The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-04-28
BOARD OF IMMIGRATION
REPORTS TO THE GOVERNOR.
Cost of Bringing Laborers to Hawaii -Trenor's
Work So Far preliminary---Over 100000
Already Expended.
Changes in Organization.

The Board of immigration was frs
organized on April 30, 1905, under Act
40 of the Session Laws of 1905 with
| the following membership: Mr.. A. L
q. Atkinson, superintendent, and the
FOLLOWING commissioners: Mr.. J. P
Cooke, Mr.. John Fl. Craig. Mr.. Johr
j. Garden and Mr.. E. D. Tenney.
| Since that time the following changes
have taken place: Mr.. A. L. C. At
kinson resigned as superintendent on
| November II, 1906, Mr.. E. D. Tenney
appointed superintendent on November
| IL, 1906, Mr.. A. L. C. Atkinson ap.
pointed commissioner on November II
| 1906, Mr.. e. D. Tenney resigned as su.
perintendent on June %, 1907, Mr.
Richard Ivers appointed superintendent
/ on July 3, 1907, Mr.. J. P. Cooke resign.
j ed as commissioner on August Is, 1908
/, Mr.. Richard Ivers resigned as super
| lntendent on August Is, 1908, Mr.
Richard Ivers appointed as commission.
er ON August Is, 1908, and Mr. Ernest
| A. Mott-Smith appointed superintend-
emit on August 15@ 1908. The board
as at present organized consists of the
following members: Mr.. E. A. Mott
Smith, superintendent, and the follow
ing commissioners: Mr.. A. l.. G. Akin
SON, Mr.. Richard Ivers, Mr. John J.
Garden and Mr.. John H. Craig. Mr..
John Guild has continued to act as
accountant for the board.
/ The first report of the board covers
the period from April 30, 1905, to JAN
uary 81, 1907. The present report COW
ers the period from December 81. 1906,
to February %, 1909, and hence covers
in part the same ground covered by
the first report; that is, the month of
January, 1907.
The legislature of 1905 appropriated
$500 for salary of commissioner of i'm
migration, and $1,000 for expenses of
the board for the binennial period end
ing June 80, 1907. The legislature of
1907 appropriated the salary item of
5000 alone. Outside of these items,
the funds which have enabled the board
to conduct its work have been procured
from private subscriptions.
European immigration.
The project of bringing Spanish and
Portuguese people from the Azores and
the mainland of continental Europe to
Hawaii, begun in the last biennial
period, has been completed during the
early part of this biennial period.
These people were brought to Hawaii
by the steamers Suveric. Heliopolis and
Kumeric. There were 400 men, 1143
women and 2141 children, or total
of 1854 persons, of which AZ were re-
turned at an expense of $11, 1902.
The total cost of the immigrants by
these three steamers was 1921, 100. SO.
or an average expense of $62.19 per
individual, or $207.28 per adult male
While these persons, on landing, were
free to engage in whatever pursuits or
labor they desired, many of them avail.
ed themselves of the opportunity to
work on the sugar plantations under
the agreements offered by the planta-
tons, while some drifted back to the
mainland, and others accepted employ
ment in Honolulu. Some Of those who
have gone to work on the plantations
have settled on the lands offered by
the plantations and are working for
suitable wages while others are work
ing for higher wages without the land.
Taken as a whole these people appear
to be satisfied with the conditions as
they have found them in Hawaii and
are settling down to become a perma-
nent part of the community.
The work of bringing these people
to Hawaii was undertaken under the
settled policy of the board to bring
into Hawaii such persons as would be
capable of becoming American citizens.
Emigration from California.
During the early part of the year
1908 it was found that there were. in
California, European persons and labor
ers, many of whom had formerly re-
sided in Hawaii, who were DESTROYS of
returning to Hawaii, having found lit
tie or no employment in California. For
the purpose of assisting these people |
back to Hawaii Mr.. NJ. A. Silva was
sent to California as agent of the board |
to open an office there The work of !
MIR. Silva is summarized in the report |
Of Mr.. John Guild, attached hereto. |
Toward the end of the period the source |
1f this supply having decreased on ac-
count of changing conditions in Cali /
fornia, Mr.. Silva was recalled and the |
recruiting terminated. The total cost I
was Sl4, 1923: an average of 1854
per male over Is years of age: and of
s2S.32 per capita.
Emf grafton from New York and East
ern States
To further augment the population
II the Territory capable of becoming
American citizens it was suggested to
he board by the Department. of Com
nerce and Labor during the early part
# 1908 that it might be possible to
ecruit, at the eastern ports of entry
Il the United States, admitted aliens
or agricultural purposes upon the prop
rites of the various agricultural enter
rises in the Territory. Acting upon
his suggestion the board invited to /
ne Territory an agent thoroughly /
amiliar with the immigration question
nd In whom the authorities in Wash ,
agton had every confidence. This
gent, Mr.. John J. D. Trenor, during I
he months of May, June and July, {
s0s, made thorough investigation of I
ne conditions of the various sugar es- I
ates, familiarizIng himself with the
zeal conditions and with the induce |
tents there were in the Territory for :
ossible euligrants.
On August 3, 1908, Mr.. Trenor fled +