The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-04-05
DECISION
is TO co TO
WORK
Russian immigrants Say They
Won't and Then Say
They win.
NOON MEETING YESTERDAY
Warm Speech by Lightfoot, Re-
fusal to Work and Then a
Change of Mind.
NOON MEETING YESTERDAY
(From sunday,s Adyertiser. !

\Iioh . auNCEtlpcl.J
The Russians are now talking strong
ly of going to work on plantations. A
delegation from Quarantine Island last
night stated to j. o. Lightfoot that
nearly all of the people there would
go to work on Oahu, Maui and Kauai
plantations next week.
The Russians were told very plainly
yesterday that Monday would see the
end of their chances to live free In
idleness. At the time when they were
told so by Attorney Lightfoot crow,i
of about four hundred of them signifed
unanimously that they wouldn't 60 to
work anyhow.
This was at noon. They listened in
silence to long address from Light
foot. The only oral response was from
Russian who got into jail at Maka-
well and had many complaints to mak,,
but the vote not to work was unani-
nous.
Last night, however, the Russians
sent a committee to Lightfoot to notify
him that they intended to go to work.
They would take plantation work up
on Monday, said the committee. lust
how much confidence can be placed in
this statement of intention no one seems
to know, but it is the latest from the
Russian camp.
The Russians had very big meeting
at noon yesterday on Quarantine ISL
and. Lightfoot went over to address
them. They received him with many
signs Of respect and aloha, but when
he told them there was nothing for them
to do but to go to work, they promptly
turned down his advice. Lghtfoot babe
them goodbye and left, saying he was
wasting time advising people who didn It
want to follow his advice.
There will be crisis Monday, in any
event. The Russians will have to leave
their free homes on Quarantine Island
and will no longer be given free food.
What they will do remains to be seen.
At the meeting yesterday Nachrin
acted as interpreter. His Interpretation
was checked by another interpreter and
pronounced very true. Many women
and children were in the crowd Light
foot addressed.
Lightfoot spoke as follows:
81 am here to talk to you once more,
and this will be the last time When
you sent for me when you were on the
channel wharf, came and did the best
could do for you. Since then / have
seen the government, the board of i'm
migration and the planters, and have
done my best. / can do no more. AS
said in the Governor Is office, we have
not done as well as I-wished, but we
have got all we can. We have got
great many concessions from the
planters.
"Some tell you that we have not
got any concessions. This is not true.
One of the most important we have
got, is that food supplies shall be sold
to you at plantation stores at cost
prices. Another is the promise to place
you under the piece work system. You
are not lot of babies or weak men.
You can do the plantation work easily,
and if you go to work under the piece
work system, yon win find your work
for the day finished by one or two
o'clock every afternoon. If after that
hour you want to work more, it will
be credited as overtime. Those of you
who are not lazy will be able to make
more than 1872 per month-may be $50,
$40 or even $50 per month.
81 don It tell you 1 think $22 fair
wages, because don't think it is. ]
do tell you that think that under the
piece work system You can save money,
and perhaps after a time you can get
better jobs. Many of you might get
better jobs in Honolulu today-at SO
or So per day-if you could understand
English. But none of you understand
English. In talk I had with our
Governor he told me that he planned
to do all in his power TO establish night
schools in which you might learn Eng
fish. In your country officials deceive
and lie, hut not here. What our Gov
ernor says he viii do, he will do.
"One great trouble has been that,
owing TO lack of Interpreters you have
not understood the plantation managers,
and they have not understood you. The
Governor suggested having some good
man, not connected with plantations,
TO act as interpreter for you.
~ believe that Mr.. Perelstrons lied
10 you, and | have said 80 TO the Gov.
ern0r aud 10 everyone else. believe
that you were deceived when you came
here. Hut the question nov Is, what
ara you going 20 doi Some Russians
have said 10 you that You can get
$1,000 or $500 each damages from the
planters. You have been told that 1
said yop sonld, Not . slpgle person
can be- found among you 10 whom |
Aald that ON ihs contrary, ! sey 10
you ihai y u utterly Impossible for
you 60 get ihonrand dollars on pny
elheg sun - Il you have thai iaaa
10 ypnl bead lei ne tell y0u, saa "a
Il my hnslHeHs "a kneN lAe lAs, lhsi
there 4 aOihlpa ID she lsH 81 alleh
tea sea a. hHYihlHH ~ tie hlha.u
laaAlfaef analsa lAa fsmalls ana,
hallas ffam Yashllan q tie eneai has
~ Hpsslaag sepia - Lsgf ana ass.