Litchfield enquirer., 1871-06-29
For The Enquirer.
 CHINESE CHEAP LABOR. ''

MR. EDITORIALS you have been dis
 posed kindly to notice my lecture, the oth
 CT evening. on the subject of the Chinese
 in California. you will perhaps permit me
 to state through your columns wherein
 suppose the ''benefcial influence of Chinese
 labor will. come in. I think it may be
 seen Jarst in this. that through it the early
 completion of tie Overland Raiload was SC
 cured. Many thousand Chinese laborer,
 were employed upon the road when the
 Central Pacific Company were unable te
 obtain the service of other men, and, thus
 through the lnstrumentality of their labor
 the doors of our great inter oceanic high.
 way have been opened much more speedily
 than they could have been otherwise. even
 if they could have opened at all without
 the employment of the Chinese
 2d. The service of the Chinese in many
 branches of industry in California has
 been of benefit to our population. The
 employment of few scores of Chinese
 operatives for instance, in our woolen fac
 tories, has enabled the latter, to become g grand success, and every Chinaman so em. ployed, has really put labor into the hands of half Q score of white men in various oc. cupations. either in the factory or in con. nection with it. These home factories have given an immense impetus to the raising of wool. by furnishing home mar ket and greatly benefitting this branch of industry in our State. They have furnish ed also the consumers of woolen goods in the whole Pacific coast, with better and cheaper fabric than could otherwise have been obtained. The fannels and cassi meres of the Pacific Woolen Mills are equal in quality and cheapness to any of the fab rics of Eastern mills. while the blankets of the Mission Woolen Mills, are superior to any manufactured in the world. The great mercantile house of Stewart & Co. in New York city have for months kept this the factory running to it's utmost capacity in filling it's orders. In short, every man on the Pacific coast, who wears woolan shirt, and every person who sleeps under wool en blanket owes something to Chinese la. Dor for supplying him with better and cheaper article, than he could have had save for the establishment of these factories where Chinese are partially employed. But let it be noticed that the employment of the Chinese in these institutions in mak- ing them successfully 10 compete with Eastern mills, puts renumerative labor in. to the hands of hundreds of other men, who would otherwise be obliged to find work elsewhere or perhaps remain idle.
 Thirdly, Chinese labor comes on with great benefit to our people also from anoth- CT quarter, the Chinese are the great horti- cultufists of the Pacific States. Nothing perhaps strikes an Eastern visitor with so much admiration. as the abundance, the excellency and the cheapness our horticul- tural and agricultural products. When a laboring man can purchase barrel of flour with three days wages in California, and three bushels of potatoes for one days wa ges. and supply his table for himself and children with the outlay of a dime or two with fruits that are the coveted and exclu- siye luxuries of the rich in other portions of the land:-this, so desirable result to the many, is achieved only by the employ ment of Chinese labor. While thousands of families are thus supplied, still very few realize that they feed 80 bountifully and cheaply. because two hands have been em- plyed in tilling the soil, gathering in the products of agriculture in our State, the strong and skiliful hand of American in- dustry, with its sturdy grip and nervous energy. the supple joints and nimble fin- gers of the Asiatio to pick up and gather in the products of the hardier toll of the oth. CT. ase t
 In view of the above and similar facts wherein in may be asked wherein comes the ruin to be produced by Chinese Cheap Labor? The ruin is as yet imaginary, at the worst only perspective, and with the slightest exercise of prudence on the part of the American laborer, by American mean all American citizens whether native or naturalized, it will never come at all Where Chinese labor and American labor, Caucasian will call it, for this is the po- lite term, comes most directly in collision, that is, in domestic service and the work of the laundry. prices with us still favor the domestic and the laundry woman. An experienced female cook still receives her thirty dollars per month in California; a woman for general house. work twenty five, and the chamber-naid twenty dollars and upwards; washing is still from dollar to a dollar and . half per dozen; the woman who goes out to wash and iron, is paid two dollars day and hard to be got at that. All this is true though the Chinaman works in the same line. With these prices, many is the domestic and washer woman with us who have by prudence and economy be- come rich. and have real estate. city lots, and houses to rent; also large balances in their favor in the savings banks. The majority hf,waver ara confAnf tn mi tho;r