The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-12-13
ATKINSON !
IS CHOSEN
The Secretary viii Go
to Europe For
Immigrants.

ton yesterday designated Secretary O
| the Territory A. L. c. Atkinson as it.
representative to proceed to the Azores
and Madeira, Portuguese islands in the
Atlantic, for the purpose of investi-
eating the supply of laborers for pos
| sible emigration to the Hawaiian Is
lands. He will also investigate a SINH
| lar supply in Northern Italy. Yester-
days action is based on the represen-
| tation of various sugar plantations that
| they can care for one thousand fami-
lies.
| Governor Carter has consented that
| Mr.. Atkinson shall act in this capacity,
and by the first Of the year it is quite
possible that the Secretary will cross
the Atlantic and commence his Iabors.
Mr.. Atkinson, who is chairman of the
Board of immigration, is now in Wash
ington, D. c.
The Board of immigration met at
u, noon, yesterday in it's offices in the
Magoon building. There were present
Secretary j. P. Cooke, John Garden,
J. H. Craig and Clerk c. H. Crabbe.
The meeting was public and the mat
ter of laborers and the inducements of
the plantations to aid such immigra-
ton were fully and freely discussed.
Only the letter of instructions to Mr..
Atkinson, prepared by Mr.. Cooke, and
embodying both the suggestions and Of
fers in detail of the Sugar Planters
Association and the Immigra ton Board
was withheld from the public, this be-
ing of a private nature.
A letter from the Planters Associa-
ton to the Board was read. Its con-
tents were to the effect that the trus-
tees of the Planters Association had
adopted resolutions favoring the immi-
grafton of 1000 Portuguese families
from the Azores and Madeira, or from
the north of Italy, if the former can
not be obtained The plantations
would contribute the necessary funds
to carry this plan into effect. The
Board was referred to a letter dated
October %, addressed to Secretary At
kinson, notifying him that the planta-
lions were willing to allot' an acre
of land to each family, and that 325
families could be accommodated by six
plantations. There would be a house
and other benefits. That letter stated
that farming agreements were also be-
ing considered by other plantations,
and in a few weeks the number of
plantations in this agreement would be
increased.
Some of the plantations with short
term leases were not in position to
make similar offers. But definite Of
fer of homesteads could be made to
325 families.
Mr.. Cooke then stated that the fol-
lowing plantations had offered to pro-
vide for families, as follows:
Maui Agricultural Co., so families;
Kihei. %: Olaa, so; Kahuku, 100; Ha-
waiian Commercial and Sugar Co., 100
This matter was taken up in earnest
by the planters" said Mr.. Cooke. Il
was told yesterday that Eva planta-
ton would authorize an agreement to
provide for 100 families
Mr.. Cooke went on to say that this
would be considered by the Eva d.
rectors at an early meeting, and the
same would be true of Waialua and
Kohala plantations.
Without using the names, Mr.. Cooke
said he had seen letters addressed to
several managers and he knew of at
least half a dozen additional planta-
tons which will enter into the PROPOSE
ton.
Il have no doubt we will have suff1-
Gent offers to take up the thousand
families he added.
Asked by Mr.. Craig as to what wages
were being paid Japanese laborers, Mr.
Cooke said he believed they We're SIT
and $1S In the case of Portuguese or
Italian laborers coming to the islands.
the plantations that could not offer
land would pay 81 in cash per month
to each laborer above the wages re
ceived by homesteading laborerS. The
scale Of wages would be: $22 for the
first year; $23 the second, and $24 the
third, for men. For boys between 10
and IS years of age, $17; for girls, same
age, $12; for women, between is and
40. s14.
Mr.. Cooke further stated that the
labor committee of the Planters Assoc
citation had held several meetings late
" and three with the Governor, who
had given them many valuable sugges-
tons.
I'VE would recommend that Mr.. At
kinson be requested to proceed at
once the aZOI6S anu ~hciIGiA q eNAAA
examine the situation there, and re-
port whether there are enough labor
ers available of the right class said
Mr. Cooke. IF he finds there are
not enough, then he is to proceed to
the north of Italy and make report
on the situation there.
ION returning to New York he will
make a thorough investigation of the
transportation facilities, and make
arrangements for the transportation of
the immigrants across the Mexican
iSthmus.
My idea is, and it is our idea gen
orally, that the people should be
brought over the isthmus of Tehuan-
tepec. 1t would be a great mistake to
attempt to send shipments around
Cape Horn, as in April and May the
weather down there is bad.
1T seems to us that the wisest thing
for Mr.. Atkinson to do, is to make
this report and get back by April. The
isthmus won't be open until July 1
for transportation.
I'm the letter have prepared for you