The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-06

oriental scene so far as living is concerned.
In large barn are 100 hunks, placed one
above another, like milkpan shelves in a
dairy. A dozen low-browed coolies rolled
out their beds and stood staring at the
newcomers, whom they recognized as enc
mics. The general appearance of the men
and the place was more forbidding than
any Chinese camp on the Y5ast. Those
who were not at work bore unmistakable
signs of a recent debauch, and their abb
sence from the fields was caused by inabil-
ity to work.
The first witness examined to-day was
a. G. Vandervoort, a notary public and
real estate dealer in Pleasanton. He told
of acknowledging the contracts which were
published iu the CALL of to-day. Speak
ing of the public sentiment regarding the
employment OF japanese, he said that the
generality of people are Opposed to the
Japanese. Only the employers are at all
favorable to this class of coolies. White
people can do the work in the hopyards
and beetfelds as we'll as the japanese,
but of course not at such low wages as the
latter work for. He knows that in point
of morals the japanese coolies are in no
way superior to the average white laborers.
They buy cheap wine by the gallon and
get as drunk as lords. AS a result there
are frequent brawls among themselves in
their quarters. AS yet they have not
dared to get drunk or fight in town. The
Chinese, as workmen, are rated as far su-
perior to the Japanese, but the latter work
for less wages than the Chinese.
r. Fujimoto, one the japanese labor
contractors, was called. He testified that
he has a contract with Downing to fur
nish laborers to hoe and care for the beets.
He contracts by tue ton and bosses the
gang of workmen. He said:
II keep an average of about twenty-five
men all of the time, but they are not al
ways the same men. have also gang at
work on Charles Graham's ranch"
Deputy Gam obtained from Fujimoto a
list of the names of the laborers and closely
questioned him as to the places and the
dates on which he secured the help. The
purpose was to get his statement in writ
ing and look up the records and passenger
lists of the steamers on which the coolies
arrived. By comparing the statements,
records and at last the labor contracts
under which the Japanese are working
some idea could be obtained as to whether
or not the contracts were made previous to
the arrival of the laborers.
But the witness was shrewd little fell
low. He stated that the laborers were se-
cured in San Francisco, San Jose, Santa
Cruz and many were picked up in Pleas
anton. Some were gathered as far back as
two years ago, he said, but the majority
were picked up between May and May
30. All the men he gets from San Fran
CISCO are obtained at 270 Brannan street.
Most of these came from Seattle. He de-
MED paying the Japanese boarding house
keepers commission.
"The men pay their own fare from Seat
tle," said he. when l gave an order on
May q for a lot of men they were not in
San Francisco. waited two weeks for the
men to arrive. am not partner in the
clearinghouse. I don't write to Japan
for laborers."
The witness got decidedly mixed in sew
eral matters pertaining to dates and places
In one matter he testified that the Japan
ese in Japan are never told what house
they shall go to in San Francisco, when as
matter of fact the new arrivals always
tell the immigration Commissioner that
they had been directed to certain Boarding
houses before they left Japan.
In examining this contractor a remark
able state of affairs was brought to light
He has contract to work the beet fields
for SIS an acre. After the first hoeing he
receives $5 and after the second hoeing he
receives So. If the crop goes over eight
tons to the acre he gets 81 a ton for each
ton in excess of eight tons. In other
words he makes a contract for So an acre
and takes his chances of making more
An average crop yields twelve tons per