The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-26
CHINESE CHEAP LABOR.
WILL THE THRIFTY MDNGOLIAN sTEP
IN WHERE THE THRIFrLEss
AFRICAN MOVES OUT?
A PrObIematIcal Phase of the Labor
Question.

Question.
The recent unchecked eolored exodus To
Kansas, Involving us it does an immense loss
OF business to this city and State, has come
to be considered as vital and monentoua
question since the magnitude Of the affair has
been fully understood. The further Impetus
likely to be given to this movement by the
lately adjourned Golored convention In this
city and the unnaturally friendly attitude OF
Northern fanatics are further grave subjects
for public consideration.
The plain facts are, thousands of our la.
boring population have recently left the
State II indications fail not, other thous
sands are about to leave impellsdby the Same
causes or rather want Of causes.
Foreseeing the great loss this emigration
will cause to themselves, independent OF It's
effects on the mercantile community, some
OF our cotton planters have actually inter-
ested themselves in devising means to supply
THE DEFICIENCY OF LABOR
which has SO suddenly manifested itself,
They have spoken Of drawing further on the
South Atlantic States, but these have appar-
emily sent all their surplus labor. They have
considered the Introduction Of white ernis
grants from Europe, but, to use planters
quotation, "the West has got the bulge on
them In this business" and 1t is difficult to
induce immigrants TO come to the Southern
States where they think they will still come
In competition with negro labor, and suffer
from this competition.
In the Northern river parishes OF Louisiana
planters have opened communication with
Chinese agents in California In the hope of
getting someof the alleged
SURPLUS MoNGoLIAN POPULATION
Of that Stata Nopositively definite answers
have been returned to their interrogatorles In
this matter, though vague offers OF illimit-
able numbers Of field hands from this source
have been made.
From 1870 to 1873 Louisiana drew largely
from the completed Pacific railroads on the
Chinese labor employed In constructing these
lines. From this source more than a thousand
Chinese were introduced into this State. At
that time all the agricultural products raised
here were very high, and wages were paid
proportionate to the prices Of the staples,
Hundreds OF Chinese remained, performed
good work for their wages. and are in the
sugar regions Of this State to-day though
they are scarcely paid two-thirds OF the
wages they We're originally hired at.
reporter Of the DEIoCRAT yesterday,
seeking to get information on the question of
Chinese labor (since 1t has been revived),
hunted up
All LEE,
one OF the original Chinese agents, who re-
mained here This wel-to-do Celestial was
found on the lower sugar landing, about to
leave for one OF Bradi5h Johns0n's sugar
plantations.
Our reporter introduced himself to All Lee.
and propounded to him leading interrogation
les on the Chinese labor question, which was
answered substantially as follows:
All Lee had heard OF the Kansas ernigra-
tion.. He was surprised that the negro field
bands h should leave this country to go to the
Northwest, as he had been there. He had
heard that there were propositions to supply
the places oil the emigrating negroes with
Chinese from California. He did not know
whether this move Was at present entirely
practicable. He had brought large numbers
OF Chinese here from California some years
ago, but the passage then cost a great deal:
however, wages here were good then. He
said there were still remaining in the sugar
were paid seventy i've cents q day and boarded
themselves. These laborers are chiefly en1-
ployed In the parishes Of st. james, ST. John
and PlaquemineS. He thought they could be
Introduced from California into the cotton re-
g1on Tor the same wages, or their equivalent
in other modes Of working, IL they could be-
contracted for In large numbers at lOw pas
sage rates, where they had to pay their own
way on the railroads. All Lee thought it Il
feasible u, get Chinese Iaborers to work cot
ton anywhere for what they have been paid
to work here In the cane fields.
The above is a close condensation OF the am
swers the reporter drew from this intelligent
Chinese labor agent during the interview,
which interview was terminated by the de-
parture OF the steamboat on which All Lee
embarked.