The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-17
TRAPPED BY STRADLEY,
discriminating Letters Found
on Some of the Arriving
ASiatiCS.
WERE GOING TO VACAVILLE
Sufficient Evidence Obtained tc
Deport Them-The Commits
sion's Investigation.

VACAVILLE, CAL, June 16.-The COM
missioners who are investigating the Japa-
nese cody labor question arrived here
to-day and at once set about making in
quiries upon the subject under considera-
ton. They came unannounced, in conse-
quence OF important information obtained
in-San Francisco on Saturday, when the
steamer Mexico arrived from Victoria with
six Japanese laborers on board.
At the investigation in Pleasanton and
San Francisco it was shown that hundreds
of Japanese had been imported from Japan
via Victoria and from Japan direct, they
being contracted for to work in the or
chards in this section; and on several i'm
migrants on the steamer Walla Walla,
which arrived from British Columbia two
weeks ago, Inspector Geffeney found letters
showing that japanese contractors here
had sent to Victoria for coolies. There
were also found envelopes bearing the adj
dresses of contractors here. While this
evidence was not sufficient to warrant I'm
migration Commissioner Stradley in de-
porting the Japanese, it showed that they
were being brought to the Vacaville or
chards under implied contracts, on the
promise of having all the work they
can do.
A Japanese boarding-hous keeper in
San Francisco testified that fellow
countryman in Vacaville had gone to Japan
and brought out twenty coolies for the
orchards here. The informatio obtained
Saturday from the Mexico's passengers
was substantially that they had come from
Victoria under an implied contract to work
for Japanese contractors in this locality.
Translated letters confirmed their state
ments.
San Francisco Japanese tried to board
the Mexico and post the new arrivals as to
what they should say and to warn them
not to tell too much. They were prevented
from doing so by the Federal officials. The
Commissioners ordered that the immi-
grants be held until Wednesday and that
no one be allowed to talk to them.
This action and the hasty trip of the
Commissioners to Vacaville were caused by
the information contained IN one of the
confiscated letters. In substance, the
writer, japanese contractor here, sent to
Victoria for the coolies now being held on
the steamer, promised them work in the
Vaca Valley orchards and gave directions
not only as to how they were to reach this
place, but instructed them as how they
should answer the questions of inquiring
officials
This OF itself will warrant the deporta-
ton of all of the Mexico's Japanese, and
lays the contractor liable to imprisonment
for violating the United States contract
labor law. The deputies are now searching
for this contractor, as we'll as others who
possess valuable information bearing upon
Il
will be made here before the investigation,
which begins tomorrow morning, is over.
The number OF coolies upon the streets
of Vscaville surprised the Commissioners.
These Asiatics pour into town from the
orchards every Sunday, and during the
day and evening dozens can be seen at the
stores and postoffice. One part of the
town is given over to the coolies, and there
they congregate by hundreds.
1t is estimated that there are between
600 and 800 japanese and about 1400
Chinese laborers in the orchards in this
locality. But few white men are employed
in the fruit districts. The early cherry and
apricot crop, amounting to many carloads
which were sent East, was harvested en-
tirely by coolies.
The following owners of orchards will be
subpenaed to testify tomorrow as to their
knowledge of the contract business: Frank
H. Buck, w. B. Parker, Mrs. Blake, Joseph
Blake, ]. R. Collins, II. A. Bassford, Joseph
Bassford, w. w. Smith, Fred K Williams,
and F. Herbert Buck, Oscar Garlish.
Murray Robinson, Mr.. Dixon, and Burton
Brothers. DR.. Dobbins will also be called,
because he has refused to employ coolies
and possesses knowledge that the CON-
missioners wish to obtain. All of the
Japanese and Chinese contractors will have
to testify. The examination will be held
in Justices Platt and Appleby's courtroom
in the Courthouse.