The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-24
THE ANT|-JAP AGITATION,
People in Los Angeles Starting
a Crusade Against
Coolies.
Trouble Feared When the AslatiCS
Enter the Field at
Vina.

Labor Commissioner e. L. Fitzgerald is
greatly pleased with the encouragement he
is constantly receiving in his anti-Japanese
cody agitation. People in all parts of the
State are writing to him urging MIN to
keep the ball rolling in the interests of
white labor. While in Los Angeles re-
Gently he found that nearly all of the cheap
restaurants are being conducted by Japan
csc, and the publication of this fact in the
San Francisco papers has caused the people
of Los Angeles to start an anti-Japanese
crusade. The papers of that city are taking
hold OF the question. j. Leo Parke, assist
ant editor of the Record, called upon Mr..
Fitzgerald yesterday and stated that the
people in his city will heartily support the
Labor Commissioner in pushing through
Congress a Japanese exclusion act. Mr..
Parke said that the proprietors of the Jap
restaurants in order to counteract the feel
ing against them are discharging all of
their Japanese cooks and other help and
are employing white cooks and walters.
Mr.. Fitzgerald is not pleased that Mrs.
Stanford should ignore the letter written
to her relative to hiring Japanese coolies
to do the work at the vineyards and
ranches of the Stanford estate near Vina.
Several weeks ago he received a letter
from John Dunn, stating that Mrs. STAN
ford had caused her superintendent 0. D.
Morse, to discharge the white men and
contract for 200 Japanese to harvest the
crop of grapes and do other ranch work.
Deputy Dam wrote to Mrs. Stanford, for
Mr.. Fitzgerald was in the south at the
time, stating what Dunn had said and
offering to furnish all the white help Mrs.
Stanford might desire. He also asked if il
was true that she had hired 200 Japs, which
facts are of interest In compiling the State
labor statistics.
Yesterday William Fitzgerald said:
can hardly believe that the lady has failed
to receive the letter sent TO her from this Office
ana l feel that we are entitled to an answer.
This commission does not dispute Mrs. STAN
ford's right to employ any class of laborers she
chooses upon the Stanford estate, but If she is
employing coolies the public will, no doubt,
think such was not the policy of the late Sena-
tor Stanford. When he was running for office
he was recognized throughout the United
States as the friend of the white working men.
Mr.. Fitzgerald said that he was satisfied
that japanese had been engaged to WORK
on the Vina ranch. for Superintendent
Morse is reported in Red Bluff paper as
having said: eve have contracted for
Japanese, and there is no going back on
it." The Superintendent In the interview
said that last year he employed white men
at 81 so day, but this year the white men
WANT ~ Genus tOu IOF picking grapes &C.
sides their board. The Japs will work for
IS cents a ton and board themselves.
At the time Dunn's letter was received
its contents were published in THE CALL.
Mr.. Fitzgerald stated that the article was
republished in the Red Bluff News, and
the editor of the latter paper in comment
ing upon the hiring of Japanese by Mrs.
Stanford said:
This has grown out of the fact that the con-
tract for grape-picking was offered to the low
est bidder, and Japanese put in the lowest
bid by 5 cents ton 1t is supposed that the
Jap will get the contract, but ii it has been let
we have not heard that such is a fact AS Mrs
Stanford doubtless reserved the right to reject
BIDS we hope she will vet see her way clear to
give the contract to Judge Wiley, who will en-
ploy white men.
The Labor Commissioner states that it
would not surprise him if trouble resulted
from the discharge of white men and the
hiring of Japs to take their places, espe-
cial.y where only matter of few cents is
involved.