Hawaiian Planters May Import Russian Laborers
The Ogden Standard. (Ogden City, Utah), July 27, 1909, Page 6 |
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| More Russians are imported to Hawaii 3 years after Pryguny and Molokane abandoned the idea. More about this is in-progress. Honolulu July 26. — Hawaiian sugar planters are contemplating importing Russian immigrants to solve the labor problem in the islands A Russian capitalist now visiting here has offered his assistance to bring some of his countrymen to the islands many of whom he stated would like to come as plantation laborers. At least one plantation has decided to make the experiment and application has already been made to the territorial board of immigration for the importation of forty Russian families. If these are found to be desirable as immigrants and satisfactory as plantation laborers, it is understood that many more will be sent for. The Hawaiian planters have experimented with Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and Porto Rican laborers and all have proved unsatisfactory. The Japanese are on strike for higher wages and many of the Spaniards, Portuguese, and Porto Ricans became discontented and left the islands. |
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Russian Immigrants Tear Up Passports
The San Francisco Call. October 29, 1909, Page 6 |
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| Star Spangled Banner Replaces Their Own National Hymn The liner Siberia, which arrived here yesterday from the orient, landed 212 Russian immigrants at Honolulu. There, were men, women and children in the party. In Russia the men had been working long hours for a monthly wage of 5 rubles [$2.58] and were enchanted at the prospect of a free life on the sugar plantations. That they have no intention of returning, to the czar's domains is evident from a story told by the Siberia's passengers. At the request of some of the passengers, one of the ship's officers requested the Russians to sing the Russian national hymn. The quartermaster who carried the message returned shaking his head. "They won't do it, sir." he said. "What do they say?" inquired the officer. "I can't translate it exactly." replied the quartermaster, "but it means, "To hell with Russia; we are learning the 'Star Spangled Banner.' " After landing at Honolulu every Russian tore up his passport and threw the scraps into the Pacific ocean. |
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