The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-03-04
Governor Makes Inquiries About
Alleged 0vercharging Of
LaborerS.
NONE HAVE BEEN FOUND
Believes Ignorance of NeWcom-
erS Is Alone the Cause and
Expects Betterment.
81 +++++++++++++4eI


4 from Kauai, advanced as their 4
4 reasons for leaving the planta- \
\ tions the fact that the planta- 4
4 ton stores were overcharging 4
\ them, that the plantations were 4
\ making them pay house rent \
4 and that they were being paid 7
\ less than the agreed scale of 4
4 wages. A number of the Russians 4
\ were interviewed by The Adver- 4
4 tiser and the substance of their =
4 complaint passed on to the au- =
\ thorities for investigation. 4
4 AS a result of the investigation, \
4 Governor Frear yesterday an \
4 nounced that he was convinced 4
4 that the various troubles arose =
4 through the ignorance of the new 4
4 corners and their childishness in 4
4 regard to money values, contracts =
\ and agreements.
\ He expressed hopefulness in 4
4 the ultimate outcome of the Rus \
4 sian experiment.
O%< ~ ~ y y 4 4 \ 4 4 y o
On the complaint of Russian immi-
grants who arrived here few months
ago that they were compelled to pay
exceedingly high prices for supplies
furnished them by plantation stores,
run by the companies, Governor Frear
took up the matter at once and has re-
ceived answers which indicate that the
prices charged for certain necessities
have been and were considerably under
the prices quoted in the complaints.
They stated in their complaint that
graduated and brown sugars were
sold to them at very high prices, So
per hundredweight for the former. The
Governor s source of information gives
this sugar at nearly So less. They sell
the brown sugar at four to five cents,
complained of.
Potatoes are selling at about half the
prices quoted by the Russians, who
complained that their .spuds cost five
dollars a sack.
In all instances the plantation store
on Kauai, which furnished the Cover
nor their current list of prices, showed
that the Russians were at fault when
they made their complaints, and he
can only arrive at the conclusion that
their ignorance of the value of Ameri-
can money is at the bottom of the
trouble.
The Governor states that the planta-
ton stores realize that the Russians
prefer their black -four to the white
produced by American mills and are
making, an effort to lay in sufficient
supply to meet the demand.
Plantation Stores Benefit.
AS to the criticism against the plan
tations running stores the Governor
says he believes it would be a great
mistake to do away with them. In the
first place they carry a very large stock
of general merchandise, and their
stocks comprise items that the Japa-
nese, Chinese and Portuguese stores do
not carry.
In the second place the Governor
asserts that the plantation stores keep
the prices down in order to keep other
storekeepers' prices down, or rather to
prevent them from putting and keeping
prices up. Keeping prices normal is a
safeguard to the laborers who derive
an additional benefit from the planta-
tions running the stores. Only recent
~ complaint reached the Governor
from some Portuguese storekeepers on
Hawaii who alleged that the plantation
stores undersold them and they were
not making as much money as they be-
lieved they should.
Cost of Living High.
''Priees of supplies nowadays are
high said the Governor. 81 refer
TO this in general way, for we all
know that ourselves, and high prices
is now one of the great questions all
over the world
''lt shows the importance of getting
these people to cultivate little piece
of land so as TO help them ont in their
food supplies. II they can grow their
own potatoes. for instance. for they are
consumers Of potatoes In large quaint
ties, so much the better for their
wages great many plantation labor
ers are doing this, -
The Governor has also heard Of the
complaint about two dollars a month
being held for rent Of their houses
This il explained ~ followsi
House IDstallments.
The laborers WHO engage 10 30 day
labor receive their full wages, SAY S2g
month. Tboho who entered lulo d
contract with the company ~ perform
labor for q eerigin period, say ihTns
yean, DO ~ under ile agreement that
tho plantation Furnish them housp
Nhieh r0sis in the neiRhhorh0od of
$500 fhe hnnse Il hull 90 about an
acre NJ ground " lhe IahDFeF work
faithfully, deips ngi lesr lhan an aTff
age ~ iReuiy DAYS Nafh throughout
tte eniiTf ihlef fFalt lhf huilfe SAD
afle M lard hfrnNe hli grH, tbs la.