The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-06
NEW CHINESE
CERTIFICATES
CONTINUED from Page one.1


burden of proving their status, and
were subject TO all the delay and in
| convenience that such burden of proof
| always imposed on them. As long as
! the exclusion act was in force there
was no way of relieving them from
| this burden of proving their status.
| But if the proof once satisfactorily
! given could be perpetuated and GER
| tificates issued which would be ac-
cepted as proof wherever proof was
| required, the inconvenience of the sit
uation to these American Chinese
would be practically eliminated.
The department took the matter up
along the lines worked out by Mr.
Brown and sent back a formulated
plan with instructions for Mr.. Brown
to consult the Chinese Consul and the
petitioners in regard to it and to re-
port on the matter. There were
number Of conferences and the thing
was gone into very fully. Some of the
Chinese objected to having a photo
graph attached to the certificate, but
for the most part, it was recognized
that certificate without a photograph
would be an impracticable plan. There
was however strong opposition to the
two photographs, a front view and
profile, which the plan first formulated
contemplated, and the department has
yielded on this point and but one
photograph will be attached to the
certificate. This will be a full front
view.
The certificates will be about eight
inches long by four wide, handsomely
engraved on good paper. On the front
at one end will be the photograph of
the individual with the number of the
certificate notched into the photograph
on one side. On the other side of the
photograph the name will be written,
partly on the photograph, and in addi-
ton the seal of the department will
be partly impressed on the photograph.
Then there viii be written the name of
the person certified and an accurate
description of him including height
and other anthropometric measure
ments.
On the reverse of the certificate will
be a statement of the issuance of it
and that it is to be accepted as con-
elusive of the American citizenship of
the individual to whom it is issued by
all officials of the United States con-
cerned in the execution of the innli-
grafton laws of the United States.
The certificate will not be issued TO
any under five years of age.
One of the considerations urged by
the American Chinese was that as they
were American. citizens, these certifi-
Gates ought to be issued to them with
out expense to themselves, and this
will be done. A contract will be made
with some photographer to make the
photographs required. OF each photo
graph there will be three prints. One
goes on the certificate. A second goes
to the department at Washington to
be preserved there, and a third, to-
gether with the negative will be pre-
served at the Immigrant station
here. Provision is made for ISSUING
new certificates when the original is
lost or destroyed.
The archives of the Territory show
that about 700 Chinese have been natu-
rallied in Hawaii, since the first one in
1916. OF this number it is believed that
there remain about 200. OF native born
it is estimated that there are about
ten thousand
The proof required for the issuance
of one of these certificates is compe-
tent proof that the person is really en-
titled to one by reason of being either |
Haw aiian born or Hawaiian natural |,
lied