The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-07-07
ALMOST SLAVERY
In HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
Pictured to Department Of Commerce
and Labor by President Gompers
Of the American Federation
Of Labor.

Sugar planters acting through the Tia.
waiian government, Gompers charges,
have been Turing peasants from Hardin,
| in the interior Of Siberia, 10 the islands.
Russian and Hawaiian agents are en-.
gagged in the work. They recruit peas
ants, Gompers says, BY attractive
pamphlets and in these and by other
means promising the peasants wages Of
sl5 month, free houses, fuel, electric
light furniture, an acre Of land each for
gardens, evening schools, free hospitals,
half pay during sickness, free railroad
fare and free school for children.
1 A delegation Of 500 deluded Siberians
went to the islands last October, and
the total number that yielded to the
lure Of the sugar planters is over 1000
Their experience is thus set forth by
Gomperss-
Instead Of all the comforts above
described, the people found wooden
shanties. without roofs, the floors made
Of rough boards, set apart with wide
ereyices. The furniture consisted Of a
few benches. table and few beds;
instead Of the promised electric lights,
Kerosene lamps were to Be used, the oil
10 be supplied BY the men themselves
the fuel consists Of the roots Of the
sugar cane. which the men were to carry
from three to seven miles. Coal Is q
great luxury, which is but seldom oh.
talnable
"Instead Of the free transportation TO
and from work, the men had to walk
to the place Of work at distance Of
five miles, and the time consumed was
not included in the working day. late
ness By FIVE to ten minutes was punished
by deduction Of a quarter Of 3 days
pay; the wages are se2oo month for
men and $1,000 for women.
~The men are compelled to buy all
their provisions in the plantation store
al such exorbtant prices that they ex,
ceed the earnings due, and they become
the debtors Of the planters.
In short, the conditions are such as
would establish condition oi peonage-
eAfter three months 81 suffering and
quiet submission, having spent not only
their scant earnings, but the money they
brought with them, realized from the
sale 81 sasir real property and other
belongings At home the men revolted !
they left the plantations and went to
Honolulu with a view Of informing the
American government, thorugh its reg
ularly constituted authorities.
aThe people looked for work elsewhere.
, but could find none.
eThe governor Of the territory was
, informed by delegation sent by the
/ men. Of the unbearable conditions, but
J the only answerithat they received from
the governor was that they were 70 re-
turn to the plantation. and a promise
to improve the conditions Of their life
o was made.
eThe people returned TO work but
found no fulallment Of any Of the prom.
Uses made, and the people began to ap-
peal for assistance from the outside
world
I eThe people rose IN protest and taey
were driven from The plantations. Some
have found employment working On Jap
1 anese vessels
Hundreds Of others were left bread
i less and homeless, All Of them having
Z been driven from their shantios, THEN
8 belongings having been thrown out into
the open fields.
! "They nave sent two delegates to &C
I to Washington; on their way, these del
n egates stopped at the imperial Russian
consulate at San Francisco and ther,
n they were assured by the consul that
i there was no necessity for them to g,
L to Washington, advising them to return
I to Honolulu, tie consul having referred
them to a Russian representative, ON
kerberg, who he assured them. woulc
4 take care Of their grievances and rem
y edy all wrongs
Y 1.-THE men returned, but nothing wal
done for the people, and the owners q
Tie plantations evidently took another
N course to drive the people into submis
i sion. ii started with the arrest Of thei
i three leaders, A. yasilieif, Biloif and Su
4 rupoff, who, charged with vagrancy, wer
i sentenced to three months imprison
Il ment; then came 10 more arrests 70
N alleged vagranoy, and six Of them wer
p sentenced to six months imprisonment.
eat the time Vasilie was arrested, tn
4 people arose in indignation, demanding
! an explanation for the arrest of thei
s leader. but they were brutally attacke
e. by the police. brutally wounding man,
ne Of the men, as we'll as the women an,
children. Rumors have been sprea,
4 through the press dominated by tn
er planters, with view Of overawing Tn
N peasants and forcing them into submis
y sion, that the police commissioner Q
y Honolulu mad ordered the police to shoe
ar to kill.e
he
n $500