The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-26
OBJECT TO STRATTON
PACIFIC MAIL FEARS LOSS OF
CUSTOM.
General Manager Schwerin Expects to
Lose Asiatc Travel Through Collec-
tor STATIONS New Authority.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 16.-General
Manager Schwerin of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company is greatly trou-
bled over the decision of the Supreme
Court which makes Collector Stratton
the arbiter of the destinies of the lin
transit" Chinese. He has informed the
Collector that the business will now go
by the northern route, and that in
fact, the last steamer into Victoria car
1ied 300 of these coolies. He fears that
If the lin transits" who have been held
at the detention sheds here for months
past are sent back to China, in accord
anCe with STATIONS decision his COM
pany will be effectually estopped as
carrier of Asiatics, for the stories
they tell to their countrymen will de-
ter others from travelling the same
route, where, if they are allowed to
proceed on their Journey their trou-
bles will be forgotten.
There seems to be no scheme too
crude for these coolies to embark in for
the purpose of effecting a landing in
this country. Not long ago eleven Chi
nese in transit from Mexico to China
reached here on a Pacific Mail steamer.
Under Instructions they were to be
transferred to the next steamer of the
same line sailing for the Orient After
the China steamer cleared, however,
Collector Stratton learned that the
Surveyor had allowed two of them TO
be transferred to the detention shed on
the representation that they were sick
The next day an application was made
through an attorney for the temporary
release of these ailing Celestia,g on
bonds to be furnished through the
Consul-General, it being alleged that
| they had important business to trans
act here. The application was denied,
| for the Collector humanely concluded
that if they were too i'll to travel they
were not in physical condition 70 at
| tend to business.
! Since it has been definitely settled
that the Collector has exclusive juris-
! diction in passing on the in transit
cases their friends and cOuntrymen
have left no stone unturned or wire UNI
pulled to convince him of their honesty
or purpose in booking for ports outside
Of the United States. His suspicious
were at first aroused by the ignorance
of Chinese of the location of the place
to which, according to their tickets ard
statements, they We're destined. They
| admitted having no friends there and
did not know what they were going to
do. Now he is being bombarded with
kilograms from firms of alleged mer-
chants in Ensenada, Guaymas and 9TH
|
unity to the border of the United States
stating that certain of these Chinese
are partners in their firms or have
been engaged to work for them In
stead of strengthening the claims OF
the detained coolies, these adviceS
make their position even more unten'
able, for in nearly every instance the
ticketed destination and that given II
the telegram fail to agree. Chimes,
with the declared and ticketed destin
alton of Panama are alleged to be EN-,
plOyes of firms in Ensenada; ticket!
for the City of Mexico, according t.
the kilograms, should be Guaymas, anr
other revelations equally startling.
These kilograms were exhibited t.
Consul General Ho Vow as an add
tional proof of bad faith, therCupon nj
wired the Chinese Minister at Was
hington, with the result that yesterday
Stratton received a telegram from thu
department instructing him to hold ;
certain six of these lin transits" il
order that affidavts might be procured
from the alleged employers in Mexico
by request of the Chinese Minister. i
is expected that the same tactics viii
be tried with other cases unless they
are speedily depOrted.