The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-09

they are doing it.
Mr. Clark of Missouri Is it no
positively prohibited by law?
Mr.. Hayes. 1t is.
/ Mr. Clark of Missouri. Why doe.
not the Federal court enforce tn,
| law?
| Mr.. Hayes. I am not speaking fol
! the Federal court. Nearly every one
of those japanese and Chinese coolie,
| has his passage paid there by some.
body. If it was not paid he could no
come to the United States, or tc
Hawaii.
Mr.. Clark of Missouri. Do you sup.
pose that can be proved?
Mr. Hayes. I do not suppose it can
be proved except by oriental testimony
and If the gentleman has had any ex-
perience with that kind of testimony,
he knows that almost anything can be
proved by it that the Oriental wants
to prove.
Mr. Clark of Missouri. I have not
had any experience with it and do not
want any.
Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee. Is not this
the fact, that the people who are in
terested in bringing these laborers
y
go to Hawaii, I will pay your way, and
then you can work out the expense
when you go to work for me?''
Mr.. Hayes. L have no doubt they do
it in some way.
Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee. And the
steamship companies know that these
individuals are being carried there in
that way?
Mr.. Hayes. Undoubtedly.
Mr. Gaines of Tennessee. It is a COM
monplace thing, and is it not against
the law?
Mr.. Hayes. Undoubtedly quite
common thing.
Mr. Gaines of Tennessee. Where are
the grand juries and Federal judges
in Hawaii?
Mr.. Hayes They are there doing
business.
Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee. Where is
the immigration commissioner there?
Mr. Hayes. He is there doing bust
ness.
Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee. Who is
running Hawaii?
Mr.. Hayes. 1 suppose the govern
ment is running it.
Mr. Gaines of Tennessee. What gov
eminent?
Mr. Hayes. The Territorial govern
ment.
Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee. In other
words, they are running it so as to
bring in these people in the face of
the law?
Mr.. Hayes. No; I do not think the
of Hawaii can be criticized
in that regard. Everybody who knows
the oriental character knows that you
can prove anything by oriental wit
nesses that they want to prove, and
you can not prove anything by those
witnesses that they do not want to
prove
Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee. What are
you going to do about it? Are you
going to turn out all the officials in
Hawaii and get somebody there who
Will enforce the law?
Mr.. Hayes. 1 am not speaking for
the government of Hawaii.
Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee. Do you
suppose the government of Hawaii has
any cogniZance of these things?
Mr.. Hayes. I suppose they have, the
same as We have, but of course they
can not deal with it any more than
we can, unless they can prove it or it
is proved to them in an official way.
Mr.. Bonynge. Under the provisions
Of this bill is it not intended not only
to permit the government of Hawaii
to encourage immigration, but also to
permit contract labor to be carried in
to the Hawaiian Islands?
Mr.. Hayes. No, sir; it is not.
Mr.. Bonynge. If you waive the con-
tract labor provision in. the immigra-
ton act, will it not permit the impor-
tation into the Hawaiian Islands of
those under contract for labor in those
Islands?
Mr. Hayes. No; the law is not waiv-
ed to that extent. It permits the gov
eminent of Hawaii, or its immigration
to induce such innmi-
grafton and to pay the expenses of
those who come there.
Mr. Bonynge. What is there to pre-
vent the Importation of contract labor
except the immigration act?
Mr. Hayes. Nothing.
Mr. Bonynge. If you waive thai pro-
vision. what then will remain to pre-
vent the importation of contract labor
nto the Hawaiian Islands?
Mr.. Hayes. If we simply abrogated
that provision there would be nothing
Mr.. Bonynge. Is not that what you
10?
Mr.. Hayes. No: the bin does some
hing less than that.
Mr.. Bonynge. This bill says:
That nothing in the act entitled
And then you go on to name the act
shall be taken for a term of six years |
rom the approval hereof TO exclude |
rom admission to the Territory of Ha-
wall as contract laborers, as defined !
oy section of the said act, European /
aliens who have been induced or son- |
eited to migrate to the said Territory |
IF Hawaii by offers or promises of en- |
Dloyment within said Territory.
Is not that the clause prohibiting the |
Importation of contract labor?
Mr.. Hayes. No; and it is not per-
nitted to be done by private individ-
lals.
Mr.. Bonynge. The government of the
Hawaiian Islands can contract to i'm |
port laborers into the Hawaiian Is
ands?
Mr.. Hayes. That is the purpose of
he bill
Mr.. Bonynge. That is what asked