The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-03-27
money OF
THE CHINESE
They Should Draw
It For Their
Own Use.

committee of the Senate on the social
ell "Chinese Fund" contains much truth
and some wise suggestions, but on the
whole It is not satisfying.
Firstly. there is no such fund as the
under that title being balance due de-
positors in the defunct Hawa IAN Postal
Savings Bank" 1t may be that this
balance has been drawn on by others
than the Chinese depositors to such an
extent that the present balance is now
due solely to Chinese.
All who chose were depositors in that
bank the Chinese immigrant laborers,
however, being compulsory depositors.
This was in accordance with law to
make prov ison for their departure at
such times as they should cease to be
employed at agricultural labor.
compelled to deposit all receipts in the
Treasury as soon as he had $4,000 on
land, and the government used the
money as it came in, the depositors re-
oeiving interest for the amount of their
deposits. Thus, the government owed
the depositors, and when annexation
took place this aggregation was one of
the debts of the country.
The United States government having
assumed the debt of Hawaii to the ex-
tent of four millions Of dollars, "includ-
ing amounts due depositors in the Ha-
waiian Postal Savings Bank" it be-
came necessary for the United s ties
government to know what that balance
was. A stated account of the same was
forwarded and that specific amount
was RENTED. This, then, is what is
known as the Chinese Fund" although
at the time of It's receipt there were
many others than Chinese depositors.
Chinese laborer's deposit could only
be used in one way; that was to pay his
passage away on departure and give
him whatever balance was in excess
after paying for his ticket.
There are rumors of Chinese selling
their pass-books on the banks for so
per cent of their face. 1t Is unlikely
hot htx nj
anything else that the purchaser could
not realize on.
The committee of the Senate discov-
cred that the aggregate due to Chinese
depositors is s155, 54670, a very large
sum to keep locked up without interest,
as interest ceased On those deposits. 1t
also discovered that this balance was
not the property Of the Territory. and
ii 1t had pursued :ts study little fur
Their 1t would have discovered that it
was the property Of the United States
government until such time as it was
demanded by the depositors. The stat
ute of limitations never runs in favor
of bank. and the money could never be
the property of the Territory. which
was the successor of the bank In
event Of any of these deposits being
Uncalied for in a reasonable time they
would escheat to the Federal govern
ment, which fact determines the own
eIship of the fund.
AS a matter of fact, when those Chi
nese laborers emigrated to Hawaii
they agreed to depart as soon as they
ceased to be employed as agricultural
laborers. but there was no forfeiture
clause inserted in the agreement in re-
gard TO their deposits, and depositor
can remain in the country as long as he
pleases and demand his deposit on leav-
ing.
AS the United States government has
reg istered all Chinese In the country
and granted them permission to remain,
Notwithstanding heir agreement to de-
part the latter is abrogated by the
former and 1t is the opinion OF many
that every Chinese depositor who will
present his pass-oook, accompanied by
his registration papers, is entitled to
his money.
They should be permitted to draw
down their money and thus let this
large sum of money loose in the COM
munity and free the government of the
expense and annoyance of longer caring
for It, There will always be balance,
however. as there are some of the Chi
nese dopositors who could not comply
with requisltlon to produce registra-
tion papers. they having deserted and
fed the country and abandoned their
small deposits JAMES w, GIRVIN.
cOIIOT