The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-03-11

AS t WAS
Conditions With Which
Congress Had to
Deal.

Williams, the Washington correspond
ent of the Boston Transcript, in his
letter of February II throws consid
cradle light on the situation out OF
which the amended immigration law
was evolved. He mentions as interest.
ing the fact that Mayor Schmitz and
the members of the San francisco
school board who were summoned to
Washington for conference with the
President had shown a far more con-
cillatory attitude than the members of
the California delegation in the Senate
and House. Then, discussing the posi-
bility of new treaty with Japan, the
correspondent says that if such were
unattainable the President "can then
look to Congress for the quid pro quo
without which the Californians are un-
willing to grant the japanese children
permission to attend the public schools
of San Francisco. From this he pro-
ceeds:
The effect of the proposed amend
ment would be to exclude the Japanese
coolies from this country, provided the
Toxic Government is sincere in its pro-
fessions on this subject. For some time
Japan has issued passports only to a
limited number of it's citizens bound
for the mainland ports of the United
States; it has been less difficult for
Japanese to secure passports for emf
grafton to the Hawaiian Islands. Were
such a law constitutional, Congress
might be inclined to make an exception
in favor of Hawaii and require pass
ports of only those japanese who apply
foi admission by way of Hawaii, Canada
and Mexico, but it is extremely doubt
full whether the courts would hold such
a law constitutional. Hawaii is part
of the territory of the United States.
1t is doubtful whether immigration be-
tween Hawaii and the United States
can be regulated, any more than can
immigration from one State to an
other. The immigration laws of the
United States today apply to Hawaii;
that territory is in closer relation to
the United States than are the Philip
pine Islands. At first it was thought
practicable so to amend the immigra-
tion law as to require passports only
from the japanese who come to this
country by way of Hawaii, Canada and
Mexico, but the doubts expressed by
leading lawyers about the constitution
ality of such law have given the
conferrees on the immigration bill
pause, and it is understood that the
they now have under con-
makes it necessary for all
Japanese before being admitted to the
United States to present a passport
issued by the Japanese Government.
Hawaii is the key to the situation.
There are 10000 japanese in the Ha
waiian Islands today. The number of
Japanese immigrants to the United
States last year was nearly $4,000, of
whom more than $4,000 came from Ha
Ivaii Hany japanese obtain passports
to Mexico, and then come across the
border. Only today the commissioner
general of immigration ordered nine
Japanese deported because they had
entered the United States by way of
Mexico without paying the necessary
head tax. Frequently they swim across
The river and slowly make their way |
10 nearby towns, where they obtain EN-
oloyment.
"During the last year the immigra-
ion authorities unearthed what they |
was an extensive scheme to |
obtain foreign labor. The evidence OBJ |
tained showed that some individual or |
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