The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-03-24
P1l1u aIelIs ne
COMING N DloVEs
THOUSANDS ARE BEING INDUCED
TO LEAVE AND SEEK FOR
TUNES ELSEWHERE.
Emigration Reducing Surplus of la
Dor in Porto Rieo-Many to Go
to Cuba and Eeuador-Those Lefs
Behind VIII Better Themselves.

Correspondence Associated Press
| SAN JUAN DE PORTO RICO. Mar.
9--The surplus labor population OF
Porto Rico is being gradually but per-
manently lessened by immigration.
| During the past few months over l.
- men, women and children have
left for Hawaii, and il the Hawaiian
| Sugar Planters Association does not
cancel its order with the local agent.
and If too much opposition is not rails
ed here, about Is 900 more will be sent
| to the -ar-away Islands The local
agents have been considerably handi-
capped oy the publication of numerous
scare stories from the local Spanish
! papers. These stories are written and
circulated by q certain element By
means Of newspapers and handbills.
which have been distributed in the dis
triets from which the emigrants are
being recruited The ignorant. would
be emigrants are led to believe that
they are being sold into slavery. and
that their masters will subject them
TO all manner of torture and cruelty
on the sugar plantations of Hawaii.
The last lot of Hawaiian-bo bound emf
grants sailed from Ponce on the Sd.
The ship intended to sail on the I'd.
but 1t was neld up by the authorities
on complaints from parents that their
children were being taken away with
out their consent. Dozens of women
also complained that their husbands
were deserving them The ship was
detained over night and several Of
those intending to sail on her were
taken off by the police.
An unsuccessful attempt was made |
on the I'd to ship 400 emigrants to
the Cuban iron mines from Ponce. |
The steamer sent here by the Spanish |
American Iron Company was an Eng
lish freighter and not licensed to car
~ passengers. The boat was held up
by the customs authorities and the
man in charge of the expedition dis |
missed the emigrants, saying that he |
was an irresponsible employee and not |
obliged to pay the four days pay the |
men claimed was due them while |
waiting to sail He had entered into |
no contract with the people beyond a !
verbal promise to give them work at /
i day. The disappointed men nat
urally felt that they had grievance, |
and riot was imminent, when they /
were quieted by the police. Seventy /
five of them sailed the next morning /
on the Californian for New Orleans, !
en- route to Hawaii
Other emigration agents are solicit /
ing men to go to Ecuador to work on /
the Mcdonald railroad contract. The |
Jamaican laborers which the company |
has taken to South America are re-
ported to be troublesome and unsat- |
isfactory, and the contracting COM |
pany is anxious to engage 5000 Porto
Ricans. The first expedition will prob
ably sail about March 18th. Small |
parties of fifty or one hundred people |
are continually leaving the island.
The emigration of laboring classes |
may be considered blessing for Por-
to Rico The island is exceedingly
over populated and there is no work /
to be offered to the vast army of UNI
employed. Those who are left be-
hind have more opportunity to better
themselves. and those who emigrate,
especially those who go to Hawaii.
will be given permanent employment.
They find the climate and style Of Ia
Dor the same as that which they are
accustomed to here. and they are Civ
en- free fuel, rent, and schooling for
their children.