The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-04-05
CHINESE EMPLOYEES.
INFORMATION CONCERNING TRADES
UNIONS AMONG THE MoNGoLlANS.
The Wages They Receive-The Family
System" Among Wage Workers -Fra-
ternal Features of Trade Organiza-
tions-Strength and Activity.
Wong Chin Foo in Chicago News. /


G ing Han, the president of the Chinese
Launirymen's Union of the United States,
has been in New York attending the annual
convention of the laundry men. He is tall,
we'll built oriental, speaking excellent Eng.
lish To reporter who visited him and
asked for information concerning trades
unions among the Chinese he spoke As fol-
lows:
"Ths working classes of the United States
in fa-t, tho entire American public-haye
not vet learned that the Chinese are better
trades unionists than they are, and that the
Mongolian workman receives better wages
than his civilizei colleague This state
ment may seem strange to the dsmagogue,
yet it is the truth. In a body that CORE.
ponds to the New York chamber Of COM
nlerce we keep labor statistics in regard to
almost every industry in which our race i,
Interested. On account of the anti-Chiness
agitation We have compiled similar figures
IN regard to American in lustrisS In nearly
every instance the Chinese obtain larger
wages. Besides this Chinese employers usu.
ally give board and lodging to their en-,
ployes as well as wages
WAGES AND SYSTEM.
I'm mere manual labor many poor Chi
nese have worked for a small compensation
but never so small as what is paid To Italian
"navves" in New York, Hungarian coal
miner, AMI Slovenian farm-hands. Even
when MY conntrymen do accept employ.
ment on such terms it is merely to save up
little money and then enter some other
industry Our cigar makers work at the
same rates as first-ciaSs Havana hands
they are employed in the great factories in
Maiden lane and the Bowery. Not Chi
uaman can be found who will work under
the tenement-house system now followed in
the large cities by thousands of pauper
Europeans.
$50 much for wages. In regard to trades
Unions we have number of complicated
systems One is what we term the family
system. The half billion population OF
tie middle kingdom are divided into a few
hundred families. These are indicated by
the first or family name. OF this such
names as Wong Lac, Yung Lum, and Moy
are fair examples A Wong who Is in
trouble goes to another Wong, whom he
may never have seen or heard of, and OBJ
tains aid. The thing done may be the loan
of money, the giving of a meal, the obtain
ing Of employ ment, intercession in law, or
the like. 1t represents an honorable obliga-
ton, which at some time the person obi
gated is bound to repay. In this way
have known poor man to travel from
Che Lii in the north of China to New YORK
city.
FRATERNAL FEATURES.
Each trade is locally organized with u:
as with Americans. Oar organizations e
further, however, and posse features that
in this country characterize Masonic bodies
A member who falls sick is nursed by hi.
fellaw-membsrs, is provided with medicine
diet and physician by the union, and wher
destitute through a lengthy sickness, is ever
supplied with food, raiment. and ever
funds. question if a trades union in Eu
rope or America does the same Beyond al
this there is with us a distinct recognition
of the ga of duty. An Oriental employer
is morally bound to look after the welfare
physical, pecuniary and spiritual-of hi,
employees He should admonish them wher
they go i'll wrong courses; teach them how
to use money and accumulate wealth; set
that they are neat, clean and careful in per
son and dress. He in short stands in the
position Of a father
"a similar relation is borne by senior t
| junior in family union and by th'
officers of trades union to its members
Beyond family and trades unions are othe
great organizations for men who, belonging
to different trades or callings have simila
tastes, desires or needs One of these i
quasi political, and is probably the larges
society in the world. The strength an
activity of these organisations was show,
in the Tai-Ping rebellion, when, withou
telegraph, and practically no mail service
thousands of men revoltei in few day
and the emperor was compelled to call ii
Chinese Gordon and 1000 European sol
diars to crush the Instruction Whe,
Americans understand AMI know our peopl
and customs this anti Chinese agitation vii
die out altogether"