The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-04-01
RUSSIANS HAVE
HEARING AGAIN
The immigrants Engage the At
tention Of the Govern
ment.
LIGHTF0oT GIVES ADVICE
Session at the Capitol in Effort
to Straighten Out the
: TangIe.
LIeHTFooT GIVES ADVICE
(FrOm wednesday 5 Advertiser.l

(From Wednesday s Advertiser.)
Thesquestion of whether the Russians
shall go to work on the plantations as
laborers or refuse to 60 to work, hang
around Honolulu until they become pub
lie charges and then lie deported by
the United States ve,nnent, is soon
to be decided. The immigrants deliv-
cred an ultimatum yes.e. lay.
Unless the Russians do 90 to work,
they will assuredly be deported. The
statement is made fatty by federal Of
hcials that the minute the immigrants
become public charges, deportation pro-
ceedings will be commenced; warrants
will be issued and the Russians arrest
ed and .deported.
1--WE will not go to work on the plan
tations," declared the Russians i'll
vociferous chorus yesterday morning,
near the conclusion of the hearing be-
fore Secretary Mott-Smith. But this
uitimatum was later modified, pending
the results of a conference which was
arranged. It was proposed by Mr..
Mott-Smith that the Russians appoint
committee of five of their members,
together with Attorney Lightfoot, to
confer with the government officials, in.
GLIDING Richard Ivers of the board of
immigration, with view to trying to
find some solution of the vexed prob.
lem. To this the immigrants agreed
and after, conference among them
selves, they appointed the committee.
The delegation met with Governor
Frear, Secretary Mott.Smith, Attorney
General Hemenway and President Ivers
sc tba bnord of ;n,r,o; gro ion rasfarnay
afternoon. Perelstrous, Attorney Light
foot and an interpreter were also
present.
Lightfoot Makes Proposition.
The complaints of the Russians were
reviewed at some length. Attorney
Lightfoot was chosen by the Russian
members of the conference as their
Spokesman, and he addressed the meet
ing. He said that it was not to be ig-'
nored, in fact, was hardly denied, that
the Russians had been lied to and de-
ceived and that conditions in Hawaii
had been greatly misrepresented to
them. But that was of the past. The
thing to do now was to try to find
some way out of the difficulty. He said
!. that he had advised the immigrants to
J go to work rather than to go back to
tutlI OWL llC thouBht ~ 0OuAN
be for the best interests of all if they
stayed But they could not go to work
on the plantations unless some of the
evils of which they complained were
remedied.
Plantation overcharges.
The chief evil he said, appeared to
be the charges of the plantation stores,
the laborers being charged~a great deal
more for what they bought than the
goods were, worth. The Russians,
through Mr.. Lightfoot, insisted that the
store charges be materially decreased.
Mr. Lightfoot said that they would not
ask for any considerable increase of
wages at the present time, but he did
think that the planters could afford
to pay slight increase without any
danger of going broke.
What They Want.
These are the two main points upon
which the Russians insist. There are
some Others OF minor Importance, but
they may be compromised. On the two
mentioned the immigrants are firm, and
it appears reasonably certain that UNI
less the planters agree to meet them,
there is absolutely no chance of the inn
migrants going to work. What they
want is the opportunity to live decently,
send their children to school, learn the
English language themselves, and save
up part of their wages, said Light
foot.
Mr.. Lightfoot also suggested that in
stead of allowing credit at the planta-
ton stores, cash system be devised,
so that each man would know exactly
what he was, paying and what he pays
it for. This, he said, would necessitate
more frequent payment of wages, but
it would do away with much OF the dis
satisfaction among the laborers.
Up to the Planters
The propositions made at the meeting
will be submitted to the planters asso-
citation at meeting of that body today,
and upon their reply depends whether
or not the immigrants stay in Hawaii or
are sent home to Manchuria1
At the conclusion of the meeting yes
terday afternoon, Secretary Mott
Smith, who has put in a strenuous two
days trying to get 10 the bottom Of the
trouble, made the statement that In his
opinion the immigrants would have
stayed ON the plantations and worked
out their salvation il IL had not been
for few ,malcontents.
Perelstrons said he didn't know just |
how the matter would turn out, but
thought that II would be a sort OF half |
aud half propositionj some OF the immi.
grants would 20 10 work aud some Of |
them would not. hut he did not think |
that any results could be expected for
at least three days.
Immigration IN Danger.
The situation u a serious one al
present, for, NJ stated by federal OH
elnls, VI the hnssiHns DO not 70 "a WOrh
lhey 1iil b. aepoIled, And i 10 fairly |
eeriain that the day . csbieglam u seni
fo Washington ashina tor authority ~
lsgua NATTaniH for The arrest Of tho im
niHFsnIe, that dpy lluNails lmmisga
iinn pfhfmrs nih faAlf 81 a. cad the
speelsl privilege under shleh the Ter
flia3 u lml,0lilpg lahefeIt Nlll 10
tahen sHAy ~ lhg ialmlagsllea egsherl
tln1 ~ 40 nailonal raplial end ihe
=. 4 W. ... III