The San Francisco call., 1897-06-11

Fitzgerald, who recently returned from
Hawaii, understood at once what was
wanted for immediate use in Washington,
and so without delay or investigation tel
egraphed to Armstrong that practically
all the large beet-heIds here were worked
by Japanese, and that under existing con-
ditions the beet sugar industry was OF little
advantage to American laborers.
The CALL, knowing that the industry
was of vast importance TO California and
one that gave mploym to a large num-
Der OF white aborers, called Mr.. Fitzgerald
to account for trying TO injure an lmpor-
tant enterprise. To show the Ialslty OF
the staten ent teleCraphed to W Washington,
interview was haQ with a. b Spreck-
els, who asserted that there was not a
Jap on the payroll OF the WaJsonville
factory, and that 95 per cent of the
work of cultivating the beet fields OF
this State was performed by white people.
Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald, seeking
to justify his conduct as a State officer,
makes the following statement:
COMMISSIONER FITzGERALD's STATEMENT.
Editor CAL: In reference to an article
headed "Injures State Industry" published
in The CALL of June 9, In which l am crlti-
clzed for stating that practically all beet
fields are worked by japanese. etc" beg to
state that have in no way departed from the
truth in the premises, and will cOnfne myself
in contradiction thereof as much posi- bic TO
ARTICLES puDllsned IN IHE CALL IN 1880 (When
l was holding q japanese lnvesugauonl, and
l Will only use lines where columns were
deemed necessary by TIE CALL when ii so
ably joined the balance OF the press of this
State IN pointing 10 the great evil emRnaung
from japanese labor n the fields OF California.
From the San Francisco CALL of June z,
1895, under the caption of "Cooly Labor:
The persistent efforts of Labor Commis-
sioneT E. L. Fitzgerald and United States I'm
migration Commissioner Stradley to get at
the bottom facts of the cody labor contract
matters are receiving the Endorsement of all
who have the interest of the State and the in
teresIs OF white labor at heart. The
state of affairs in Alameda County is believed
to be about the same as IN all fruit, beet and
hop raising sections OF the State, that is, jap
anese and Chinese coolies, by their BOSSES
hold and control all that class OF labor in Ca IL
fornia-"
From the San Francisco CALL OF June 8, 1895.
under caption of 'Cooly Contract Labor"
from a tWo-column article the following is
reported from the testimony of A. J. Plat: OF
607 California street:
I'm speaking of the contract laborers Mr
Platt threw some valuable light upon the very
matter the Commissioners are looking into
II proves conclusively that the Jap con tractor
Sato, is violating the contract law. Mr. Platt
said:
Downing told me that he proposed to use
Japs in the cultivation OF beets. He brought
the Jap contractor, SatO to our office and l
saw one of the cody labor contracts"
Under caption OF Imported Jap Laborers":
county dna that n eTen so smai
locality the japanese are rapidly taking the
place of whites; that they are brought from
Japan under contracts either written or i'm
piled and that at least 10000 more are wait
ing for favorable opportunity to enter the
vineyards, orchards, hOpyards etc. "
From the San Francisco CALL OF June 8,
1895, under caption Of "WEites Driven Out"
In commenting upon the testimony Of A. c..
VanderVoort it says:
White labor do the work in the mop
yards and beet fields as well as the Japanese,
but OF course not at such low wages the lat
ter work for. In examining this con trao-
m ia IA q Cfa TO 4 ffafr h
to light Sato had a contract 10 work the beet
fields at $15 per acre. AT the first oeing he
received So and after the second he received
So. If the crop goes over eight tons TO the
acre he gets 81 a ton for each acre in excess OF
eight tons. He is virtually partner
with the landowner, The land-renter and the
laborer at proportion OF about one-third."
The San Francisco CALL of June II, 1895,
under caption OF Coolies on a Strike" In
speaking OF a contract with Sato he says:
'lt WAS with Graham, and as he only got
ten tons OF beeIs TO the acre and worked sixty
men for two months and twelve days, he lost
money on the contract. The men made 81
cents day The next contract was
made last February He agreed with Downing
ana Llienthsl to work the hop and beet fields.
Downing stands good for all the bills con-
tracted at the stores in town"
in the San Francisco CALL of June 90 1895
"The Labor Commissioner has secured data
TO show that Japanese are being brought in to
this State on contracts, either written or i'm