The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-13
JAPANESE cody LABOR,
An Agent of the Kobe, Japan
Employment Company
in Town.
READY TO FURNISH MEN.
Hamano Studying the Labor Market
With the View Of Sending
Coolies Here.

Among the cabin passengers who ar
rived few days ago from Victoria, B. c.,
on the steamer City of Puebla, was X.
Hamano, whose name proclaimed him to
be subject of the Mikado of Japan. For
day or two he was guest at the Occi-
dental Hotel, but now he is staying with a
countryman of his named Mauryama, who
keeps Japanese lodging -house on Bran
nan street, near the Pacific Nail dock.
Hamano is educated and of the better class
of Japanese.
His presence on this coast has much sig
nificance. He is an agent of the Emen
Kabushiki Kwaisha of Kobe, Japan, cor
poration the business of which is to send
Japanese to the United States. 1t is to the
Japanese what the Six Companies are to
the Chinese of this coast. This company
was first prominently called to the atten-
ton OF the public during the recent Japan
csc cody labor investigation held by the
Labor and Immigration Commissioners.
At that time it was shown that the COM
pany was sending hundreds of Japanese
coolies to this coast. For fee of about
SIC the company furnished the immigrant
with passport, schooled him as to what
he should say when questioned by the
united SLdJeS anu CUSTOMS
officers, and guaranteed to keep him in
case he was unable to find employment in
the United States. More than that, the
cody was assured in writing that in the
case of his being sick he would be provided
for by the agencies here and sent back to
his home if necessary.
This guarantee induced hundreds OF Jap
anese to come to California. Mr.. Hamano
is here in the interest of this company and
to see what the inducements are to in
crease the emigration OF coolies from
Japan. AS he well knew it was much
easier and cheaper to send laborers to
Victoria, b. c., and let them cross the line
into the United States, he visited Victoria
first and spent a month looking over the
ground there. Then he came to San Fran
cisco.
Hamano was not at all reserved in re-
gard to the objects OF his visit to this City.
He freely acknowledged that he was here
to learn all he could relative to the labor
market of California and to see what the
opportunities were for sending to this
coast many hundred more Japanese labor
ers who desired to improve their lot in life
In an innocent manner characteristic of
his race he said he believed it was cheaper
to send his countrymen into this State by
the way of Victoria than directly to San
Francisco. He will soon visit the
orchards, vineyards and hopfields where
japanese are employed and there learn
what will be the chances for work for the
coolies be is DESTROYS of sending to Cali
fornia at SIC per head.
Hamano was highly gratiied upon
learning that of the 5000 Japanese in this
State not one was idle, and that the de-
mand for this class of laborers was greater
than the supply, particularly in the hop
fields and orchards. He has been so I'M
guarded as to state that he was able and
prepared to send any number of his
promise that they would be provided with
work. Hamano, however, is too shrewd
to violate the United States contract law
or lay any one liable, because the law can
be evaded too easily.