The Northwestern standard., 1886-04-03
The Knights Of Labor and the Chinese

The knights Of Labor and the Chinese
We are glad to find III the March
number of the Overland Monthly OF
San Francisco an authoritative explain
alton of the views OF the knights OF
Labor as to the Chinese labor question,
together with a detailed statement OF
reasons for their hostility to the emma
men in the United States. Ihe auGhcr
is Mr.. w. w. Stone, a member OF the
order. and the delegate who not long
ago introduced in the California lbs
trict Assembly resolutions, which were
almost unanimously adopted, reclSlng
the evils consequent upon the lbtfo-
}duction OF such labor, and suggesting
radical remedial measures.
1t seems that the Knights of Labor
of California have made a searching IN
yestigation into the industrial situation
there as affected by Chinese labor, and
that the reports of committees sent out
to gather statistics bearing on the sub
| iect have been embodied i'll statement
which Mr.. Stone describes as both eX-
hanstive and entirely trustworthy. 1T
| was found that the cost of food for a
Chinese laborer is about three dollars
month, when he is not looking after
| luxulies,' and that his rent, clothing
and food come to only seven dollars a
month. He works, when he can, in
gangs. sleeps his nights through III
dismal den where he 'bunks.' and eats
and wears the cheap products OF has
/ own land. !" He has no wife and no
family to support, and is willing to en-
dure any hardships during his COM
paratively brief sojourn here. The
American workman, VINO looks upon
a wife as soon as possible expends
fifty dollars a month to the Ch1naman's s
i seven. and to keep himself decently he
can get along on no less. The China
man therefore lowers The rate OF wages
I in every employment into which he
\ enters in competition with the Amerl-
can.
4 In 1870 q few of the wholesale shoe
/ factories in San Francisco taught some
Cinnamon to make boots and shoes.
Up to that time wages averaged about
$50 a weed for skilful and rapid work
ers. Now over $4,000 Cinnamon are
EMPLOYED in the trade, getting from
$50 to $50 month, and the wages OF
white men are from So to Sl3 a week.
Meantime, too, Cinnamon have become
the owners Of forty eight out OF the
sixty boot and shoe factories in the
! city, while Of the fifty slipper factories
not one is now owned by a white man
| In 1872 the Cinnamon began to Learn
to make cigars. To-day there are S,00t
/; Cinnamon in the trade to 400 whites
/ and wages are only about one-third o.
what they were in 1870. In the manu-
t facture of clothing 5000 Cinnamon tt
: 600 whites are now employ ed, and thu
: wages OF the white worker have de
Z clined from S25 a week III 1872 to SIS
week, the Asiatics receiving from 81
to S2S a month. The Cinnamon tool
hold of the manufacture OF underwea
: several years ago, aud, by undertaking
white seamstresses, they have now OBJ
g tanned almost exclusive control OF th
d Industry. And so it is with many 9th
y er departments of labor, the total mum
q Der of Cinnamon engaged in all bein!
n 81 600, who send $4,000. 600 annually gu
L of this country.
i These Cinnamon are divided off int
If guilds, each guild being controlled by
o central and despotie authority, and j
g is q rare instance when members O
!. different guilds are found working i
,e the same SHOP Therefore, they are OF
= ganized competitors of the White Labor
! ers. with whom they can contend O
unequal terms, because of their lowe
scale Of personal expenditure. Th
: power OF the Chinese guild was show
= last year in the case of cigar firm
q San Francisco, which undertook t
~ get rid OF its Chinese woTkmen All
4 employ only white labor. Instructe
+ by their leaders. the whole force {
ie CnIHatueH SiofuoI Hoih aiu " HO Oils ~
q. on strike, and it was this exhibition
lie their organization which seems to hay
io drawn the attention OF the Knights I
Ia Labor more especially to the danger
: involved in the competition. The
q felt that they must meet organizatio
: with organization, and according
$ called mass meeting on the first
{, last October to aouse the Workin!
= men. and to gain public sympathy an
$ encouragement Between five and 81
le thousand people gathered inside Il
y hall, and outside the street was packe'