Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-03-29
.AS|ATI(S IN THE SHIPS
SENATOR FRYE DISCUSSED
NECESSITY OF EMPLOYMENT
White Men Cannot Stand Heat Of
StOkehole in Tropical Climate
Reference 10 Exclusion Policy
and Trade.

Washington, March 17.-An inter-
esting feature of today's proceedings
In the Senate was the debate and vote
on Senator Patterson's amendment to
the shipping bill, providing that no
vessel receiving subsidy shall en-
ploy a Chinese crew. Patterson denied
that white crews could be obtained
even in the Orient, II ship owners
were ready to pay white mems wages
There is not dollar In this bill"
concluded Patterson, "for the white or
American sailor. He must contest
with the poorest paid sailors on the
face Of the EARTH
Senator Perkins, in his fifteen min
ute talk, failed to reach the question
of employing Chinese In crews, though
he intended to speak on that subject.
He argued, however, that the bill was
fairly good as 1t stood. requiring ships
to carry considerable proportion Of
American citizens in their crews.
Senator Frye, in his closing speech,
referred to Patterson's amendment. He
read letter addressed to him by E.
J. Livernash, representing the CalifOr-
mia Chinese Exclusion Commission,
urging him to accept the Patterson
amendment. THE writer gives me the
distinguished honor of saying that II
| give my support to the amendment
It will pass" said Senator Frye. ~
wish | could comply, but the amend
ment ought not to pass. don't be-
lieve Europeans or Americans can be
found who will go down into the fire.
room and stokehold Of vessels in the
tropics, where the temperature is 40
degrees at times. The Asiatics are the
only people who can stand this heat.
Sanitary reasons forbid the employ
ment of white men at such labor,
Ships of war go into the tropics with
white men in the stokehold, but they
are there only a short time. and the
men have the right to go on deck. Mer-
chant vessels are continually at work
and the fremen and stokers are kept
below constantly"
If this amendment were adopted.
It would he in effect taking the pipe
Of peace in one hand and tomahawk
in the other. II the victim would not
smoke the pipe, the tomahawk would
come into play. You would destroy
these Oriental lines by this amend
ment. | think the lines in contempla-
ton never would be established at all
II this amendment should be adopted.
James J. Hill. who is building two Of
the largest vessels ever constructed In
this country. would have to put those
big ships under a foreign flag in order
to put Chinese in the fire and engine
rooms"
Senator Frye then referred 10 Ger
| mar and French steamship lines, and
their experience in the Orient and trop-
ical waters. He said they tried to
do away with Chinese below decks.
but had to take them back, ard that
contracts were amended to provide for
the imperative necessity OF employing
Chinese. Then came a significant
statement as bearing on the policy of
Chinese exclusion.
In 1900 two factories in my State
shut down" said Senator Frye. he
cause they could not sell their cotton
to China. am as anxious to see he
working men prosper as they are
themselves am as good friend OF
the laboring man as the Senator from
Colorado, but | do think they are
sometimes wrong, and this Is one OF
the things in which they are wrong
II we are to have an extension of Cur
commerce In the Orient. and that 10
tho only place in which We can seek
ioI 1t, II is in the interest OF the laDtI
Ing men to develop this trade end alb
to the prosperity following tho inter-
chs nge of goods. rl,e danger Of a sur
plus at home is sta2Hation and paraly-
SIS OF business AMI lack OF einllcy-
mort OF labor. We mus. have an ont