The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-12-05
CARTER BEFORE
SARGENT
tcon,lnaed from page oneJ,

] I'D
very important problem and one that
/ requires a great deal Of thought. To-
morrow 1 may be able to tell YOU Just
/ how things are, but at this time I am
/ not prepared to say anything I'm regard
/ to this Inquiry or I'm regard To- these
! Portuguese immigrants. It is am ex-
oeedingly important problem"
/ L. S. District Attorney Breokons
stated that Mr.. Sargent had sent FOR
| the Governor to explain the offices Of
| the Territorial Board Of Immigration
/ and others I'm regard to the Portuguese
! immigration.
Governor Carter said that Commits
sioner Sargent had asked to see him
in regard to the history of this impor-
/ tation Of Portuguese. He had been
asked who it was put up the money
! for the transportation of the Portu-
! guese from the Azores and Madeira:
! whether or not the immigrants were in
reality at liberty to go whittier they
! pleased and do as they liked after pass
| ing the immigration authorities. or
! whether they We're i'm any way obliged
! to go to work on the plantations: and
! there was also question i'm regard to
! the allotment Of Portuguese to various
| plantations, Mr.. Sargent wanted to
know all about this.
The Governor gave the above indica-
tion of the questions asked, but said
nothing of the answers he made. 1t is
to be presumed that the Governor stat
ed that the Territorial Board of Immi-
grafton effected the immigration of the
Portuguese and that the money to de-
fray the transportation and other ex-
penses was put up by the planters
that, according to the law that was re-
sponsible for the existence of the Ter
ritorial Board of immigration, the i'm
migrants after landing here and after
being passed by the United States I'm
migration authorities were at liberty to
go where they wished and work where
they desired, and that they were under
no obligation to take employment with
any plantation.
While the inquiry conducted by Com
missioner Sargent was private it is
nevertheless known that Mr.. Sargent's
questions were comprehensive and par
ticular as to detail He wanted to
know just what the system was of
. sending certain. lots of families to GER
tain plantations. lie wanted to be sure
that these families were in no way I'M
, der any compuls.on to go to these or
to any plantation. He was particular
in ascertaining just how the planters
! put up the money for the transporta-
r ton of the immigrants, and why, and
f he called for information in regard to
the doings of the immigration Board
from the beginning of the present en-
terprise. 1t is not to be inferred that
0 Sargent monopolized the conversation,
for he did not. His questions We're
= short but the explanations of the Gov
e ernor We're not so short. Finally the
I Commissioner brought the meeting to
3 a close by a talk" He talked mainly
l to the Governor.
From the thoroughness of Sargent's
questioning it would seem that he had
never before heard of the Hawaiian
Territorial immigration Bureau. If
. Sargent was not surprised he had the
appearance of being surprised at some
of the information given him. And, If
all reports be true, the Governor was
himself little surprised at the talk"
J.. he received from Sargent.
The result of the meeting was not
definite. The inquiry which started as
. a formal investigation, upon the arri-
. val of the Suveric with the Portuguese,
has ended not quite so formally. 1t
. concludes with a problem still unsolv-
= ed and Sargent himself says it is a
, problem and that it requires a great
/, deal Of thought
What seems to have been very well
: understood condition of affairs in Ho-
nolulu would appear to have become
a problem to the Commissioner and the
question that is being asked is whether
it is merely a problem that Sargent can
solve overnight, with considerable
thought, or a problem which will have
to be taken back to Washington by the
Commissioner when he sails on De-
! cember II, in the S, S. Sonoma.
, Act 40, Session Laws of 1905. being
, an act to provide for a Board of I'M
migration and defining its duties, pro-
vides that there shall be five members
Of the Board, appointed by the Cover
nor with the consent of the Senate,
holding office for four years and Civ
} ing bonds for faithful duty in the sum
of $1,000. 1t shall be the duty of the
D Commissioners to use such means as
D may be at their disposal to properly
represent the advantages afforded by
Hawaii to persons desiring to make
their home therein and they may en-
ploy such agents as may be necessary.
The Board can contract with railroads,
steamboats, and other transportation
companies. It shall open books and
solicit subscriptions of money and 9TH
er material aid from persons and cor
0 porations to be used i'm promoting I'M
made to the Governor and all money