The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-28
MANY ARE MISLEAD BY AGENTS
SPECIOUs TALE.
Company Regularly Formed to Divert
Japanese Labor From Hawaii to
California.

The accredited agent Of a Japanese
employment agency in California arriv-
ed on the steamer Peru with apparent
~ full powers to act, and a bank ac-
count OF considerable magnitude with
which to pay passages of Japanese
from here to San Francisco. The agents 3
name is Nanko and it is the Intention
of the agency to start regular offices in
this city for the purpose of deporting
japanese labor.
Ihe main office, situated in California
rs evidently not depending entirely up-
on the good offices of Nanko in securing
labor but have endeayored to secure the
services of certain Americans well ac-
qualnted with the Japanese customs
ana language who will reach the Jana
neSe immigrants as soon as they land
here and get their minds turned to-
wards California before the agent of the
Planter's Association here can shin
them on to the plantations. This agent
would be given a commission on each
man shipped. So far the agency has
been unable to secure a man. Accord
ing to letters sent the agency has made
arrangements with the steamer COM
pany for rate of something like 81
head for each Japanese deported.
steerage passage, the same payable in
gold in Honolulu
Some five hundred of the japanese
colony here are said to have gone to the
coast in the last two months lured by
promises of from $1,25 to $500 a day to
be made in the golden west. Arriving
In san Francisco II is claimed that the
japanese will be entirely at the mercy
of the agents who destine them for
labor in the beet fields and other indus-.
trles Where they will receive only x
bare half of the inducements offered.
story was circulated to the effect
that Consul Saito was endeavoring to
prevent the Japanese leaving here by
refusing to visee their passports whicn
they receive on leaving Japan for Ha-
waii and which entities them to return
after three years. The same story add
ed that Hackfeld and Company were
refusing to sell tickets to Japs wanting
to go to the mainland. MANY of the
new arrivals believing in their general
ignorance that they required a passport
to carry them to the states were read
lily convinced that the consul was act
ing against their interests and keep
them here against the chance Of maxi
ing good wages in California and grew
indignant and aggrieved.
Consul Saito has Indignantly denied
having made such ruling or that he
has endeaVoEed4,so make the Japanese
think in any way that they need a pass
port to go to California at all or are in
any way restricted to staying here.
With other prominent merchants here
Consul SaitO has objected to seeing his
countrymen going to California where
he believes promises will not be full
filled. The merchants in general have
counteracted the aim of the local agent
who has been visiting the Japanese
colony here by telling them that the
promise of big wages is merely a ruse
to get them into an unknown country
where they will be powerless to do any
thing but accept the offer of the agents.
The passport story seems-to have had
its origin in the fact that the steamship
company has been in the habit of fur
nishing the japanese consulate with the
numbers and names of Japanese go
ing to Californi, simply for statistical
purposes. There has been no attempt
at restraint and all who applied for the
passage when there was room to take
them have been as free to come and go
as American citizens themselves. AS
the number of emigrants increased the
work was lightened by telling all those
who wished to purchase tickets to sre-
port at the consulate but they were un-
der no actual necessity of so doing