for those to live who are
left behind. 1t is a Godsend that some
can get away, and to a country like
Hawaii, where labor is needed and in
great demand