There was considerable excitement among the crowds of Japanese that lined the streets and the docks to greet the Commissioner, but there was no disturbance of any kind. The Commissioner was politely received by the Hawaiian Government, and no unfriendly feeling was shown by any one.
The Commissioner, whose name is Mr. Akiyama, stated that he had come on a friendly errand. His Government had been told that the Hawaiian Government had refused to allow Japanese emigrants to land on the Sandwich Islands, and he had come over to investigate the matter.
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.