The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-08-11
NEW LAW WOULD
KILL Immigration
RUSSIANS ONLY WOULD BE ABLE
TO PASS TESTS TO BE
APPLIED.

(From wednesday 3 Advertiser)
The proposed Dillingham; imm' grafton
bin, IL IL should become law. would
practically knock on the head Hawaii s
plans for continuing the Portuguese and
Spanish immigration. Russian mmigra
tion might be resumed, as the statistics
Of the federal immigration station here
show that there is comparatively little
illiteracy among the people irom Man
churia.
Raymond C. Brown, inspector in
charge OF the immigration station, has
had compiled statistics OF illiteracy
among the European immigrants Tor the
past five years, since the matter of
immigration was taken over by gov
ernment bureau in Hawaii, and his fig
wes are OF very decided interest TO
Hawaii at present.
Since the beginning of work by
the territorial board of immigration
there have been, in round numbers,
$500 Portuguese, Spanish and Russians
brought to Hawaii, said Mr.. Brown
yesterday. 81 refer, of course, to the
total of the main shipments.
"'Of these, thirty eight hundred have
been Portuguese, out of which number
twcnty-three hundred could neither read
nor write, about sixty per cent.
cot the thirty-one hundred Spanish
brought here, twentyone hundred were
illiterate. or about seventy per cent.
The percentage of illiteracy among
the Russians was lower Fifteen hum
dred in all were brought here and all
lut fom hundred of them could both
read and write.'
The Dillingham; law. if passed, will
not debar children under fourteen who
cannot read or write, but this would
help little if applied to conditions such
as they have been here. The percent.
! age of illiteracy among the adults is
greater than among the children and
/ with the parents debarred from landing
/ the children would also he debarred
- children without parents could not
| embark to come here and even if they
could they would not be allowed to dis
! embark because of the rule that for
bids the landing of those liable to be
| come charge upon the community
| explained Mr.. Brown. In short, if the
| father is to be barred because of thC
! literacy test, that settles it, and un
! fortunately it is among the elder adult:
| that the greatest illiteracy prevails.
In regard to the number of children
who accompanied their parents here
Mr. Brown furnished some further inter
esting statistics. Among the Portuguese,
who arrived on the Suveric. Kumeric
Swanley and Orterie, the percentage o
children under fourteen was high, be
ing 1870 out of a total of $500. Amoni
the Spanish who came on the Hehopoli
and the Orteric the number of childrel
ont of total of 5000 was 1900. Ou
of twelve hundred Russians, the chill
dren numbered 800.
Among the adults who have arrive
from Portugal, Spain and Manchuris
according to the figures above, seventy
five per cent of the Portuguese, eight
per cent of the Spanish and thirty pc
cent of the Russians would have bee
: denied admission.
) The tests of the Dillingham; la1
would not apply to Filipinos. althoug
even if it did there is not the inabi
ity to read and write among the elias
now arriving from the Philippines tina
, exists among the Europeans.