The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-09-21

ablv informed upon the character o.
immigrants coming into Hawaii, and as
to the effect they are having upon the
future political and industrial condl'
tons of the islands. For this purpose
Mr.. Frank Sargent, the commissioner
general of immigration; has taken sew
eraI trips to Honolulu, and recently
Secretary Straus made a special visit
+bare to study Industrial conditions in
relation to the importation Of labor.
| Manual labor is necessary to the
| sugar planters, and if it can not be Sc
cured where the plantation is located
it must, Of course, be imported. AT
first the labor was performed by the ma
tives. but the Kanakas are a decaying
race, and long ago the planters real
ICED that they must look elsewhere for
cane workers. Twenty years ago the
Japanese were importuned to come to
the islands, and were persuaded by
what seemed to them fabulous wages.
They have continued to come until Ha-
waii has become "Orientalized." the
Japanese predominating not only in the
cane fields, but in almost every walk or
life. At present they are entering Ha-
wall at the rate of one thousand a
month. From July, 1906, to June 1907,
"a 799 alien immigrants were admitted
to Hawaii, the majority of whom We're
japanese.
One day a few weeks ago / stood on
the veranda of the United States i'm
migration bureau at Honolulu and
watched with much interest the land
ing of several hundred Japanese who
had Just arrived by the big steamers
which ply between Yokohama and San
Francisco. Each man carried an OBJ
long straw bag, probably containing his
entire worldly belongings. His wealth
Law in the wonderful earneStnesS and
adaptability wrapped up in his small
but robust physique. His style of dress
was not uniform; here was one in his
native garb, and there another in the
clothes of American cut; and as they
all marched along, each his own bur
den-bearer, motley in appearance, but
apparently in happy frame of mind,
the clog, clog, of the wooden shoes was
like the irregular tread of troop of
cavalry. Some were. accompanied by
their wives, who brought up the rear
of the procession. The Japanese woman
is loyal to her native costume, which
consists of variety of colors, and the
fine display of kimonos that adorned
the end of that procession was in strik-
ing contrast to the dull, sad-colored
dress of the men who headed it. The
luggage of the females consisted Of
small handbags and umbrellas used to
protect their hatless heads from the
sun. Among the women the only thing
that did not harmonic with their dis
tinctly Oriental appearance was an
American-madec camera in the hand of
one of them. AS they passed me their
faces lighted up with smiles, and their
gleeful chattering among themselves
made me feel that they were not un-
happy over the new life they were
about to enter. ga
A few minutes later they lined up
in the rear of the immigration build
ing for examination as to their fitness
and desirability as residents. The duty
of aseertaining this devolves upon Mr..
Raymond Brown, the efficient immi-
grant inspector, and his assistant, Mr..
Halsey. The women occupied one end
of the yard, and the men the other.
The Japanese interpreter called out
each mans name, who took his place
in line in the order in which he was
called. If a man had his wife with
him she fell in line behind her hus-
band, and in this way was formed the
procession to the room where the med
ical examination was held. Trachoma
is the bette noir of the immigrant, ana
in nearly every ship-load of foreign
ers who land on American shores a
number are deported suffering from
this disease. The usual examination
as seen at all immigration bureaus,
was undergone, and those to be de-
ported were sent to another room. Al
ter this. Mr.. Edward Farmer, of the
United States customs. began his
search for dutiable articles, and one
nv one the "little brown men, brought
up their luggage for inspection. AS a
rule it was nicely packed, with a piece
of oiled paper as covering. In sew
eraI bags there were workmen's tools,
and in one or two war medals were
discovered and proudly exhibited by
their owners. I was told by the in
spector that the baggage of the Jap
anese who come into Hawaii rarely
contains any sort of weapons or fire.
arms. Under the new immigration
law the head tax of each alien is four
dollars. and in this instance every man
was ready with his money.
The Japanese who landed on that
bright summer day will have no diff
ficulty in finding fellow-country-men
as it is estimated that there are at
present $4,000 on the islands. 1t IS
well known that they are brothers
when it comes to japanese interests,
and they never become a public bur-
den. There is no record of one ever
having applied to the board of public
charities in Honolulu for help. A
splendid charity organization is main
tanned by their own people, and
| hospital under the care of their medi-
| cal association gives free treatment to
| INDECENT Japanese. They have also es-
| tablished a merchants association, for
| one meets them in every profession or
| trade-merchants, bankers, physicians.
| engineers, and teachers. I am reliably
! informed that in one year the MEM