The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-03-26
Kv1eHrs OF LABOR AND CHINESE.


We are glad to find in the March num-
Der of the Overland Monthly of San
Francisco an authoritative explanation
of the views of the Knights OF Labor as
to the Chinese labor question. together
with a detailed statement of reasons for
their hostility 70 the Chinamen in the
United States. The author is Mr. w.
w. Stone. a member of the order. and
tie delegate who not long ago intro
duc2d in the California District Assem-
bly resolutions, which were almost
unanimously adopted, reciting the evils
consequent upon the introduction of
such labor, and suggesting radical
, remedial measures.
II seems that the knights of Laber in
California have made a searching in
vestigat;on into the industri II situation
there as affected by Chinese labor, and
that the reports of committees sent ont
to gather statistics bearing on the sub
iect have been embodied 10 a statement
which Mr.. Stone describes as both ex-
haustive and entirely trustworthy. 1t
was found that the cost of food for a
Chinese laborer is about three dollars y
month "when he is no6 looking after
luxuries. y and that his rent, clothing
month. HE works, when he can, in
gangs. sleeps MS nights through in a
dismal den where he 'bunks. and eats
and wears the cheap products Of his
own land. {" He has no wife and no fami-
ly to support, and is willing to endure
any hardships during his comparatively
brief sojourn here. The American
workman, "who looks up a wife as soon
as possible" expends fifty dollars a
month to the Chinaman's seven, and to
keep himself decently be can get along
on no less The Chiuaman therefore
lowers the rate Of wages in every EN-
ployment into which be enters in COM
petition with the American.
In 1870 a 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 week for skilful and rapid workers.
Now over 5000 ChinameD are employed
in the trade, getting from 500 to $50 a
month. and the wages Of white men are
from So to S13 a week. Mentime. too,
Chinamen 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 8, 900
Cinnamon ia the trade to 400 white, and
wages are only about ODe-thjrd OF what
they were in 1870. In the manufacture
of clothing 5000 Cinnamon to 900
whites are now employed, and the wages
of the white worker have declined from
SIS a week in 1872 to S15 a week. the
Asiatics receiving from $50 to S2S a
month. The Cinnamon took hold Of the
manufacture of underwear several years
ago, and, by undertaking white seam
stresses, they have now obtained almost
exclusive control Of the industry. Aud
so il is with many other depart ments Of
labor, the total number of Chinamen
engaged in all being $1,000, who send
$4,000, 600 annually out of this country
TEese Cinnamon are divided off into
guilds, each guild being controlled BY a
central and despotic authority. and ii is
rare instance when members Of guilds
are found working in the same shop.
Therefore they are organized cOmpeUi-
I tors OF the white laborers, with whom
they can contend on unequal terms. be
cause OF their lower scale of personal
expenditure. The power of the Chinese
guild was shown last year in the case of
, cigar firm OF San Francisco. which
undertook TO get rid of its Chinese work
men and employ only white labor. In
sJructed by their leaders. the whole
force Of Cinnamon stopped work and
went out on strike, and it was this
exhibition of their organization winch
seems to have drawn the attention of the
Knights OF Labor more especially to the
dangers involved in the competitjon
They felt that they must meet orgapiza-
tIon with organization, and accordingly
called On ho ,pr
October TO arouse the workiDgmen, and
TO gain public sympathy and encourage
ment: Between five and six thousand
people gathered inside the hail, and out
side the street was packed AS the re-
suit OF that meeting the whole Pacific
coast, 10 Mr.. Stones words, was electro
led, and Los Gatos, Eureka. Mendo-
clno, Truckee, Seattle. and other places
began TO talk OF the adyisability of
expelling the Chinese" "
The ground the Knights of labor take
IS that the Chinameu here are substan.
TALLY seTfs, and that it is impossible for
the free labor TO compete with them
Their success in driving out of the
market all white competitors in the sew
eral branches of trade, " saws Mr.. Stone
shows the danger to the perpetuiLy of
onr republican form of government aris-
my iiOn q COHS6ut On our part to cOntlD-
ne the unequal competition. - Mr.
Powderly, the General Master Workman
OF the Knights Of Labor, expresses his
entire agreement with this sentiment.
and IN report on the subject of Chinese
labor presented by him to the General
Assembly declares that mine tenths of
the people on the Pacific coast, and of
the country, in fact, are opposed to the
importation of the Chinese under anv
conditions whatever. The entire order ;,
be concludes, must act as one man in
this movement.
MI. Powderly makes no defence OF the
late violent assaults on the Cinnamon.
saying that they were not to be blamed;
they were but the instruments in the
hands of men who sought to degrade
American free labor;'' but be warns
Congress that nothing short of the en-
actment of just laws and full and i'm
partial enforcement of the same will
prevent other and far more terrible
scenes OF blood shed and destruction. ,,
Tbs Chinese question, it will be seen.
IS one which infiames the indignation of
American labor generally.-N Y. San.