The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-03-14
FORTUNES IN SOAPSUDS.
What the Chinese Laundry Bust
ness Amounts to.
As m Organizer OF Labor. and . Manipu-
lator OF Capital, John Chinaman Il m
Expert-A Union That Has
No Strikes.

That the Chinese in this city, while
they give no outward demonstrations,
are more progressive in their ideas OF
organized labor than the average Amer
lean worker was clearly shown to re-
porter of the New York Journal the
other day by a laundryman.
Although John Chinaman says and
does little in the way of labor agitation,
the almond-eyed Celestials in this vicin-
ity have one Of the strongest labor or
ganizations in existence. More than
fourteen thousand Cinnamon are band
ed together, and not alone do they keep
wages up, but they support their union
and assist in the support of all their
needy brothers, regardless OF the union,
who have not renounced the Tavist re-
ligion.
The organization is called the Chinese
Laundrymen's association, or, in Chi
nese, the Sue Pow Yen Shee Cow.
There are in this city and its suburbs
nearly fifteen thousand Cinnamon en-
gagged in the laundry business, and in
no instance is there nonunion work
man among them. In fact, the union Is
perfect, and whatever dissensions may
arise are quickly settled by the mayor,
whose word is law. Consequently such
a thing as a strike among them Is an
impossibility, for to disregard the de-
cision of the mayor means simply that
laundry workman must pack up his
trunk and go back to China. He can
never again secure position at his
trade. Wo Hung. in Hobolsen. Lee
Sing, in Williamsburg, and Sam Wah,
in New York, have uniform scale of
prices for the washing Of shirts, collars
and cuffs. Under no consideration must
it be deviated from, and no matter
where person may go to have his
laundry work done in the vicinity. he
will find it impossible to get one shop
with cheaper prices than another.
The society admits as members any
man who is physically able and suffi-
GENTLY expert to work at the business
No apprenticeship is necessary, and
therefore there can be no nonunion
men. The scale of wages for workmen
is uniformly three dollars a day, and
the foreman OF laundry receives no
higher wages than those who work un-
der him.
There are certain agents or walking
delegates appointed by the head of the
society to visit the various laundries
during certain period to discover the
needs or grievances of the men. Should
any trouble arise, il Is Immediately re-
ported to the head of the organization.
who presents both sides of the case to
the mayor He renders decision, and
the matter is then and there and for all
time settled
Other agents are employed to visit
each laundry every week to collect the
dues of twenty, five cents from each
worker. This is placed in a general
fund. Some is spent on the union and
part Of it goes to pay the salary of the
mayor The residue is kept to draw on
in case of sickness and death, whether
q Chinaman be a laundryman or fam
tan player.
A large number OF the laurdries here
abouts are owned and controlled by
syndicate, on the same plan that liquor
saloons are owned by the brewers.
When good location can be found and
Chinaman desires to venture IN the
laundry business the Chinese capital
lists are only too ready to fix up the
place, stock 1t with all the necessaries
and take Chinese mortgage on 1t.
These mortgages are simply q mans
word. There can be no loss, for SO
thoroughly and nationally are the
Cinnamon organized that man finds it
little to his advantage TO embezzle. He
has no Chinese Canada to go to, seek
ing refuge from the law. He knows
that be is branded and that it is simply
a matter of time before he IS discov-
cred, and he suddenly disappears from
the face OF the earth. He is soon for
gotten and his disappearance from his
friends simply reminds them OF the
punishment that will surely be neted
out TO them il they follow IN his line
They know that the society which is
commonly known as highbinders is re
lentless and sure.