The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-04-04
ECHO OF TROUBLE
WITH RUSSIANS
ORIENT STILL HEARING OF HOW
HAWAII HANDLED THE
MUsoovITBs.

An echo of the Russian labor troubles
comes in the last mail from the Orient,
in connection with the effect of the
failure on transportation. The follow
ing is from the JAPAN Times Of March
IS:
The north bound tourist traffic opens
the 1911 season about normal, the book
ings up to date, however, being slight
ly fewer than at this time last year,
according to information gathered at
steamship Offices in Yokohama. The
Manila carnival had no apprcciable
effect, it was said yesterday, on passen-
ger traffic north of Nagasaki. Very
few persons went from here, 1t was eX'
planned, and those who did took various
routes, distributing the travel so that
no increase was apparent either way.
Asked if any falling off in tourist bust
ness could be attributed to the pest, it
was said at the offices of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company that the Rus
sian immigrant movement from Siberia
was completely stopped, but regular
travel was not materially affected by
the plague.
Became DtcJatorS.
A year ago the territorial government
of Hawaii undertook to import Russian
laborers for the sugar plantations on
the Islands. Jack Atkinson, the gov
eminent representative, and Russian
labor agent, Mr. Perelstrous, went to
Siberia and induced about 500 laborers
to migrate to the Hawaiian Islands, ex-
planning to them the conditions and
what they could expect in the way of
wages and living. The American laws
will not permit foreign labor to enter
any part of the United States under
contract, so that the territorial repre-
sentative and the Russian labor agent
could not engage the laborers in ST.
IBERIA. They had to migrate first to the
Islands and make their own terms
when they got there.
This motley throng seemed suddenly
impressed with the majesty of labor
when they disembarked at Honolulu
and ait once set themselves up as die
tators. They had been told that their
wages would probably be about $22.5O
month which was equal to 40 rubles;
that they would be furnished living
quarters and fuel and that they could
buy their provisions from the planta-
ton stores for cost price plus five per
cent. They declared that they had been
promised $45 month. They demanded
this wage; that they be allowed to mer-
chandise their own supplies by esta'b-
fishing cooperative stores of their own,
although they did not propose to invest
any capital in the enterprise, and, on
hearsay, they complained that the
quarters which were to be furnished
them were not up to expectations and
that the plantation stores charged
prices in excess of cost with the five
per cent. added.
They presented tabulated schedule
of demands which practically amounted
to absolute control and eventual own
ership to the vast estate of the mission
aries in the Islands who developed the
sugar. industry of Hawaii worth hun
dreds of millions of dollars. Naturally
the sons and heirs of the missionaries
who had taught the Hawaiian people
to lay up their treasures in heaven and
converted their lands to bring forth
much sweetness and yield fabulous
wealth were reluctant TO transfer all
right and title in their heritage, where
upon the Russian labor dignitaries an
nounced that they, their wives and their
children would proceed to starve to
death. They laid themselves down in
a big covered dock, to the number of
several hundred and the kind hearted
Hawaiian people were moved to com
passion. Carriages. automobiles and
wa CONS laden with substantial food and
delicacies were rushed down to the Lit
tie Fathers children to thwart them in
their determination to waste away and
die in land of plenty.
While this was going on, day after
day, Mr.. Mead, the high mogul of the
plantation labor bureau was sitting in
his office with his feet on the desk
waiting for their majesties of labor to
be starved into submission to terms.
"Well, what can you expeetH' said
he one day. "Do you suppose they
win hustle for jobs when the Honolulu
people are Teasing them like royal
guestss7"
For Evading Own Laws,
Tt was all explained yesterday in
Y Yokohama. One gentleman who has an
intimate acquaintance with the affair
at both ends said it was all due to the
American government trying to evade
its own laws. ''Those Russians, he
continued were not used to the free
dom of negotiating terms and they were
just like a lot of children turned loose.
If they could have been hired in Siberia
under contract and handled as they are
accustomed to being the plantation peo-
pie would have had no trouble with
them
The territorial government has gone
out of the labor business and Mr.. Perel-