The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-18
THE PETITIONS AUTHOR.

Judge Hofgaard reports in reference
to the matter as follows:
THE PETITIONS AUTHOR.
1.-THE petition was gotten up by one
Jose Ramon yendreIl, who travels
from one plantation to another, living
on his countrymen. He came here
originally as an agent for procuring
Porto Rican laborers but he had not
the look to be an agent of such class
and standing as the Hawaiian planters
had any confidence in. He is well
educated. of unsteady habits and not
well balanced.
THE PORTO RICANs.
! "Kekaha plantation has about forty
! Porto Ricans on its pay roll and, with
| women and children, about a hundred
of them are on the place. Their quar-
tiers are situated on a sand fat near
| the mill and on the seacoast. Wells
have been dug in many places near the
| camp which contain brackish water.
tits, however, fit for washing purposes.
! Drinking water is had at the mill,
which comes from springs in the noun
tains, and they have in no cases to
carry drinking water more than 300
yards. From the looks of their quar-
tiers they evidently use only a small
amount of washing water.
"a family. with children has two
J rooms and a kitchen. Single men have
each one room. For families consist
| ing of only man and his wife, there
are only two rooms and one kitchen for
two such families. All of them have
free firewood and doctor whether they
work or not. Nearly all of them APP
pear to be happy. All that 1 saw said
/ that the plantation management and
overseers were kind and good to them,
and I believe from my own knowledge
that they are better treated here than
on most places. They get one dollar
more per month than the laborers OF
other nationalities. None of them
have ever complained about the man
agement and, as rule, Porto Ricans
in this neighborhood seek work from
this plantation, as they are well treat
ed here.
From visits to them and from in
quiries have found out the follow
ing facts about those that complained.
THE CONTAINERS
primitive Mattos is 81 years of age
and very sick-looking. He has not
worked for three years. He never goes
to see the doctor and acts as if his
mind was not exactly right.
Severe Colon is II years old. The
head overseer of the place tells me
that he worked five days after arrival
and has not worked since. He is old
and decrepit looking and has no fam
lily.
"Blas Aponte is IS years old, is con-
sidered by the plantation authorities
a good man and has been given light
work. He has no family and no rela-
tives. He is very hard of hearing and
has not wanted work for a long time.
''Elenterio Vale Is not in Kekaha
and as far as I can find has never been
with the plantation.
.'Secundino Troche is married man
with four children of whom two
grown-up live with him. He is not
very creditable specimen of humanity
| makes his living by gambling and has
served one year in jail for larceny. and
| came back from Jail about a year ago.
Soon after his arrival he had the mis-
| fortune of breaking his arm in Jump
| ing off a moving train. His arm is
weak but he can do and has done some
! llSnI WOTk- his Nl1e ran away from
him some time ago.
| Pedro Galindo is married. He works
with the women in the field and so
does his wife. He does not look strong.
Rosario Torres is not at Kekaha.
CONCLUSIONS.
| My recommendations are that moth
| ing be done about the petition, as there
| is no reasonable complaint contained
therein. The Porto Ricans at Kekaha
are, as a rule, contented. There are
among them a few sick and unfor-
| tunate that have to depend partly on
| the charity of their compatriots and
others, and they do get help"
THE MANAGERS STATEMENT.
Manager Faye writes the Governor
| in part as follows:
In regard to the petition of certain
Porto Ricans 1 have only to say that
the men who signed it are of the worst
element
Primitive Mattos never works but
we have never asked him to leave and
we have given him house ever since
he has been here.
| Severe Colon. ditto
Secundino Troche broke his arm,
| the first day he worked after having
left the plantation by jumping off a
l moving train. We had him at the
hospital for some time He is now