The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-02-28
CHINESE BOYCOTT
TO Be SUPPRESSED
Property-Owners Combine to
Undermine a PerniciouS
System.
Chinatown Improvement Association
Organized to Bring About
Needed Reforms.

The existence of pernicfous boycott
which for a number of years has been
Dire ted against property owners in Chi
natown by Chinese tenants has reused
the landlords to determined action and
has impelled them to form an organiza-
ton called the Chinatown Improvement
Association, having for It's object the Sc
curing of needed public Improvements In
that locality and the attainment of nee
essary legislation, State and municipal,
to accomplish that end. and for the mu-
tual protection and benefit Of the prop
erty-holders.
The preliminary meeting was held in
the offices of Attorney Ruef at 402 Mont
gomery street, the temporary headquar-
tiers of the organization, some time ago,
and more than sixty property owners,
recognizing the necessity OF the move
ment. responded to the call or were rep
resented by their agents.
Considerable enthusiasm was manifest
ed when 1T was stated by the temporary
chair man, Joseph GoetZ, that the asso-
citation was to be incorporated from an
csthetic and sanitary standpoint for the
purpose of rehabilitating Chinatown on
proper basis and equalizing its assessed
valuation, which is twice as much In pro-
portion that in other parts Of the city,
and to relieve in some measure the bur
dens which the landlords In that section
have been obliged to bear for some years
past. 1t is noted fact thst the water
rates are considerably higher there than
elsewhere because OF the meters which
are used almost entirely. Again when
ever the Board of Health desires to make
a lecord 1t invariably singles out China
town as good target for It's operations
and conoenns buildings which In some
cases are probably as substantial as
many in other portions Of the city
But especially will this association Wig
orously combat the system of boycotting
tenants Influenced by the highbinders,
and which works great hardshps on the
owners. who are extremely deslrous of
breaking 1t UP. Mr.. Goetz further said:
against these boycotting highbinders be-,
cause they never disclose their Identity
Tor example, If tenant is elected or
even moves out Of his own accord. a.
ises In which 1t is stated that $50 or sIoo
must be forthcoming before new fena NJ
Wiil De allowed to occupy the premises
VI course, II the place is a desira BILE
any trouble with the highbinders. will
pay the money, or the landlord win do
$50 80 IN e order to rent the store. One good
is a ibe 20 n overcome me system Of blackmail
winch found quite effective in the case
OF Two tenants who had moved out and
lau me paced under the ban After T
mad given them a thorough drubbing I
assure you that the boycott was inStaSS+,, =
removed, and nave never suffered from
1t since But many others do, and we i'm
tend to organize for mutual defense,
MT Ruef. the legal adviser Of tba
ISOLATION. when seen yesterday go
Ihls is the Hrst concerted effort Of Obi
natoWn property-owners to oppose organ.
ization with organization, and thew wisb
10 demonstrate that they alone contrni
the situation, and propose to serve thasa
heather boycotters with some oS t tha;s
own medicine: Two-thirds of the land
iorQs are suffering from the bovcott os
hlghblnder tongs, which have thai Snao, ~
OBJECT In view, and the necessity for 20
sanlZatlon is apparent to any one CO..
Versant with existing conditions VII
"A committee on organization hoe h.ox
appointed to draft Constitution ana &c,
bic articles of Incorporation. and consisa-
OF a. Kuef. CASTOR Straus, Joseph co.,
I: s. Berges, John Harms, d 70 r.
Lleberman and F. A. Will" u.
+: b. Berges said II have been 49,.
suuerer by reason Of the boycott a,st
Ia Chinatown, and 1t is time thai so.eLn
thlng De done to break the backbonn &c
conspiracy that is doing so much har y,
70 those who have money invested in ~ ~ -
natown; | own store at II Washin IN ~ III
place that has been vacant for twsn ~,
months because l elected the last tenly
LOT failure to pay his rent The stora ras..
Ior 800, and yet, just to show the ma .t.o
nerve OF these boycotters, one nf ny
owners OF the Jackson-street thaata ne
Iered me VIZ 90 for 1t. but wanted po,r
months rent free. for he said that q
would cost him that amount to b snat II
boycott lifted by the highbinders ,h .me
adding blackmaH to the hovoottS Illus