The morning times., 1895-07-10
They Want the Chinese Washee-
WaShee to Leave Town.
running THEIR BUSINESS
1t Is Claimed That the Wages of
the Working People Must Come
Down II the People Don't Stop Pat
ronizing the Observation-Disclosures
Have Organized and Cut Prices.

Dennis Kearney's cry 1.-The Chinese must
CO." is echoed by the American laundry
men of Washington. The growth of the
red sign "washee washee" places in the
city is viewed with alarm particularly as
nearly all the pig tailed shirt crushers seem
to he doing a thriving business which,
the Mclean men think, is at the expense of
the white workers
one OF the veterans in the steam laundry
work said yesterday:
Il have been actively engaged in the
business for the last sixteen years Dur
ing all that time IL has been my endeavor TO
place the laundry business on firm "liv-
ing basis, by which not only the en-
ployer but also the employe could live
aud thrive
"Iu the city there are a dozen or more
steam laundries all of which, with the
exception Of two, entered into an agree
ment last winter TO maintain the then
existing prices for laundry work, so as
not TO necessitaJe reduction OF the wages
OF the employees. This agreement is still
recognized among the signers.
For several years. he said, 1.-THE legiti-
mate laundry business has been cut into by
hehundredBofC Chimes selauudryInen through
out the city, who. for low pricesfOr inferior
work, secured a share of the public patron
age. vi tiils liie steam luultTg Ilieu ibOk
no special notice. but when the Chinese
nundrymen organize, s they have done
within the last few days, aud Systematically
undertake 10y wholesale cutting OF prices
virtually supersCde uS in tn ebusiuess II is
time To call halt. There is only one way
10 elfectually accomplish this end nd that
is for the public to withdraw it's patronage.
Now a proposition like this" said lie,
may at first glance appear 10 be nothing
sci Ig lint lv
II is not. or course, We must all look out
for ourselves, and in this instance we are
looking out for many others whose liveli-
hood. as much as ours. depends on the sup
port given the steam laundries.
Nearly every one of the steam laundries
gives employment TO from forty TO sixty
men and women, who have no other means
OF support, and if we are obliged to shut
down for lack OF patronage they win be
the sufferers as well as we. Even n re-
ductiOn in the patronage now given us
must result solely 70 the injury of the
employe. for in that case it VIII either be
dismissal or cut Of wages
APPEAL SPREAD BROADCAST.
Tie following circular was spread broad.
cast yesterday by one OF the steam laun-
dries:
Men from China come here to do laun-
dry work. The Chinese empire contains
900 900 900 tSiS hundred mlllionsl OF
inhabitants. The supply of these men is
inexhaustible Every one doing this work
takes bread from the mouths of our women.
$50 many have come of late that to
keep at work they are obliged 10 cut prices
And now we appeal to the public,
asking them VIII they be partners to
deal which is only one OF their many on
ward marches in crushing out the indus
treis of our country from our people by
grasping them themselves? Will you
oblige the American laundries to cut the
wages OF their people by giving your
patronage to these Cinnamon?
I'VE invite YOU to call and see ourlaundry
employing sixty people, prosperous and
contented with their wages.
I'VE have no alternative if we have TO
meet the cut OF these Cinnamon, but TO
cut the wages OF our people.
We say i'll conclusion that the Chuaman
is a labor consumer Of our country without
the adequate returns of prosperity to our
land as given by the labor of our people
to our glorious country. Our motto should
be:
Our country, our people, God, and
our native Iand"'
The recent cut in rates by the Chinese
laundries is about 20 per cent on all classes
of work.