The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-26
MATCHES FROM OLD JAPAN
Subjects of the Mikado Import
LuCiferS to Compete Against
Home Industry.
The Hopeful Opinion of James A.
Salts, a San Francisco
Manufacturer.

The complaint that has been made
against the Chinese entering into every
avenue of labor and business to the detri-
ment of the white race now applies with
equal force to the Japanese who, without
hindrance, are fiocking into this country.
These little people from the land of the
Mikado have within few years established
themselves in many lines of business and
have taken the situations at much lower
wages of many white men.
Their latest business enterprise is that OF
competing against California industry,
that of manufacturing matches. As yet
the movement is not very formidable but
it will grow unless the people of this City
and State stand by its citizens and patron
ize home industry.
at is true that the japanese have i'm
ported matches from their country into
this City," said James A. Salts,
manager of the Bay City Match
Company, last evening, land it is
also true that the quantity imported is
comparatively small and that as yet it has
not affected the local trade to any great
degree, but there is nc telling to what ex-
tent it may affect it should the importa-
tlOlS
'The manufacture of California matches
is home industry and it ought to be fos-
tered by our people. If our people do not
help those who manufacture and produce
in this State what is to become of our in
dustries? / am glad to see that THE CALL
is out strong in favor of home industry,
and it would be a great benefit to the State
If the people could be made to understand
and appreciate its teachings. If not the
L l. l.
the State will be in the hands of foreign
ers.
NOW, as to the match business, / will
say that should the japanese find mar
ket for their goods it would throw about
seventy-five workers out of employment;
but l do not think the people will take
kindly to the goods the Japanese offer, for
two reasons. One is that the people pre-
fer the block matches, which can be car
ried so easily in the pocket The other
is the low rate at which they are furnished.
For a nickel about 2200 of the block
matches are furnished. There is another
thing that can be said in favor of our home
matches, and that is that when one has
been ignited and it goes out there is no
further life in it. Not so with parlor or
Japanese or other matches. Let me illus
trate."
Mr.. Salts procured what is commonly
known as a parlor match, lit it, and after
the fame had died out and an apparently
charred bit of wood remained between his
thumb and finger he drew it gently across
a wooden surface and spark of fire came
from the head of the burned match.
You saw that bit of fire p continued Mr..
Salts. "Well, that is the case with all
matches of that character. They have
been the cause of more fires than any
other Why? Because when a person
has struck one and believes that it has
gone out he or she throws it away, and
every time that is done a glowing ball of
fire is thrown aside. If it falls in mass
of inflammable material it starts fire. I
don't say this because / am in the manu-
facture of California matches, but because
1T Is fact that is not generally known.
When California made match is ignited
and goes out it is dead for good and may
be thrown away without danger of its
doing any harm.
No, none of the factories here manu-
facture boxed matches, for the reason that
there is no call for them. / wish to repeat
that the people here should patronize
home industry not only as to matches but
as to everything that is produced in the
State, and what we need is cheap rates of
freight on goods we export and high rates
on all goods that come into the State in
competition with home industry"
The class of matches which the Japanese
have imported are sold at the rate of about
500 for nickel, which is but one-fourth
the number of California-made matches
sold for similar sum of money,