The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-12
ONE CHINESE WOMAN
All the Brokers Are Willing to
Venture to Win.

By the City of Picking, which arrived
yesterday, there came an old Chinese
woman who asks to be admitted through
the portals of the nation. She has no papers
and as she is the only Chinese on board her
claims will be fully investigated, particular
attention being paid to discover the methods
of Chinese brokers on the other side Of the
"briny."
A woman, when she does not speak the
local yernacnlar, usually makes good wit
ness, especially if sha be not supported by
her ''uncles" and herI''cousins," all of whom
take lively interest in her case. But Lip
Tai will not have this moral support and a
little of the inside methods may be brought
to light Said Collector Phelps yesterday,
in speaking on the Chinese subject;
81 have been trying an experiment lately.
l got hold of the list OF all the half tickets
sold TO Chinese by the steamer, and when
ever a young Chn3man says, 4 was born
here and went b lck to China when 10 years
DID, l look at the book. His name is not
there. because twice the number who went
away under Is years of age have returned.
The Chinese brokers folnd out | had the
hook and sent out instructions accordingly.
Now every young Chinaman either went
back before lie was 4 years Of age or after
he was IS.
TO be sure. this put them to a great in
convenience but they try to overcome II by
claiming TO be the wives. sons, or business
partner OF some magnate Of the interior
Such cases we investigate in full. We write
to some Federal officer in those towns and
they investigate. Sometimes we get word
that tile applicant Tor admission Is totally
unknown in the town aud to the persons
who fOIm the firm he claims to be member
Of. Sometimes we get word that no such
firm Is in existence, then his plans drop
and he IS sent back.
"Oncc we had four Chinese on one Of the
steamers make application for admission,
each declaring that he was 8 wears old Wien
he went 10 China, all had gone on the same
steamer at the same time aud had returned
on the same steamer Ali had the same
lawyer, yet they did not know each other,
had never seen or heard of each other. I'm
der the circumstances they had not pro1ted
Oy their advantages and we're sent back on
another tour TO make each other acquIut-
auce and cOncnct a better story. Nothing
was done to the lawyer.
These lawyers are part of q brokerage
system that has been operating with some
success. A Chinese on the ASatic side pre-
sents himself for ticket TO this port. The
steamship company declares Itself prOba-
bic loser, as he may have TO be brought
back, and it demands an indennifcati0n
from all loss. which the Chinese brokers
furnish. These brokers are, some Of them,
whites and not few are Americans.
" The Chinaman ships and II IS decidedly
to the interest of the brokers to have him
admitted, because it enlarges their bust
ness at an enormous profit, While a failure
would make them lose the Chinaman's pas
sage money. They concOct his story, drill
him in it and then have, if possible, a GER
tain lawyer whom they know take hold Of
his case on this side.
g From the passage of the Scott exclusion
act 1891 Chinese have arrived and II, 623 de-
parted-an excess Of departures of 1862,
OF these there have been $50 arrivals and
1916 departures since the 1st OF October.
which is an excess OF 1887 departures. That
shows the crusade which this department
has been carrying on, and il alarms the Chi
nese brokers So they are afraid TO import
their passengers, as is shown by yesterdays
lone passenger"