The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-06
Mr.. Riggs Says He Will Do as
He Likes in Employing His
House Servants.
THE COMMITTEE OF FIFTEEN
No Action Yet Taken, but There Will
Be a Protest Against the
Innovation.

TACOMA. WASH. Dec. 5.-The day for
Tacomans to proudly boast that no Chinese
laborers are employed in Tacoma has
passed. Mr.. Riggs, who occupies COL
North Yakima avenue, formerly occupied
by the late Peter Schulze, has in his en-
ploy two Chinese, making the first breach
in the unwritten law of Tacoma.
The door of Mr.. Riggs house was to-day
opened by a smooth-faced Celestial attired
in Chinese uniform and with the customary
pig-tail, in res ponse to the ring of the bell
by CALL representative. Mr.. Riggs was
asked to state how he liked Chinese as
domestics He said Il find them ahead
of any class have had. They are clean,
good cooks, and give every satisfaction"
Are you not aware that 1t is against
rule in Tacoma to allow Chinese servants
or laborers of any kind to work here?' was
asked.
Yes, have heard about your commit
tee of fifteen. l am stranger here, but l
am told they were most of them ignorant
men, who could neither read nor write.
1 understand public sentiment has
changed on the subject. 1 consider it is
entirely an affair of my own whether l
employ Chinese help or not. 1 find it
costs entirely too much for white help.
Girls want from $40 10 SIS a month and
they are inefficient at that. Did you no.
tice how nicely the Chinaman received
you at the door? They are we'll behaved
and very noiseless in their work. No,
did not fetch my Chinese servants with
me when l came to Tacoma. 1 sent to
Olympia for them. There will be others
coming here. George Browne will have one
as soon as Mrs. Browne comes home"
The committee of fifteen, who had charge
of the anti-Chinese agitation, which re-
suited in the expulsion of all Chinese from
Tacoma, were the following well-known
citizens: q. Z. Mills, NJ. kaufman, f. G..
Bacon, John Budlong, Jacob Ralph, II. A.
Stevens, William Christie, James Wicker
sham, Charles Johnson, John Forbes, D. B.
Hannah, NJ. F. Brown, Henry [. Bixler
and John a. McGouldrick. One of the
members of the committee was asked this
afternoon what the committee was going
to do a bout il. He said:
''No action can be taken to-day because
some of the members are cut of town. AS
soon as they return a meeting will be
called and it will then be decided what
course we viii pursue. The matter will
not be allowed to rest; you may depend
upon that. There can be no Chinese SER
wants in Tacoma"
1t was early in the morning OF Novem-
Der 8, 1885, that the committee assisted the
Chinese to leave the city, and since that
time no Chinese laborers of any descrip-
ton have until now been at work either in
this city or in Pierce County. Two years
ago two firms of Chinese merchants were
allowed to open stores here on the distinct
understanding that this should not open
the door to laborers. 1t was conten6ed by
many at that time that this was the enter
ing wedge which would split in twain the
barrier which had made Tacoma world
famous as the only city on the northwestern
coast of North America where the Chinese
were not allowed to reside. 1t is feared by
many that this is the starter for another
uprising against the Chinese.