The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-07-22
DIDN'T LIKE
THEIR LUNA
japanese Laborers Go
Out On a
Strike.

Honolulu has n Japanese war at her
own doors although 1t is bloodless
one as yet and promises to stay so.
This time 1t is the Japanese laborers on
the Oahu Sugar Company's plantation
who have struck in the hope of forcing
the management to accede to their de-
mand that team luna by the name OF
Suyehiro be discharged. Although the
matter has been brewing for over a
week and the strike actually began
Monday no report was made to the
police station until yesterday morning.
The plantation managers reported that
the men were behaving well and no
police were necessary.
Editor Shiozawa of the Hawaii Shin
po who went to the plantation early
yesterday morning to investigate the
night:
Yesterday morning about 800 men
We're out and this number had been in
creased to from 600 to 500 last night.
This is about two-thirds of the entire
force of Japanese on the plantation.
These men have struck in sympathy
with the teamsters who We're dis
charged Monday because they refused
to work unless Suyehiro was dispensed
with.
1t seems that Suyehiro is one of two
team lunas and that he is very I'M
popular with the men under him who
claim that they are not well treated.
The other luna is popular and when his
brother was killed by being kicked by
n mule 1t is alleged that Suyehiro ex-
pressed little sorrow and even suggest
ed that the departed had ill-treated
the animal and that he had got his
Just deserts. This episode occurred
about two months ago and only added
fuel to the fire. Suyehiro, In addition
to being Il luna is also the proprietor
of a store and 1t Is alleged that he
favors the men who patronize his store
and does everything in his power to
accomplish the ruin of others. This
accusation Suyehiro. when seen today,
emphatically denied.
Last week matters got to such a
sters went In a body to the head luna
and demanded that the cause of the
grievance be removed. He referred
them to Manager Ahrens who told
them that as nothing had been proved
against the man he could do nothing
The men went back and laid their
grievance before the Japanese associa-
ton. The head men of this body held
numerous conferences with the man :
ager and at last reported that nothing
could be done.
At this juncture Suyehiro himself
proposed to settle the trouble by hand
ing in his resignation. This was taken
by both sides as a settlement of the
affair but at the last moment the luna
baked and refused to resign claiming
that the plantation managers would
not let him go. This angered the men
and the head men sent word to the
manager that they could do no more
and that the men were determined to
go out. The manager was firm in his
position and the strike began.
When Mr.. Shiozawa arrived yester-
day morning he found some three hun
dred men congregated who expressed
the sentiment that Suyehiro must CO.
He went to the manager and obtained
n compromise proposition by which the
luna was to be transferred to the over
seeing of the Koreans and the teams
ters who had been discharged were to
be reinstated. This was the manage
ments final proposition and If the men
persisted in their determination To
strike they were to be dismissed, Mr.
Shiozawa reported this to the assem-
bly, at noon yesterday and they pro-
missed an answer at three o'clock. At
that hour the speakers In the gather
ing waXed very eloquent. DO you
know why Japan is fighting Russia Pr
one of them said 1T Is not from q
selfish motive but to prevent her op-
pressing weak China and Korea Does
1t behoove US then to shirk this COM
bat by forcing the oppression of this
Suyehiro on these poor Koreans?" The
tion to accept no compromise but to
strike.
Tonight everything is quiet The man
who was hurt yesterday is said to be
a well known local gambler and his
misfortune can only indirectly be
traced to the strike. There is good
reason to believe that Suyehiro will
resign for good this morning in which
event the whole matter will probably
be settled.