Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-10-30
THE CHINESE EXODUS.
John Only Leaving Us for Awhile to
Return When Times are Better.

A Post reporter to-day made further in
quiries about the causes which are max
ing hard times among the Chinese mer-
| chants in this city and are forcing SO
many OF the laboring class of Mongols to
leave this coast for China. Among others,
a gentlemen occupying prominent posi-
ton in one of the commercial banks to
whom all dealings with Chinese Gus
toners have been intrusted, and who is,
therefore, conversant with their finances
and methods OF doing business, vouch-
safed the following information: "The
Chinese Six Companies control system
of
COOPERATIVE STORES
All over the coast They select those of
their race whom they believe after rigid
investigation to be honest, and place them
in charge of these stores. They send this
man to Portland, Oregon, that man to
San Diego, and the other man to Vir-
ginia City, and so on until they have the
coast fully covered. These stores are run
on a joint stock principle. In each local
ity they are the headquarters of all the
Chinese laborers who are working in the
neighborhood. Nearly all the Chinese
laundries in the interior towns are stores
of this character. They sell all goods
which Chinaman might need, and
RECEIVE MONEY ON DEPOSIT.
In return for the money deposited they
give receipt which represents share
pro rata in the profits Of each store, and
interest is allowed on the money so de-
posted. All the Chinese laborers and
servants employed throughout California
go to these stores after receiving their
monthly wages and deposit all except
few dollars which they allow themselves
for expenses. Suppose one fthem earns
$25 month. Three or four dollars will
do him for getting his head shaved, hav-
ing his opium smoke and providing him
with clothing ALI the rest goes into the
hands of the storekeeper. When six or
seven hundred dollars has been accumu-
lated it is usually the rule that the money,
together with the interest, share of the
profit, ETC., is withdrawn, and John takes
a trip back to the Flowery Kingdom,
there to enjoy himself Now, these Chi
nese cooperative stores have not been
making any money for year past, for
reasons which the Post explained yester-
day. chief among which is
THE AGGRESSIVE POLICY
Exercised against the race by the whites. |
The result has been that the stores have
been filled with the unemployed, who
have boarded and lodged in them, the
expense of which has been duly charged
up against the deposit accounts. When
ever the account of one of the unemployed
is reduced to his passage money and a
hundred or two dollars besides, he 'lites
out for China on his own accord; and,
where the account is reduced to the pas
sage money alone, the agents of the six
companies compel him to go. This is why |
there has been such an exodus to China
during the last month or two, and why
the Chinese have taken so many Mexi- |
can dollars out of the market. 1t is wholly
due to hard times among them, brought /
On largely by their being
BoYcoTTED BY THE WHITES.
On arriving at Hongkong, however, each |
Jhlnaman who has money enough to do |
30, goes to some bank in that city and de-
posits sufficient sum to pay his passage
back to America. You see, they have no
intention to give us the shake altogether.
They merely go over there because times |
WV AAesAN eshAOh3 eAAOA1 LULU. Liz
kong banks are now carrying line of
hese deposits which, is enormous in the
Each one OF them represents
| return ticket to America. Ii the
money were to be taken into the interior
n China, it would be siezed for taxes,
ETC., and, therefore, it is safer in British
bank. Then John gruhs around in his
'wn soil as best he can, yet still casts
onging glance this way By-and-by SO
many of them will have left here that
he labor market will feel the effect, and
here is bound to be demand for them
n sonn ;quarter. Then the Six Compan-
es Will cause to be inserted in the Hong
Tong and interior press advertise ments,
hat times are better for the Chinese in
california and that good wages and steady
can be had. Then everv
me of them will go to the banks, draw
ut their money, and buy ticket to San
francisco. Therefore, put no faith in the
tory that they are going to leave us for
yer. 1t is only for little while-be-
ause times are so hard. By-and-by they
nil be with us again.-iS. r. Post, Esd.