The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-03-29
STRANGE SCENES
At THE CAPITOL
Russians Continue to Declare All
Sorts Of Wild Promises
Were Made.
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Continued from Page one.)
marched across the lawn, climbed tht
stairs and crowded into the Office OF
Secretary Mott.Smith. The old por
traits Of dead and gone kings and
queens have in the past decade or two
looked down on some strange spectacle
but on none stranger than that pre-
sented yesterday when the bewildered
Russian immigrants thronged about
Governor Frear and Secretary Mott.
Smith to tell their story and ask fol
help.
There were several hundred of them
there,-virtually all of the 600 immi.
grants released in the morning from
quarantine, and in addition, all those
who came to the Islands earlier, went
to work on the plantations, then quit
and came back to Honolulu.
| A goodlooking, sturdy, -self-respect.
ing crowd of men and women they
were, and with them were their chill
dren, the children they brought to Ha-
wall to make citizens of the greatest
republic in the world. The men were
eager but respectful, and when some
enthusiast, moved suddenly by a new
thought as to his wrongs, tried to in
terrupt the proceedings with his own
particular story, he was quickly sileneed
with Kisses and murmured words of
caution.
A Clean Lot.
And they were clean, considering
what they have been through Some
of them were almost foppisnly clothed,
according to the Russian standard. One
stalwart chap who stood as close as
he could to the Governor wore a blue
silk blouse; Others had smoeks gaily
embroidered about the neckband. Most
of the men wore the long soft boots
peculiar to Russia, and nearly all had
their waists encircled by the broad
leathern belt of the Russian peasant.
There were few with sleepy, stupid,
ox-like look in their eyes, but they
were decidedly in the minority. Most
of the crowd appeared decidedly in
telligent, the kind that should make
the kind of citizens that Hawaii needs,
Out in the corridor, on the upper la.
nails and sitting about on the grass
of the yard were the women and chill
dren, the latter all, without exception,
sturdy appearing youngsters who cared
not a whit for the troubles of their
fathers but were entirely content to
turn somersaults on the grass and run
about, gazing with questioning eyes at
the strangers who passed along the
walks.
Spokesman Chosen.
When the crowd surged up the stairs
and started to pour into his office, Sec
rotary Mott-Smith came out and 'ad
dressed them, through an interpreter
explaining that his office was not big
enough to accommodate them, butt il
they would get together and make up
their minds what they wanted to say
and theR send in delegation, he would
be glad to listen to them. o.
The Russians conferred for few
minutes and then selected a spokesman,
who entered the office. But he was i'm.
mediately followed by all his country
men who could crowd in, while those
who could not find room inside throng-
ed the windows and doors, some stand.
ing on tip-toe to peer over the shoulders
of their fellows and try to hear what
was being said inside. T.
The Moses Of the Russians.
Grouped about the big desk were See
rotary Mott-Smith, in his char of office
and presiding over the strange meet
ing; Governor Frear, Attorney General
Lindsay, Perelstrous, Henry o Sullivan,
who took down geographically the
questions and answers; the interpreters,
and Attorney Lightfoot, who was f0ndly
referred TO by the immigrants as the
''Moses of the Russians"
| There was no member of the board of
immigration present; The task of trying
| to settle the difficulty has apparently
been left to Mr.. Mott.Smith. Certainly
no one could handle the problem better
than he handled it yesterday. ~
| Wanted the Truth. *
Secretary Mott-Smith at the begin.
ming told the Russians that he wanted
to get at the truth of the whole mat.
ter, to find out from them just what
they were promised before they left
Russia, just what has been done for
them since they landed in Honolulu and
just what are their grievances. The
entire Investigation was conducted by
him. except that now and then the Gov.
ernor asked question or Perelstrous
denied some accusation made against
him or offered some explanation.
Perelstrous Accused.
The immigrants appeared to have a
special grievance against Perelstrous
and to hold him personally responsible
for all their misfortunes, real or i'm.
aginary. They claimed openly and de-
family that he and Atkinson deliberately
misrepresentod conditions, made prom
Uses which have not been kept and do.
ceived them in many ways. One man
boldly charged that he, before leaving
Manehuria, gave Mr.. Perelstrous FIVE
hundred rubles TO change into AmeTl.
can money and that he has never got
IL back.
Mr.. Perelstrous made no reply TO
the charges of his aeeusers, saying in.
stead that be would walt until they
were through before making his own
statement. As the hearing was not
concluded yesterday afternoon but was