The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-03-19
HIDALGOS
OUT.

A Porto Ricas emeute Is the latest
phase of the plantation labor problem IN
Hawaii and seems to furnish conclusive
proof that the Porto Ricans are not ca
pabIe of lf-government; that Is II mas
about as much bearing upon that aues-
ton as most other arguments that Con
gress takes into consideration relative to
the New Possessions" The trouble in
question took place at Ookala, which re-
Gently added to its labor supply about
twenty-five descendants of the ancient
Hidaigos. who pinned for work and could
not find IL In Porto At least ihey
thought work was what they needed, but
it seems they were mistaken.
Mr. Florentn Souza was called upon
by Sheriff Andrews the other evening to
act as interpreter for Porto Rican who
had hoofed IL all the way from Ookala
seeking policemen and finding none UNI
all he arrived at what Josiah Flint would
cali the Front Office" He evidently
did not know that policemen in Hawaii
are not allowed to go out at night; and
had probably never read about the diff
a
When MIR. Souza arrived the unfortu-
rate Rican, who had only escaped the
suzerainty of Spain to pass under the
yoke OF Ookala, poured forth MS taie'
He said that on the preceding morning,
/, being somewhat damp out of doors, ne
and his companions were not DESTROYS OF
labor and had concluded to spend the
day in rest and meditation Neverthe-
less entered upon their Seclusion fierce
~ a
strange oaths, laid about him and routed
them out to toll and discomfort; as for
himself he was with all haste looming
his raincoat. being glad of the opportu-
nifty to get out in the fresh morning
air, when the aforesaid barbarian-that
is to say. the luna-fell upon him with
blows and kicks; here he showed various
marks of violence.
day or two afterward Mr.. Sou2a
came across a number of other Porto
Ricans in Hilo who said they had been
whipped and otherwise maltreated, and
had left the plantation for good. 1t Is
understood that they had been employed
by Mr.. j. G.. Serrao
Il imagine" said MIR. Souza, from
what ] saw, that the Porto Ricans that
came here.are a rather lazy and worth
less lot from the coast towns. The la
borers on the plantations in the interior
of the sland are very good workers.
though perhaps not so good as the Jap
aneSe we nave mere. Iney generally I'VE
on the plantations from generation to
generation and become attached to the
place and the owners: the ones we get
here are a sort of floating, shftless ele-
ment and | think inclined to be lazy. At
the same time. If l were a plantation
luna. / should be very wary about using
violence toward them. They are vindict-
i've and treacherous; they never forget,
and sooner or later they will probably
find chance to get back at the one who
injured them, and it will probably be by
stab from behnd."-Hilo Tribune
KOHALA-HILO RAILROAD.
Smith & Parsons, who act in the ca
pacity of legal advisers for Mr.. Gehr,
president of the Kohala- Hilo Railroad
Company, were interviewed by Tribune
representative in regard to the future
operations or interpretations of this cor
poration.
II have received a number OF letters
recently from Mr. Gehr." said Mr..
Smith, land I have every reason to sup
pose that the enterprise in question will
90 ahead and that there is no intention
or necessity on the part of the promoters
to drop 1t.
Various complications have arisen In
the East caused partly by the death OF
the chief financial hacker OF the promo
ters and partly by the withdrawal OF
those who had agreed to take the bonds
This has resulted simply in the necessity
OF going over the whole operation again
for the purpose of securing capital, and
this Mr.. Gehr has effected, or so nearly
effected that there is no doubt of his
success. The delay is harassing, annoy
ing and has had depressing effect upon
the development of the town. but 1t does
not mean encouragement or defeat I
expect Mr.. Gehr back in the near fu-
ture."-Hilo Tribune.
PRISONER BREAKS BONDS.
Two Japanese. who had been entrusted
with large sum of money with which
TO pay off men engaged in a road con-
tract in Kau. have gone wrong. That
is, one of them has gone wrong, accord
ing to the ideas of the police officer who
had them In charge.
/, seems that there was due twenty
four men working on the contract $62s.-
10. and this money was given the Two
Japanese to take to tho camp. Instead
of doing so they came over to Hilo and
secured apartments at Okamura's hotel
and proceeded to- paint the town rose
ate hue. What the chef at Okamura's
did not provide for the guests, the two
swells did. and chicken and sharks fins
were on the menu card three times a
day until their delay in arriving with
the money began to cause a murmur of
discomfort among the laborers. Then the
police were notified and Yotaro was put
the case. 800 being offered by the
contractors for the arrest of the men.
He found them at the hotel and took
them to the station house, where, on be-
ing searched, they yielded up SAFES and
two cases of indigestion, A policeman
was sent over from Kau to take the
men back. and he left Hilo with his
charges handcuffed together, some time
Tuesday. At Twelve Miles he stopped
to feed his horse leaving the prisoners
on the yeranda of house occupied by
some native friends. After attending to
the wants of the horse, he returned to
the house only to find that one of the
prisoners had slipped his handouts from
his wrists and made his escape. The 9TH
sr one had not attempted TO get away.
officer Kelley was notified and made