Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-09-30

iaterestinx Interyiew with John L.
Howard.

Howard.
10 order to give all sides hearing,
reporter called on Mr.. Howard, Of tb,
oregon Improvement Company, las
evening. With tbs expectation Of settin,
an expression Of views from him AZ III,
representative Of the corporation tha
employs In its various departments
greater number Of men than vouIC
probably appear On the pay rolls Of an,
other arm or corporation engaged /,
business on Paget Sound.
Mr.. Hsward's opinions on this subjec
Wall probably agree With those Of other
engaged in large enterprises, and espe
cially With those operating coal mine.
IN this locality, and presenting a. the,
do the views Of employers, are deservins
of careful Consideration.
Query.-Mr. Howard, what DO yor
think OF she present anti ChiHese move
mentf
Answer.-Considered ss a social prob
lem and speaking entirely from a per
sonai standpoint, after studying tn,
| qsestion as one must do living in Sar
| Francisco, | think the intelligent resi-.
dents of the Pacific Coast must approSe
| of the agitation mp to a certain point
and disapprove of it when it becomes
more than agitation by exceedine proper
limits- That 10 70 say, that SO long "a
railroad construction and the develop
ment of the other multifarious resources
OF the coast demanded this labor, which
was desirable and necessary both on ac
count Of Its chespness and its quantity
and because white labor could not be
commanded, 30 long it was for the in
terest of the coast to permit the inoom-
ing OF the Chinese; but a. soon az that
necessity passed away. as ID now seems
TO have done, then the importation
shoald cease, and for very many rea.
sons. The Restriction Act. which was
the best form of legislation that East
ern Congressman would corcsde. has
been q practical nullity. The evasion
Of the Law has been very ingenious, bot
l see that the newly appointed Collector
at San Francisco. who il a lawyer by
profession, has expressed some views OF
his duties that IL carried oat may in
crease the difficulties of promiseuous
landing. The Cinnamon now here are
here either because the laws have per
mitted them or because the enactments
have had 10 them cracks through which
they oould crawl into the country; but
In either case the remedy 20 which an
intelligent people should and must look
will be Legislation brought about by
strong but proper discussion aud agita-
ton. The California view 10 undoubt.
edly correct, that unless really restrict
i've laws are passed, there viii come
into our country, and particularly to
our coast. suoh q proportion Of the
400, ,000. COO Of the population Of the Chi
nsse Empire az would make IL very un-
desirable for our interests; but these
that are here, whether by permission or
by stealth, are in every proper view Of
the case entitled 10 the protection Of
the laws of our country, and any other
view OF the matter is decidedly IN.
American.
Q.-How many Chinamen are in the
employ Of your coal company, and how
dc yea regard them As laborers compar-
ed with white men?
Ave had at the Newcastle mine
about thirty Chinese, employed chiefly
In picking rock, and few engaged at
outside work, and think eleven men
| including two cooks at Franklin. We
have had on the whole better results
| from them as slate piokers than we had
| from the white labor; they seem better
adapted for that monotonous, unskilled
| class of work than much Of the white
labor that IL available TO Us; they learn
rapidly. aud they take the place with us
of the boys and old men that constitute
the cheap labor in the Eastern mines.
| dare say that no employer Of my ac-
| qusintapce cares particularly for them
| as Cinnamon, bat at the mines they have
been worked where they could be used
TO advantage to cheaper the cost of
mining coal, Just ~ any one woald util.
| izs any patented device or labor saving
machine 10 accomplish ths same pur-
pose. That is all there is in the ques-
ton so far rs the coal mines Of King
county are concerned, and there never
was a time when there was such ne
cessity for low mining expenses a.
| during the past season and nov. This
county now produces Ignite and low
grade of bituminous Goals. and San
Franciscs is practically our sole market.
| More foreigu coal IL imported into the
State Of California thaH In all the other
States Of the Union combined. For do
mestic use, and particularly for steam,
| the imported Goals In most instances
have greater intrinsic value and are
more preferred. The free trade Con
eress recently gave our domestic Coast
mines severe blow by removing the
seventy five cent duty on all foreign
coal sold for fuel to steamers- This
practically deprived our local mines OF
this large business. To-day in the fac<
| of depressed wheat frsights, Australian
and English GOALS oan be bought IN Sar
/ Francisco, by the caxge, at $50 Pei
ton. Deduct the 75 ccns duty and TN
cost Of foreign coal fuel suppiied tc
steamers Ia t4.75 per ton. A haurs
with which, considering the super
ority of the foreign article M
King county mine can possibly com
pets. think il may Be- truthfully as
serted that with the log prices that hav'
prevailed in San Francisco on GOALS
shipped from Seattle, every KIM
county mine has lost money during tht
wear 1855 and that they we're enabled
10 run at all is entirely due to the acci
dent OF the failure OF The Caiiforni,
wheat crop, which Ieesened the amount
Of coal thai voold have come in vessel
seeking bester Wheat rates than hav,
prevailed. Al the same time 10 enteree
many American wheat vessels In oa
ooaspng coal trade, and enabled miner
to secure water freiahts between Pu9e
sound and San Frsncisco at - low n
~ Der ten. II there had beso bests
orous In California, and hettsf woea
freiehts, the result would have been
greater importing of foreign ship
bringing foFeien coal. very much love
prices, and coast freights would hav
bsen % high as 20 make aempe<toa B.
Seattle Goals an uttar impsssihfhty 9
prove which Australian coal has said U
Portland at "a. 50 Ion. duty paid. vhicl
leaves the vessel about IS cents per tol
a. ballast freight when she cane SEX
ing wheat cArgoes at that port thin
that vili explain 70 you the condition
under which our local coal corporation
have had 10 work In the only marie
that is open 10 their product.
Q.--Were you present at The anti-Cn
ness ccnGreesf
A.-Yes, was for short time, an
listened With marked attention 20 N
. sober, earnest and Intelligent thoueh'
expressed by sous Of the spcskers- bs
ali Of the specchss we're not OF Q ceal
sctcr 20 command the respecs OF W
many intelligent. thinking men, Va
, must have been in the andience-