The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-28
LATE NEWS
FROM MAUI
Many Strikes interrupt
Plantation Work.
NO SIGN OF SETTLEMENT
Some Of the Negroes imported are
not Good Citizens--0ther
Happenings.
Especial Correspondence

WAILUKU, Maui, Jan. 21.--It is fortu-
nate for Maui that negro labor has been
available, for planters who have TO de-
pend upon Japanese labor will be obliged
to sacrifice their sugar crop, or grant the
The Maui News says: 1T has been cur
rently rumored for some time past that
the Japanese on the Island, led by I'M
Iscrupulous agitators, were preparing for
a general strike, and so 1t was no sur
prise, during the early part of the week
to learn that the Japs working at Kahu-
lui had led off in the strike for more pay
and shorter hours. The Japs not only
quit work themselves, but, by threats and
icoaxing, they induced some of the Ha-
waiians to quit work also. One Japanese
has been arrested for threatening a Ha-
waiian who expressed his determination
to return to work, and will probably be
put where he will not be able to harm the
Hawaiian for a while at least. 1t is claim
ed that many of the Hawaiians have been
| so terrified by the threats of the Japan
csc to kill them that they are really
afraid to return to work at Kahului.
1.-The mill hands at SpreekelSville mill
! followed suit and went on a strike dur
| ing the early part of the week. "A pecu-
liar fact in connection with these two
strikes is the Japanese who work at La
hului and at Spreck elsville are much the
best-paid and best-treated Japanese on
Maui.
fortunately for Mr.. Lowrie, a large
consignment of negroes and Italians had
recently arrived, and he put them to
work in the mill with gratifying results
AS. soon as the Japanese saw that they
were about to be superseded in the mill,
they were glad to patch up compromise
i and go back to work.
| 1.-THE negroes and Italians were. then
sent from the Spreckelsville mill to the
Kahului wharf to work, and the result Is
that large number of Japanese are out
Eof job, and it is more than likely that
they will remain SO. AS soon as the fool
ish terror of the Hawaiians is removed,
they will doubtless return to work on the
wharf The negroes who have come to
1.-THE SpreckelSville plantation are farm
Hands from near Montgomery, Alabama.
and giving very good satisfaction. Anoth-
Ter large shipment is now on the way from
alabama, and the day of Japanese DOM
tination is gone forever.
1.-THE small shipment Of negroes from
Tennessee to the Wailuku plantation is
not as a class SO desirable as the Ala
bamians. Some of them are all right, but
a number of them are crap-shooting city
Idarkies who never ought to have been
brought here. Some of them caught the
infection this week and went on strike,
IUut 10 their SURPRISE luey nave uiSCONSl-
ed that no other plantation will give them
work, and as the walking from here to
Tennessee is bad at present, they are at
a loss to know what to Go. Wiser coun-
sells will probably prevail with them soon,
and some of them may turn out all right
ut would prove economical in the end
to ship some of them back to Tennessee
by the first sailing vessel, as they will
never be worth anything to themselves
or anyone else ON the Islands.
During the early part of the week the
Japanese at Kihei plantation began tc
strike in small numbers at a time, prob
ably as a test. Mr.. Pogue had sized uI
the situation about right, for as soon as
a strike is called to his attention, the
strikers are bundled out of their cabins
and off the plantation, bag and baggage
instanter.
'"The Italians who have recently ar
rived are the best class of labor on thu
Island, and inducements will probably b,
held out to increase their number.
1.-The Porto Ricans who have SO far ar
rived a sorry-looking lot, and the gen
eral sentiment on Maui is that it woult
mot be wise to encourage their immigra
ton to the Islands in considerable mum
bers."