Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-22
Said to Be Imported Into This
Country From Honolulu.
CHARGE THAT A CONSPIRACY EXISTS
Proofs Fab to Show Violation of
81 the Law.
MAY BECOME AN ISSUE

The government officials in this city hav-
| Ing in charge the enforcement OF fmmigra-
| ton and labor laws have not up to the
present time had sufficient evidence placed
before them to justify the belief that
powerful and Widespread organization
existed. having for its object the whole
sale importation of Japanese laborers into
| the United States. During the past Few
| months Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald Of
California has persistently maintained tnat
| a conspiracy existed for the farming out
of cheap oriental labor. which was suppheo
In numbers to suit the demand by agents
| located in the Hawaiian Islands. He mas
repeatedly tried to make a case but the
necessary proofs always evaded MIN al the
| critical moment. AT the same time he was
somewhat Handicapped by the emphatic
declaration of Senator Perkins and other
prominent coast politicians that there was
nothing to warrant the impression that
such a conspiracy existed. But the com,
missioner was not discouraged, ana wall
soon place before the bureau OF labor IN
| Washington conclusive evidence that
| Japanese are being imported from Homo
| lrlu for the purpose OF working al. I'm
usually low. wages. 1t Is expected tnat
United States Attorney Knight of San
F'rar cisco will communicate with the De-
partment OF Justice in regard to the mat
ter. and ascertain if some law cannot be SO
construed as to prevent their entrance
The Proof offered.
The proof offered by Labor Commissioner
Fitzgerald consists Of two letters from con-
] tract agents in Honolulu The first in
quires into the condition of the labor mar
ket in San Francisco. and states that the
Japanese for whom he desires to secure
employment would consider So per month
and board as munihcent compensation,
ma ft,afy fron .fofi ion md hnxy
sufficient money upon arrival with which
to maintain themselves until employed. The
second letter is apparently a reply to a
| favorable answer from the San Francisco
correspondent, and states that the writer
alone can supply 300 Japanese laborers per
month, and that he will attempt to fill all
orders for them. The contractor, however
knows his business and says: at would
not do for me to send any more than you
could place quickly, because their country
men who have been in California before
them would try and influence them to get
higher pay. Another thing by shipping
them in small numbers It is not likely to
create notieb, but big number by steam
er might dos SOFT
In considering the legal status of the
| matter Mr.. Fitzgerald says: ut is a most
careful conspiracy. for they balk the con-
tract imnsgra tion law most enectually
That plan of making contracts after the
men have arrived here and before they have
had time to discover the true condition of
wages here Is very smart one"
Officials here fail to find any law covering
the Importation of japanese Iaborers, not
nnde: contract but who come at their own
expense for the purpose Of obtaining en-
pioyment afterNarrival The Chinese ex-
clusion acto makes no prohibition against
any but cftfzens of China. There is no APP
parent violation of the allen contract labor
law. u
Suggestion of n Remedy.
The only suggestion OF remedy is found
in ha 10 nv
portaton Of coolies. Section 215s of the
Revised Statutes provides that: NO cits-
gen of the United States, or foreigner COM
ing into or residing within the same, shall,
for himself or for any other person, either
as master. factor, owner or otherwise build,
equip, load. or otherwise prepare, any YES
sci, registered. enrolled or licensed in the
United States for the purpose of procuring
from any port or place the subjects of
known coolies, to be transported to any
foreign port. or place, to be disposed of,
or sold. or transferred. for eny time, as
servants CT apprentices, or to be held to
service or labor"
A fine not exceeding $1,000 and impris-
onment not exceeding one year are pro-
vided as penalties. But the law is held
to be practically vitiated by the prov,so
that 1t does not apply to the subjects speci-
fled when voluntarily emigrating. or to
any vessel carrying them as passengers
| of their own volition. 1t was found i'm
practicable under this law to exclude the
Chinese and the most drastic legislation
was necessary before any Roadway was
| made. in stopping their importation.
An Issue on the Pacific. Coast.
The belief has arisen, since Commissioner
Fitzgerald began his agitation, that the
japanese question will soon become as pro-
nounced an issue on the Pacific coast as
the perplexing Chinese problem. It is also
evident that tine influx Of Japanese la
borers, if actually pending, will to a greater
or less extent affec. every other section of
the country. as they will be distributed
from San Francisco to all the fruit and
agricultural districts where their services
can be made available.
Commissioner OF Labor Wright, when
seen in regard to the alleged wholesale i'm
portation of Japanese workingmen. said
that his department would have no juris-
diction IN the premises. 1t is a question for
the Department of Justice and the bureau
Of immigration to settle. State Labor Com
missioner Fitzgerald has no connection
whatever with the national bureau.
What the Solicitor General Says.
Solicitor General Conrad who is acting
Attorney General in the absence of Mr.
Harmon, said that as yet no papers al
| leging the importation Of japanese labocers
had been sent to the department. He has
not taken the subject into. consid grafton,
but, speaking generally. he believed the
Chinese exclusion act could be so constr led
as to prevent the entrance Of any unde-
sirab!c class of orieptals.
Private adviees received today In this city
state that District Attorney Knight of San
Francisco has decided that the evidence
submitted by Mr.. Fitzgerald is insufficient
| to prove the existence of conspiracy, and
| he wall await the procurement of additional
| and more conclusive testimony before TAX
! ing action.
Any construction Of the Chinese exclusion
act making 1t applicable to Japanese would
necessftate IAN iopinfon from the Supreme
Court Thaf collector at whatever port the
Objectionable Immigrants enter could make
his own construction. of the law. and the
matter would then be brought on appeal to
the Supreme Court for final decision.
nIsTRICT GOVERNMENT.