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 sc
many of the laboring class of Mongols tc
leave this coast for China. Among others
gentlemen occupying a 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 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 a 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 a
few dollars which they allow themselves
for expenses. Suppose one of them earns
$25 a 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profit, etc., is withdrawn, and John takes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 a 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
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 Next
can dollars out of the market. It is wholly
due to hard times among them, brought
on largely by their being
BoYCoTTED BY THE WHITES.
On arriving at Hongkong, however, each
Chinaman who has money enough to do
SO, goes to some bank in that city and de-
posts sufficient sum to pay his passage
back to America. You see, they have no
intention to give us the shake altogether.
Ihey merely go over there because times
are hard among them here. The Hong
kong banks are now carrying line of
these deposits which, is enormous in the
aggregate. Each one of them represents
a return ticket to America. If the
money were to be taken into the interior
of China, it would be siezed for taxes,
ETC., and, therefore, it is safer in British
bank. Then John grubs around in his
own soil as best he can, yet still casts
longing glance this Way. By-and-by so
many of them will have left here that
the labor market will feel the effect, and
there is bound to be demand for them
in som quarter. Then the Six Compan-
les viii cause to be inserted in the Hong
kong and interior press advertise ments,
that times are better for the Chinese in
California and that good wages and steady
can be had. Then everv
one of them will go to the banks, draw
out their money, and buy ticket to San
francisco. Therefore, put no faith in the
story that they are going to leave us for
ever. 1t is only for little while-be-
cause times are so hard. By-and-by they
will be with us again.-S r. Post, Esd.