The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-04-17
TQ 0[
] ASKED F0B nd
Unemployed Filipinos Of Hilo De
eide to Lay Their Case Be
fore Organization.
(NIan spoelal % the Advertiserl

tmall special TO the AdvertiseT)
HILo, April l3.--That an attorney
be employed 10 place before the Hawa-
iian Sugar Planters Association the
condition Of the unemployed Filipinos
on this island was the decision Of the
mas meeting Of Eilipinos which was
held at Mooheau Park last Sunday
forenoon.
The demand win be made that the
planters provide the unemployed Fill
pinos, who were brought here under
contract, with employment. food or
transportation back to their homes in
the Philippines.
While there was some evidence Of an
Inndercurreht Of in feeling. which may
develop into violence, the speakers did
not give expression 10 anything but
law-abidmg sentiments As matter
Of fact, emphasis was laid on the i'm.
poftance Of abiding by the laws.
Police Ofiieer Oetobre, Who was de-
tailed by Sheriff Pua to watch the
meeting, gives an account Of what
took place. fsF
He states that there were about three
hundred Filipinos present, coming from
yarious points on this island. Pablo
Manlapit, well educated Filipino. was
elected chairman, ana Emilio Manteniel
secretary and treasurer During the
meeting a collection was taken. but
owing to the redtced circumstances Of
the audience no very large amount was
obtained, though most IL th5se present
Il 40 Nsstl. - - 1.
Interpreter ADVISES Peace.
Pedro yiftqfiA al court linterpreter,
was the first spencer, and he wanted
TO know what was the purpose Of the
gathering. If trouble was intended,
fedro wanted nothing further to do
with the affair II, however, the phr-
pose was TO find out what the planters
were going to do 10 help the Rnlpinos
whom they had imported, he was with
the movement II might also be well
70 find out II the government was going
to do anything to assist the unemployed
Filipihos, numbering about thousand
for II seemed that importation Of new
shipments of Filipinoa was allowed
though the old men were thereby crowd.
cd out Of their Jobs should these men
be compelled 70 starvef si1,
\ Manlapit Apoke along the same lines
according TO OctObre, and Pedro advised
those- present 70 observe the laws, and
4 to beg before they stole, as the latter
was illegal, while the straits Of the
EinDinos would be conducive TO lenienct
iif they made requests for assistance.
Lived on VIVA Fruit. Y.
A Filipino from one Of the plantation.
noyth of Hilo said that be had beer
brought to Hawaii under d tlIfee-yeai
contract. He had been treated wei
ON board ship and id the .quarantin,
station, and the plantation had lived
up to oil the conditions Of the contract
with the exception that it had not fur
nished him with hrew0od, although tn.
contract so provided. However, he haS
managed TO save a little money. whei
he was suddenly discharged, and wher
he asked the reason, he was told merel,
that IL be did not get out he would b,
kicked out He had not saved enough
TO carry him back to Manila, SO he haS
gone to Hilo, and here his savings ha,
soon been spent on food, leaving hin
destitute. Since then he had manage,
to keep alive on the wild fruits whicl
| he could find in the gulches. This maj
advised the employment Of an attorney
who should tell the plantations TO Civ
the FiiipiRos either employment, foo,
or transportation to their home country
! This speech was much applauded, an,
was followed by others along the sam
general line. IL was the sense Of th
meeting that this advice be followed
but that the Planters Association
rather than the individual managers, b,
dealt with, as the organization was re
sponsible for bringing the Filipino
here. A petition was also drafted
which will be forwarded to the associa
tion. Z q