The morning call., 1894-02-01
THE BUREAU OvERCROWDED.
Collector Welburn Asks for More
Help.
DEAL IN PHOTOGRAPHS.
Looking Out for FeIOnS and f1igh-
binders-Busy Scenes
Yesterday.

1t is evident the Chinese laborers have
become tired of waiting for the Six Com
panies 10 issue an official circular. and have
concluded that if they want to remain in
the United States they had better register
at once. When the registration bureau
closed yesterday 1850 Chinese in this city
had been registered. and many more ap-
plications presented.
Collector Welburn realizing that it would
be impossible for his men 10 handle the
rush of business sent two additional clerks
TO the bureau yesterday from his Office
and telegraDhed TO Washington asking that
the force OF twenty-seven men allowed
him for bis district should be increased at
once. Unless this be done within week
the Collector will find his Chinese registra-
HOE deputies Swamped in applications and
hopeiessly behind in their woEk. IL the
country it is even worse than in San Fran
cisco, for the deputies have to travel over
so much territory that they can be in one
place only short time, and when the
Chinese call 10 register they find "the
bureau" gone. There is now no question
but what the Chinese intend to comply
with the McCreary\law, and the Collector
hopes that no claim will be able to be made
that Chinese who wanted to register was
not given the opportunity.
Only the better class of Chinese labor ers
are registering. and sharp lookout Is be-
Ing kept for highbiDders and nen who
have been convicted of felonies to see that
they do not slip In and secure certificates. The
Chinese merchants hope to get rid OF the high.
binders by having The leaders of the tongs de.
pored
The Chinese country merchants who will
/ soon begin making contracts for laborers for
next season in vineyards, orchards and harvest
fields. as well as The merchants who own vege-
table farms and gardens, are rushing In their
laborers. and no little complaint is made in the
offered those who desire TO register. Collector
Nelburn has only twenty-seven clerks for his
whole district, eleven of whom are stationed
here, and he now rallies aud Is trying to make
the authorities at Washington see that his force
must be increased.
The chinese DO not take kindly to the photo
graph provision and scores of them have made
application for registration, attempting to
evade that part OF The law. Finding that they
could not they have gone away and failed TO re-
turn. 1t Is also alleged that there Is quite a
lltIe Job being engineered in the photograph
business, and many Chinese assert that they
have called II the registration bureau will pho
tographs which the clerks have refused 10 ac-
cept, telling them that they would have TO get
photographs on different kind Of paper. AT
the bureau IL Is admitted that some photo
graphs brought by Chinese have been refused
on the ground that the picture as presented
would in time fade out on account of the paper
fact photographers say that the kind OF paper
used makes no difference II the prints are
properly made.
From this time on the prospect is that there
Will be more Chinese who Will want 10 register
than can be accommodated. The scene al the
bureau yesterday was busy one, the room
being crowded and the clerks working In their
shlrtsleeves and earning their salaries.