The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-08-11
CHINA AND THE CHINESE.
San Frarcisco Monitor.

Chinese" by DIR. Ratzel, a German scien-
tist, devotes an exhaustive article to Chi
nese immigration, and though, 80 far as
California is concerned, little additional
light can be thrown upon subject which
has been 30 intensely considered, and 80
long, SO generally, and so ably discussed
by the press and people, from every posi-
BILE standpoint, the article commends itself
to our notice for it's fnllness and complete
ness of detail, as well as for the number
and responsibility of its references. The
civilization of China, which is the result
of four thousand years' experience, and
the outgrowth of Chinese character, unin-
huenced by foreign people, is the logical
consequence of it's geographical situation,
isolated, as it is, by snow-clad and almost
impossible mountains on the North and
West, by feeble, effeminate tribes on the
South and by the sea on the East. In this
vast am mphithestre the population increas
cd with great rapidity until, in the begin
ming of the Christian era, it amounted to
sixty millions, and, Notwithstanding Tar
tar invasione, rebellions, emigration, floods
and famines, continued to multiply, until
now the Inhabitants of the Flowery King-
dom number, according to DR.. Ratzel, four
hundred and twenty millions. Notwith-
standing the pressure of this vast popula-
ton on the resources of the soil, the Chi
nese, aIdently attached to kindred and to
localities of nativity, were not an emigrat-
ing people, except in those cases where
masses, crowded out of employment and
the cultivation of the soil, spread out to
tho plains of Kashgar and the west of
Asia, or established themselves in trade
among the less enterprising Inhabitants
of Farther India. Not until within the
last half century have any great changes
taken place ia the relations between the
Chinese and the great Powers of the West,
and these changes were not sought by the
huk khn mt
sisted by them with the sword, until they
were forced to yield to the iniquitous de-
mands of commerce, notably that of the
importation of opium by the English. At
present, in DR.. RatzePs opinion, one of
those mighty movements OF the redundant
population of China is in progress, and
may no more be stayed than an Ocecn tidal
wave or the rolling flood which sweeps
the plain from mountain torrents, and it
flows not alone to the Pacific States, but
to the South Sea Islands, to Australia, and
to South America.
The general productiveness of the land
in the Chinese Empire, and its suffciency
labor statistics are given by DR.. Ratzel, as
we'll as the current prices of agricultural
produce Rice land varies from $l25 to
$500 an acre, and mulberry plantations
$500 an acre. An estate of $50 acres be-
longs only to the wealthiest, and family
can get it's living upon two and half to
four acres. The price of grains varies con
siderably-as high as 800 per cent 220
poands of rice being worth from 50 80 so
SO S4; wheat. from 50 Ga to SO Sc. and 80
of other products. The rate of wages is
given at $50 to $25 year with board for
: feld oNaEseeEy aud feF common iaborers-
$l2 to $l8 year. Day iaborers without
board, receive to cents day in hur
ried times 10 to l24 cents; in silkworm
management, Is to 90 cents for reeling
silk 30 to so cents In the more thinly
settled districte, as in the neighborhood of
Canton for instance, wages are higher,
and an overseer of field labor gets $50 a
year and board, and 80, in proportion,
with other classes of laborers. Women
aud children get from 2 to ID cents day
witholt board, according to skill, the
wages of female iaborers being on an
average one half lower than those of the
male. DR. Ra'zel makes review of au
thorities on the cost of living of Chinese
laborer, as follows A kilogramme of meal
q 90 lbs.) is worth 4 to S cents rice, 3 to
81 cents peas or beans, 81 to 4 cents
green vegetables, II to 23 cents sweet
potatoes ! cente; cheaper varieties of fisb,
from to IA cents for 2 90 lbs coarse beef
and buffalo .meat, to 10 cents salt, sugar
and tea are proportionately cheap. The
diet of q laborer is based on rice, bat be
receives a ration of pork four times
try twice a month.
The cost of dwellings is an inconsider
ate item. "Leaving out of view," says
DR.. Ratzel, "the hundreds of thousands
who dwell in caves, and the innu-
merable multitude who live on RATS
and boats on the rivers and lakes, the
majority of Chinese live together in large
villages and cities, the people having an
uncouquerabie inclination to live in
massesn The Chinese laborers who emf
CRATE are divided into three classes-those
taken captives in clannish feuds and sold
by their csptors; dwellers on the coast
who have been kidnapped; and those
who staked and lost their freedom at gam
bling; and of this description of emf
grants it is Dr.. Ratzel's opinion "that an
increase of the movement may be expected
for the present"
According to these statements and eta
tistics, obtained from the mOst reliable and
respectable authorities, the question of
Chinese immigration to California, OF any
part of the United States, passes beyond
the purview of the merely laboring classes
and of sectional politics, and becomes
one of national confederation