Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 309, 26 October 1891 — Strike of Japanese Laborers at Makaweli, Kauai. [ARTICLE]

Strike of Japanese Laborers at Makaweli, Kauai.

There is a carrent of discontent among ihe Japanese laborers on Makaweli Plantation, whieh found vent on last, when about 270 ont of the lot of shipped men, struck work. D iring the year and a half that Mr. Walsh was manager oniy 4 or 5 laborers were sent to Waimea for trial; while his successor presents the Waimea court with a daily and weekly record of batches of prisoners, thns keeping the loeal Deputy Sheriff and his meager force of four men busy all the time with Makaweli prisoners. The ftfrce ought to be /increaBed here by at least two constables to meet thē increased strain. The immedi£tfc cause of the s.trike was the arrest of sick men anfforcing them to tram p to Waimea there to be interpreted by a plantation interpreter who always pīaces the prisener at a disadvantage by representing that he pleads guilty, when the prisoner intend merely to confcss inability to labor. Just now'there is a laborer sick in Waimea, who was a victim to outrageous cruelty. It was perhaps fortunate for him in one respect that «e was aragged to Waimea as he is now under the care of our skilfull and duly qualified humane phypician Dr. Campbell, who will not cert:fy to a sick man being ahle to labor in the field, as is said to be the case with one or more of the whole of semi-charlantans passinS as u doctors"*of the said Plantations* On Thureday ahout 2TO were findeach a do!lar and costs and ordered to return- to work, but the matter ought to be thoroughly investigated by acompetent board of impartial meu. The Japs have no conAdence iu their own loeal physician who keeps a- store and is said to deal in boots and bachsheesh and to make it hot for non-cnstom-1 ers and others who may not in the Jap style k4 pony-up." The Japanese official also who comes to investigate—they say—loses his hear when he gets into the planter phaeton and dining-room, and it is rare to find the laborer get his case perly sifled aud juetice done. More anon.