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.