The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-02-23
HOT TALK ON
LABOR FROM
ATKINSON

A. L. G. Atkinson, Acting Governor
Of Hawaii, as president Of the Board of
immigration ex officio, through being
Secretary OF the Territory, made the
remark just quoted at a meeting of
that body yesterday afternoon.
1t was the keynote of the Acting
Governors sentiments throughout a
discussion lasting more than an hour
and half, the question at issue being
whether or not the Board of Immigra-
tion was in a position forthwith to
proceed with the scheme Of bringing
immigrants from the Azores
Where the clash came between the
president on one side and the com
missioners present on the other-for
there was a clash almost constan:
throughout-was where the president
laid down the condition that planta-
tions failing TO offer fee simple home
lots to the immigrants should not be
allowed to recruit labor from among
them. That is, to the extent OF the
boards control over the people after
landing, which he held to be decidedly
limited.
No definite conclusion was reached
and the board adjourned to meet again
at the call of the chair. In the mean
time, as the hope was expressed yes
teiday, the planters may submit a
more uniform basis OF action than thus
far they have done. The Planters AS
sociation has appropriated a fund of
100000 to assist Portuguese immigra-
tion from the Azores. Nevertheless the
Acting Governor, fresh from confer
ences with the authorities at Washing
ton upon the question of assisted i'm
migration. strongly intimated I'm
variety OF ways at the meeting that
the Board of Immigrat ton of this Ter
ritory must not act as mere annex to
the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Associ-
alton.
ATKINSON Is GLAD.
Mr.. Atkinson, on calling the meet
ing TO order. stated that he was glad
TO be back with the board again. He
congratulated the members on the
progress made in his absence mention
ing the vote of SSOOOOO from the plant
ers. While in Washington ne told the
authorities that the board here had
both the money and the method. He
had assured them also of how tactful
and careful they at this end OF the
line would be. 1t was not the planters
but the Board of Immigration which
had the responsibility.
With the president We're present ].
p. Cooke (secretary), j. j. Garden and
J. II. Craig commissioner and G. l..
Crabbe (clerk).
A remark on the dependence upon
the planters for means of operation
brought out the emphatic declaration
of Mr.. Atkinson that he did not re-
gard himself as the agent of the
planters.
Neither do l, beyond a certain ex-
tent" MIR. Garden said. IF you can
not get work for them you can not
hold them"
Mr.. Atkinson replied that they had
NO control over the immigrants once
they landed in the country. Answer
a remark about the difficulty OF
some plantations in meeting the home
stead condition, he said they could get
&plenty of land There was a thousand
< ,cres of availab BILE land at Waialua. 1t
belonged to the Bishop estate.
Mr.. Garden said the Bishop estate
WOULD not sell an acre of it.
Mr.. Atkinson thought differently.
PASSPORTS A SHAM.
Mr.. Garden spoke of the japanese
passports only to Hawaii when Mr..
Atkinson told him they had been in
force three years. You can not inter-
fere with the liberty of Japanese any
more than with that of anybody else"
the president said. Mr.. Garden him
self considered the restrictive pass
ports a sham.
Mr.. Cooke thought they agreed with
the president 1t was no use bringing
the Portuguese here unless at least an
acre of land was allotted to every fam
lily. The difficulty was in giving them
fee simple lands.
Mr.. Atkinson said he had never
agreed on any terms with the planters.
MIR. Cooke mentioned that Jas b.
Castle offered two acres to a family
. at Hauula. Kahuku plantation was
willing to help in the matter but could
not give the people fee simple land
If we let up on this proposition the
planters will be quick to do something
else the president observed. To Il
remark by Mr.. Garden, doubling II the
Campbell estate could sell land, he re-
torted that the Campbell estate did
rot own all the land and besides land
could not always be tied up.
Mr. Cooke had been told by Senior
Canavarro that the Portuguese would
prefer high wages to land at 1928 an
acre.
Mr.. Atkinson said he had been told
the same thing by the consul 1t was
easy for them to talk, sitting In their
chairs, but there We're other places in
the world, He saw letter from the
Azores doubling II they could get any
people from there. The question was
whether they were going to profit by
the lessons OF the past, They had
brought Portuguese here before and
seen them leave. II they had been
treated differently by the planters they
would not have left.
LAND THE STICKER.
Mr., Cooke said there were 600 Portu-
guese on Maui now against 400 eight
years ago. III you stick to that hard
and fast proposition OF one acre Of Zee
simple land. | am afraim the whole
thing viii fan through,
Il would like to see H. too" MIR,
Garden added "but | am afraid we