The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-03-25
CRISIS IS At HAND
CONTINUED from page one.l

at do not think they want to 90
back to their former home, said Mr..
Ivers Yesterday in answer to question.
..But it is not easy 70 find out just
what their wants are.
According to the statements they
made to me. about a third of them are
mechanics of one sort or another. These
do not want TO do agricultural work,
regarding it as beneath them. In Their
own land. the field laborer is supposed
to be beneath the mechanic. 1t
seems likely that some of these me-
chanics, if they are really mechanics,
mnst have represented themselves as
ordinary laborers, in order to get free
transportation to Hawai-. There IS no
demand here for such number OF me
chanics. and they would not have been
encouraged to come as such.
The board of immigration has been
uhlishing an advertisement for many
DAYS, announcing that the Russians
were here and seeking employment, and
inviting all who could find them posi-
tions to come forward. In addition to
this it has had Secretary Walker max
ing a canvass among possible employ
ers. seeking to get Jobs for the new ar
rivals. The results have not been very
satisfactory.
Lucas Bros. and J. H. Craig, con
tractors, have stated that they can use
some carpenters,-if they are real car
penters. But the Russians who claim to
he carpenters have no tools with them
and do not speak English. In various
other lines. skilled laborers might find
jobs if they could speak English and II
they are competent in their lines. But
as President Ivers stated yesterday, the
local employers want to give the pref
erence to their present help, and natu
rally will keep the men they have. They
prefer to employ Hawaiians and Por'
tuguese.
In addition to the offers to use ear
penters, about thirty altogether having
been spoken for, there are individual
applications for offers Of jobs for about
fifty of the Russians. These are offers
Of Jobs as farm helpers, etc.
The Russians will all be released from
quarantine in day or two, and it will
be for them to decide what they want
to do.
1t appears that those among the Rus.
slams who are agltatlng against the
idea of going to work here are more OF
less Influenced by the proposition of q
suit against the board Of immigration
for fee of $1,000 per head on account
of the alleged violation of law in i'm
porting them. In the camp on the Quar-
antine Island there is a report current
tFat the Russians can get $3.50 each by
staying here, and not going to work.
There is a federal law which provides
that in cases of unlawful encourage
ment Of immigration. an informant
shall have for himself the $1,000 fine
imposed in each case. The plan under
which the Russians We're brought here
is claimed by some to be a violation Of
the immigration laws, though it las
been approved by the administratio ton in
Washington. The fact that among The
Russians there were reports some time
ago that they could get thousand dol
lars each from tho Territory is thought
TO indicate thai some one has been
work ng them on these lines The
fact that some of them now say they
can get $3.50 may. i is thought. near
that an attorneys agent has been bds>
among them, and the $50 is his pro
posed share of the $1,000