The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-09-25
STEVENS MEN
RAISE ROW
FiIipinos Get Angry When the
Agents Try to Get
Lab0rers.

Clo AUA tA-N tA4AN0eAoAo 49,
Panay met with trouble recently when
they invaded the Island of Negroes to
enlist men to swell their ranks.
At SHAY, where they made their
first effort, several public demonstra-
tions were made against them, tLey
were warned against turning the piaD-
tation laborers away from their pres
ent existing contracts, and threats Of
violence were made against them if
from that island.
The uoilo Enterprise calls their ac-
ton in invading Negros "lamenta-
BILE indiscretion, and sums up the
efforts of the agents in the following:
cup to the present The Enterprise
has been in full sympathy with the
efforts of the Hawaiian Sugar Plant
ers' Association to secure Filipino la
borers to replace the Japanese upon the
plantations IN the Hawaiian Islands.
''But the local agent of the asso
citation has now displayed a woeful
want of tact and discretion by send
ing employment agents to Negroes Is
land, who will seek recruits from
among the laborers who are and have
been domieiled upon our own local
plantations.
"When it is understood that most
of these laborers are living upon or
about the plantations under agreements
with the plantation owners and often
have been brought there and provided
with houses at great expense by them,
the approach of agents who are delib-
erately offering inducements to the Ia
borer to become a contract jumper
could hardly be expected to be view
ed with GOODNESS and equanimity.
elm white community in our West
or South, violence would be expected.
In community of people naturally
more excitable, such as the Filipinos,
it would be even more probable.
ssThe agents went to SHAY. 1t is
to the everlasting credit of the natives
there that there were no real overt
acts and actual violence. The agents
were undoubtedly intimidated, and
their withdrawal was effected by means
of threats.
According to reports the employ
ment agents proceeded to SHAY on
Tuesday morning. Upon landing they
We're informed by personal friends that
if their object in coming was to Sc
cure men, that they had better not at
tempt it, because they would get into
trouble;> that the plantation owners of
SHAY would not permit them to take
any of their men.
1tLater the President of SHAY is said
to have visited the agents and to have
informed them that if they proceeded
to take laborers from the plantations
that he would not be responsible for
what might happen. Later on pro-
cession passed the agents with band
and banner marked DO not be de-
ceived by the Judas and Down with
Judas and they were booted by the
crowd. The agents by this time were
much disturbed, and they report that
at about nightfau another crowd of
men came by their house and made
threats, and they also report that some
bore as arms, axes and other nipple
ments. This was enough for the Fill
Pine agents, and at three o'clock in
the morning they report that they beat
south, and there cabled to Mr.. Steven,
the head agent, for launch. The es-
Gaping agents report that The taos
(la.borers) on the plantations are anx-
ious to leave for Hawaii, and the hacen-
deros are taking these measures to stop
them
"Mr. Steven is quoted as saying
that he had met with so much opposi-
ton on the Island of Panay that he
wished to secure, if possible, the friend
ly offices of the planters on Negros,
and visited SHAY on Sunday for that
purpose; that his views not being ia
vorably received by the planters, he
did not feel that he was under any
further obligations to the hacenderos
there to keep his men off the island.
Mr.. Steven thinks the threatening at
titude of the people there was so fool
| ish that it needs no comment, and he
wishes it distinctly understood that i'll
| treatment of his men viii not be toler-
ated. and that as the local authorities
| of SHAY did not afford them protection,
| the whole matter will be laid before
| the Acting Governor General on his
| arrival in noilo.
|
ernor General in the matter will be
interesting to observe. He is but re-
! Gently from conference at Zamboanga
with the American planters of Davao,
who had a grievance almost similar to
| the present one, Of the planters Of
SHAY. There he put himself squarely
on record as opposed to contract-jump,
| ers.
I'm all probability he will advise
against any active campaign for labor
| ers in Negros, where, at best, the plan.
tation owners have but scant supply
OF labor and where every year thou
sands of laborers have to be brought
from Capiz and Antique to meet the
needs of the harvest season.
An editorial in the Cablenews on the
subject follows:
The Affair at Shay.
1t will probably dawn upon the Ha
waiian agents who are seeking labor
ers IN the Philippine Islands that the,
are attempting TO rob Peter to par
Paul and that the sword that cut of
the ear of the servant of the higl
| priest is still out of its seabba~d. II,
affair at SHAY, 1>egros, wherein tn
representative of Mr.. Stevens. tn,
agent of the Hawaiian sugar planters
was intimidated by a mob. shows I,