The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-08-14
vs. Chimes Labor Convention

Va Chinese Labor convention
A convention of planters, merchants and others.
met at Memphis, Tennessee, on the l4th of July,
to discuss the question of importing laborers from
China to work on the southern rice, cotton and
sugar plantations. The telegraph advises us that
the attendance was very large, and proceedings
interesting.
The convention was addressed by n Chinaman
who had been living two years in Louisiana. He
stated the habits and peculiarities of his country
men that the products and climate of China
were similar to those Of the Southern States that
they were familiar with the labor required OF
them, and that they were willing and anxious to
migrate to America. He said that over 81, 1000
Chinese were employed in Cuba, but that much
suffering and poverty prevailed among them there,
which he attributed to their not having been Sc
lected with proper care.
Mr.. Koopmanschap, the Hongkong merchant of
San Francisco also addressed the convention, and
stated that under a FIVE years contract, Chinese
can be procured in Asia for so to S12 per
month and that they could be taken from Hong
kong to San Francisco for $50 and from San
Francisco to the Southern States for $50. He
also stated that his house brought 80, 900 Chinese
to California, where 60, 900 arc now engaged in
general and railroad work. They were paid ninety
cents to 81 10 per day, in gold, as laborers, and
can be induced to go South for $50 per month
but they can be obtained much cheaper in China.
Now for other countries, including these islands,
the Chinese are willing to engage in a five years
contract for four and fire dollars per month, with
food and lodging found. But this really amounts
to about the same as stated by Mr.. X, and this
NAV have been the idea that he intended to
convey.
One result of the convention was the formation
of n joint stock company, with a capital Of one
million of dollars, for the purpose of importing
Chinese laborers. a gentleman, Mr.. Gift, has
been appointed agent for this company, to visit
San Francisco and China in furtherance of the
objects of the company.
In this connection, the following remarks from
the New York Spectator, possess interest. "In
broken English there is a general cry for Chinese
who can be broken to service here. Three times
within n week housekeepers in search of sshelp"
have begged us to encourage emigration from
China. In that they think they see the model
servant, gentle, faithful, honest, cheap, compe-
tent, shrewd, and a pagan, hence no bother about
the facilities for church-going. Ignorant of the
language, the Chinese cannot be an area gossip.
Hostile to innovations he will not adopt our mod
ern inventions or run after them. Quiet, ~taciturn
and philosophic, he will be content to stay where
he is put and let the world move on, mindless of
where It's revolutions may carry him. There is
great reason to believe that there will be a large
Chinese emigration to this country soon, and that
the California problem will have to be worked
out here. \ merchant of this city offers to bring
Cinnamon to New York for S75 apiece. His
terms will be accepted if he will land his China
men in Louisiana at Atchafalaya, from near
which point there is a railroad connection with
New Orleans. The South is quite wide-awake to
this emigration. They see in it a substitute for
the negro, whom, being free, they hate. AT
Charleston they are contracting for $4,000 Chi
namen for the rice and cotton fields. The Mem
phis Avalanche expects to see 100 900 in the Mis-
sissippi Valley in a few years. 1t hopes to see
the wool give way to the pigtail. 1t is a fact,
however, that this sort of labor is less needed at
the South than in other parts of the country.
There is labor enough at the South if it be only
utilized. To procure a substitute for the negro
because he ,cont work, is to force the negro to
say he can't work, and then there will be hun
dreds of thousands of starving paupers or forced
criminals, with whom the community must get
on some way. These active and capable Asiatics
will make a great change in the aspect of the Ia
Dor question, and if they should come in rapidly
and in large numbers they would make themselves
felt at once. Housekeepers hereabouts have faith
that they will at once make a reliable arm OF the
domestic service"
In California, in these Islands, in Australia,
and in fact, wherever employed, Chinese make
good house servants, whether as stewards, cooks,
or for out door or garden work. They readily
fall into the ways Of foreigners, learn their Ian
guage, and when paid q reasonable compensation.
will seldom leave an employee who treats them as
servants should be treated. In short they are Ia
borious, faithful and as trusty as the average of
We are not speaking of coolies, but free
Chinese servants. There is no good reason why
the employment of them in America should not
give as much satisfaction as here where they have
been employed nearly eighteen years.