Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-24
LABOR FOR H U
A Call on California for a Cargo of
Coolies planters Advised by the
six Companies" to Get
Coolies from Hamburg.

80 O0hNFaANNS ~ wv
Coolies from Hamburg.
San Francisco Chronicle.l
While the people Of California are
trying by all legitimate methods to
check the further influx of the Chi
nese to this State the white residents
of the South are complaining that the
industries of that section Of the
country were likely to be materially
injured by a lack of negro cheap labor.
A well known citizen of this city is in
receipt of several letters from the
South upon the exodus of the negroes.
One of these communications, dated
Madison Parish, Louisiana, March
9th, says: Yesterday a mass meet
ing of the planters was held in this
town to take into consideration the
best mode of replacing in some man
ner the colored labor hat has re-
Gently left here for Kansas, Indiana
and Ohio. After some discussion it
was deemed advisable to put ourselves
in communication with the Chinese
Six Companies of San Francisco, in
order to ascertain if they could not
supply our needs with an importation
of cOolie labOrs. 1t was also decided
requisite to request you, sir, to act
as our authorized agent in the matter
and give the a~bove-named companies
a full description of the soil, climate.
etc, of our section of the country, its
resources, ETC., as well as the qualif-
cations necessary to the kind of work
which will be required of the Chinese
in the event of their coming here.
About 50One groes have lately left these
parts, and it will require 1000 Chinese
to replace them. Any assistance you
may be able to render us will be duly
appreciated" Immediately upon the
receipt of this letter the gentleman to
whom it was addressed called upon
the authorized agent Of the Chinese
Six Companies in this city, ana in the
course Of short consultation received
the following information in regard to
the business in question: At pres
ent it is impossible to obtain the num-
Der Of Chinese laborers you require
for field work upon the plantations of
Louisiana for the following reasons /:
The Chinese Six Companies have not
the requisite authority over their PEG.
pie, as they do not bring them here
nor make contracts to let out their
labor to white men or corporations.
The Chinese Six Companies arc simply
benevolent societies, and nothing
more. The high rates paid the Chi
nese for their labor in California,
namely, from SIG to $40 per month,
which are the ruling prices for skilled
labor, preclude the idea of emigration
to the South. Cheap labor is also
scarce here, and the only manner by
which the Southern planters can OBJ
tain the class of laborers they desire
is to send an agent to Hong Kong and
there hire and contract for a sufi
cient number of Chinese to Justify
them in chartering a ship direct
for New Orleans. If the China
men thus hired are we'll and
kindly treated they will quickly
inform their friends here and in
China of the fact, and advising them
likewise to come on to the South. In
Hong Kong contracts can be made with
the Chinese for a term of three to five
years at wages from 50 to $40 per
month. Such contracts they will
faithfully keep, if reciprocated in
kind. This class of labor is entirely
free, and many come and go with as
much freedom and as far as any Euro
pean emigrant to the United States.
The Chinese are the best laborers in
the shop, field or house, as they are
kindly disposed toward their employ
ers, sober and honest but the de-
mand for them far exceeds the supply.
as there is not one single idle China.
man in the State of California" In
an interview with a Chronicle re.
porter, the agent for the Southern
planters stated that he has informed
tucul VI bHC result VI Ills COuIefeOc(
with the representatives of the Chi.
nese Six Companies, and that he be.
lieyes that the suggestion relative t,
the sendingsto Hong Kong and char
tering a ship will very shortly b
acted upon: and further, that tn,
i, planters of Louisiana, Alabama. Mis-
! sissippi and Georgia are becomin.
. greatly alarmed at the rapid exodu
/ of the negroes, saying that in man
q portions of these States no negroe
. can be had to plant crops for the com
/, ing year, and they are anxious to ties
i the efficacy of the Chinese as auxili
aries in the cultivation Of rice, sugar
tobacco and cotton. In the probabl
, event Of their 50 doing, California wi.
a be enabled to rid herself of som
thousands of her surplus coolie popu
%lation.