The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-16

" HE Western Addition improve
ment Club, composed of over three
hundred of the leading citizens and
principal taxpayers of San Fran
cisco, has commenced a crusade
for the exclusion of Japanese chill
dren from the public schools. This is the
first move which has been made in this
matter, and the club proposes to press
its import on the citizens of this city by
a stringent resolution, which will be In
troduced at its next meeting.
DR.. Charles V. Cross, the president OF
the association, brought the matter to
the. attention of the members present.
He urged that it was not within the prov
ince of the United States to educate these
foreigners and that some action should
be taken as early as possible toward clos
ing the doors OF our educational system
against them. The doctor stated that he
had many instances in mind where par
ents of girls attending the public schools
of this city were obliged to apply to the
school authorities for the seating OF their
children away from the Japanese boys,
and that their presence was distasteful to
American children generally. In part he
said:
I'VE should appeal to the Board of
Education to exclude Japanese from our
schools. They are not only Objectionable
In school rooms, but they occupy seats
which should be reserved for white chill
dren. In many cases children of our own
birth are required to wait months for a
place in the schools notwithstanding that
hundreds of these foreigners are daily abb
sorbing the advantages which they are
losing. Like the Chinese, they return to
their own land with the money they filter
out of American trade, and never advance
themselves or enhance their surround
ings.
Japanese take undue advantage of
ployed by families in positions which
could we'll be filled by daughters of Amer
lean birth, who need employment, but
who to-day are obliged to walk the
streets. Our schools exclude Chinese, and
l can discover but little difference be-
tween the two Municipalities, either in in
tellect or Manners
The club then passed significant reso-
luton cOndemning the excessive rates of
the gas monopoly and urging it's members
to abide by the rate of 81 10 as fixed by
the Board of Supervisors early last
month. The resolution was the outcome
of much discussion, in which both sides
of the question were given a proper air
ing and expert testimony offered as to
the cost of the production of gas. The
resolution, introduced by Joseph Nash
and seconded by Charles M. Ingram, was
passed as follows:
Resolved, That it is the sense of
the Western Addition Improvement
Club that the rate of 81 10 for gas, as
made by the Board of Supervisors, is
fair price and the only legal rate
the gas company can collect; and be it
further
Resolved, That we recommend our
members to pay their bills on that
basis only.
Since the passing of the resolution by
the Supervisors the club has had in con-
temptation move by which it could Sc
cure concerted action on the gas ques-
ton. Leading members of the organiza.
ton proposed that it be made the specia
subject for deliberation last night and {
general notification was sent out. Mer
responded to the roll-call who had not at
tended meetings for months but who, a.
they expressed it, were anxious for an op
portunity to strike a blow which might
secure what they believed be q fair ant
Just price of illumination for the resi-
dents of Western San Francisco. Whe1
the resolution came to a vote there was
not a dissenting voice.
1t was universally the sentiment of the
members present that the gas company
has been paying large dividends on abou
three times as much stock as it should
possess. and that the combustible coulc
be manufactured at a figure far less thar
the dollar mark.
rate as an outrage on the public, anC
urged that the association institute
crusade which would result in the tear