Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-12
PROBABLY H0MESIC z
DISSATISFIED PORTO RICANs I'm
HAWAII.
Result Of the Investigation Of Their
Complaints of Il-Treatment-
Sample Of the Testimony.

Secretary Hitchcock has just received
from Gov Sanford B. Dole of the territory
of Hawaii a statement concerning the al
legged III treatment of several thousand
Porto Ricans on Hawaiian sugar planta-
lions. The documents submitted recite
the receipt of the complaint through the
secretary of Porto Rico. dated April 8, 1902,
detail the inquiries instituted among the
Porto Ricans in Hawaii to determine the
basis for the complaint and state that
these complaints are not borne out by the
facts and that the condition of the indus
trious Porto Ricans is satisfactory and
that they have been treated better than the
understanding under which they left home
calls for"
Gov. Dole's letter of transmission pre-
sents the case briefly. He continues:
after the receipt of the complaint I In
structed my private secretary. Mr.. A. G.
Halves. jr.. to proceed to the Paauilo plan
tation, the locality in which most OF
the recent complaints have originated, and
Investigate such complaints and ascertain
the sentiment of the Porto Ricans of that
being returned to Porto Rico.
Il inclose his report and other papers as
described below
Petitions Couched in Strong Phrases.
OF the several Enclosures noted by Gov.
Dole one or two are of marked interest.
The original complaint was sent to the gov
ernor Of Porto Rico by Pedro ]. Agostini,
the father Of one Of the workmen, and Gov.
Dole incIoses copy of Agostinfs letter.
Take into consideration the prayers OF
these unfortunates." petitions Agostini the
elder, and help them, and may God recon-
pense you for it with an eternal blessing
for you and your family.
The original petition is written and signed
in one hand. Its phrases are very general.
Among other things, it sets forth:
I'VE Porto Ricans that happen to be here,
find ourselves more than trampled on, even
to the point of wishing ourselves dead; we
are here like slaves, and We beg you to see
If We can obtain it from your goodness that
you should take measures so that we can
return to our country, so as not to be mall
treated, because We do not deserve 1t. They
treat US like one who is in prison, to the
extent that it is good policy to take US
away from those that we meet in the said
plantation, so it is that, being terrified, we
send supplication to our honorable sir, that
he may illumine the way with favor to see
if We cannot return to beloved Sorin-
quen, which for the first time we have left,
to seek our prosperity, and have met our
perdition in the territories Of Oceania,
which, although under the dominion Of the
stars and stripes, we do not consider as
under your orders.
I'VE are more than slaves here, and we
cannot resist longer the savagery that Is
coming to every one of us Porto Ricans;
they are every day inf1icting more barbara
ties on us. The first thing is that the pay
is small: it Is not according to what was
offered us before we left Porto Rico; the
second is that the store stand US for half
of our days wage. and the result for us iS
not what 1T should be-
A Sample Of the Testimony.
OF the testimony taken by Mr. Halves,
that given by julio Agostini was the most
vigorous in support of the charges. Some
of his answers to Mr.. Halves questions
follow:
do you know anything about this com
plaint?''
Eyes; 1 got 1t up."
Did you write and sign those pames?"
Eyes, 1 wrote it all. They all gave me
permission to sign their names, and they
knew what it contained"
I'm the complaint it is stated that they
have been trampled on. By whom and how
were they trampled on?'
I'VE have been trampled OH because the
promises made us have not been fulfilled.
They agreed to give US only ten hours work
a day, and We have to work eleven and one-
quarter hours
What time do you get to work in the
fields?"
From 6. $50 to O'Clock"
What time do you stop work."
'At AS or o'clock"
Glow long do you have for lunch?"
1Three-quarterS of an hour.
Can you vxplain to me how this makes
eleven and one-auarter hours work day?'
1--WE are made to get up at $50 and start
for work then
Are your wages more than you expected
when you came here?
Yes, more than 1 expected"
"Then you have complaint on this
score?"
Eyes, have. They get more on other
plantations"
How are you treated like slaves, as men,
toned in the complaint"
Because we have to get up at $50 in the
morning. and when 1t is dark, and. go to
work"
us that the only way you are treated like
slaves?"
in that way and in having to work
eleven and a quarter hours instead of ten
hours"
Chief Trouble is Homesickness.
Mr.. Halves submits summary of the
testimony and of his observations.
After dinner 1 was driven by the man
ager, with the Interpreter, to the quarters
Of the Porto Ricans, and there interviewed
a number Of Others" he says. 'They all
wanted to go back to Porto Rico, but had
TO specific complaints to make. They all
said that they thought their hours were
longer than promised, but that their pay
was more. Nearly all had seen or heard
of the complaint being circulated and had
given permission to have their names placed
on the same. They are housed very COM
fortably. They all look very healthy and
the children are fat and strong. I found
nothing that led me to think that they
were i'll treated, or that they did not get
enough to eat although the amount of food
| they are able to buy is in proportion to
| the amount of work they do.
I'm concluding this report, / would say
| that the Porto Ricans Of Paauilo planta-
| ton are, as far as looks are concerned, a
| healthy looking lot and are as well treated
as any of the other laborers on the planta-
ton, and. If anything. are favored on ac-
| count of their inability to take care of
| themselves. Their dissatisfaction seems to
be mainly that they are homesick and miss
| the life of their own country. Probably IL
/ they were returned to Porto Rico they
| would regret leaving the islands.
MRS. MARK TWAIN ILL.