The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-04-27
M0LOKANS
WILL WORK

Today Acting Governor Atkinson. ar
| companied by Mr.. Kotinsky OF the
Board of Agriculture and Forestry.
who will act as interpreter, will leave
ference with the Molokans and the Ma
kee Sugar Company people. Out OF
this conference 1t is hoped that a set
Element will come that viii not only
result In keeping the Molokans here an
laborers, but which will demonstrate
that the experiment made at EnpaA
will end finally in success.
1t appears that the whole trouble has
been that the plantation people and
the friends of the Molokans went the
wrong way to work at first, partly
| through ignorance of the character of
the material dealt with, partly through
| n natural desire to make the Molokans
| conform TO community system 10
which they had not been accustomed
The Molokans are white men, not Ash
atics.
A letter received from Mr.. Fairchilh-
manager for the Makee Sugar Com
pany, by a gentleman who has been
largely interested in the Molokan ex-
pertinent. dated April "a, contained
these words:
DOING GOOD WORK.
THE other day / had a long talk
with our MololSan friends, at which
time they again assured me that they
could no longer agree to agree or dis
agree as a community, and l proposed
the plan of settling them as inai
viduals. The Colonel (Spalding} later
on had a long talk with them, prom
| Using to help them in every way III
| they gave satisfaction under a new
plan. The result is that for the first
time have seen them do good, steady
work, equal to any Jap at last.
- asked me what / had done to-
them, as they had stopped quarreiing
and talking while at work. He was ~
much surprised and pleased as l was
| only hope II is daylight dawning at
last. and that as individuals and fafla-
HES they will prove a success"
on the same date Mr. Fairchild wrote
to the Acting Governor:
Send me wireless, please, the af-
ternoon you are to leave. so l can have
a carriage TO meet you at Nawiiiwih
l do hope nothing has happened to
prevent your coming Thursday, as the
Molokans are anxious to make arrange
ments to give up the present COM
munity plan for individual holdings
and grinding contracts. Even the hope
OF becoming individualists has inn
proved the quantity of their work
thirty per cent"
MAY SOLVE TROUBLE.
That is the best news that has come
from the Molokans since the sectarRs
were settled on the lands OF Kappa.
which it was hoped would be their per-
manent home. The Acting Governor
as everybody knows. has been in favor
of giving them homes as individuals
ever since 1T became known that they
objected to the community plan of
work and settlement, and individual .
/ ism certainly is the better American
ism. Maybe the Molokans, in the
| stand that they have taken in the mat
ter, have In small WY aided In the
fight for the Americanism OF the is
lands. and put in the entering wedge
that is to blast the coolie plantation
labor system. Stranger things have
happened.
I'VE are going to make a success OF
this thing" said Acting Governor Al
kinson, days ago. speaking of the Mo-
lokan experiment, That saying was
printed in the Advertiser at the time.
II am going down to Kauai ON The
Mikahala tomorrow" said Acting Gov
ernor Atkinson yesterday ito see the
| Molokans, and talk over the situation
with them and with Colonel Spaiding-
/ am advised that they have improved
very much in their work since they
were given hope of individual holdings
l am more than glad that daylight
seems to be dawning. l do not know.
yet, what action / will take, but have
promised the Molokans that / would
| come to see them at that time. I vii,
be governed in my action by the CON
| ditions / find at Kappa"