He felt sure that if it should be proved that the Hawaiian Government had acted unfairly to the emigrants, or had broken the treaty between the two countries, there would be no trouble in arranging that a reasonable money claim for damages should be paid to Japan.

Mr. Akiyama was most anxious to begin the inquiry as soon after landing as possible, and so no time was lost in getting to work.

He wanted to know on what grounds the emigrants had been refused, and so he was told the Hawaiian side of the trouble.

According to this, it began nearly two years ago, when the Hawaiian Government made a regulation that a certain number of the laborers employed on the plantations must be brought from other countries than Japan.

Japan immediately asked why this regulation was made, and Hawaii replied that she had a right to import laborers from what country she pleased.

This was the commencement of the bad feeling between the two countries on the emigrant question.  Japan, however, still continued to send over her laboring class in vast numbers.

Under the immigration laws of Hawaii, every immigrant seeking admission to the country is bound to have not less than fifty dollars in cash in his pocket and a contract in his possession that will guarantee him employment for two years.

It was brought to the attention of the Hawaiian Government by the agents of the two steamship companies that a fraud was being practised upon the country by these same steamship companies; each agent accusing the other company of the misdeed.

The fraud was this: 

To enable the emigrants to pass the customs officials safely, the steamship companies agreed to carry the passengers over to Hawaii for so much money per head, in return for which they also loaned them the necessary fifty dollars to show the officials, and they also furnished the required contract for their employment when they landed.

[**Transcriber’s Note:  funished changed to furnished]

It is hardly necessary to say that the fifty dollars was taken from them after they were safely landed, and that the promised employment was not given.  The laborers were turned adrift to look out for themselves, as soon as the formalities of the Immigration Bureau had been complied with.

After the Hawaiian Government had received this information, arrangements were made to inspect the next Japanese emigrant ship very closely.

It was found that the agents had stated the matter correctly.  Nearly all the emigrants on board had fraudulent forms of contract.  They were refused admission and sent back to Japan.

Of twelve hundred Japanese emigrants to Hawaii in two months, over one thousand were found to have false contracts.

Mr. Akiyama, having been acquainted with the Hawaiian cause of complaint, persisted in declaring that it was wrong to send the emigrants back, because it had caused much trouble and loss of money to Japanese subjects; he further declared that by sending the emigrants back the Hawaiian Government had broken the treaty with Japan.