Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-16
Being Employed Abroad to
Build Our Ships
AN INFAMOUS TRICK
BY the Republican Administration by
Which IL Dodges the Home Ques-
tion OF Coolie Immigration-Chi
India and Japan Furnish the Me-
chanics and LaDorers Paid by Amer
lean WOrkingmen's Taxes


O. Howard in another column, dealing with
our unjust discrimination against the
Chinese immigrant to these shores is an able
and incisive argument which the anti
Chinese agitator Will find hard to logically
refute or combat From our point of view
however, we favor the closing of our ports
against the labor emigrant Of any and every
race, white, black and mongolisn while a
trust or capitalistic combination exists in
the United Statesl And on the abolition by
law Of these trusts we favor the opening OF
the ports to white, black, and mougolian on
precisely the same basis-a standard Of adj
mission which will insure the material for
as high an order of citizenship as tie
American common school turns out in the
native to the manor born.
While the home anti Chinese agitator is
making the air sulphurous with his decla-
nations against the natives alone of the
Flowery Kingdom, the powers that be have
turned neat trick, and instead of dealing
with the troublesome question of cheap
imported labor have addressed themselves
in a most practical fashion to providing EN-
ployment in their own countries fer the
coolie labor Of not only China, but India
and Japanl Hear yel Gompers, Powderley
publican Administration has outwitted you
all and solved the question of coolie Chi
uese immigration.
Over $7So, 600 in contracts for twenty-one
steamers for use as coast patrol boats and
revenue cutters In Philippine waters have
been placed through the civil commission
at Manila with English firms in Japan and
China Coole labor will be employed In the
IS fud dfnr-
nation is expressed at the shipbuilding
plants and navy yards Of the coast at the
action of the Government in placing the
contracts with foreign firms. Even the
Cavite navy yard, near Mauila, conid have
built the craft, but the commission has seen
ht to get the work done in China Japan and
India, because it can be done cheaper there,
The dispatch states that bids were opened
in December and contracts have since been
placed Under these the steamers will be
built by seven or eight shipbuilding firms
of Japan, Shanghai, Hongkong aud Singa.
pore. Twenty steamers will each be 100
feet long, and one, to be used as the flag
ship of the squadron, will be about zoo feet
long.
The matter of building these steamers by
coolie labor In Asiatic ports has apparently
arousing opposition in this country. The
object, Of course, Is to save time and ex.
pense by having them constructed as near
Manila as po sible.
Specifications we're prepared during the
late fall under the direction of Commander
Mark, captain of the port of Manila who
later took them before the shipbuilding
concerns of Oriental cities Most Of these
firms had representatives present when the
bids we're opened. The total cost will ap-
proximate 100000.
The Navy Department is now making ar
rangements and is asking Congress to appro-
pirate thirty-two million dollars for a navy
yard at Subig Bay, P. l.
Herein lies the greatest menace to Ameri-
can labor of modern times The ships of
the American navy built by the Chinese
coolie labor at Hongkong aud the ships of
the navy repaired at Subig Bay Dy Chinese
coolie mechanics.
The scale of wages paid out there is for
all classes of mechanical labor about so cents
per day in gold. Tie same class of work
pays from S. so to 50 per day in America
If they build and repair the ships by
Chinese coolies, what will the American
mechanic do who pays the taxes TO support
this Government
And will he vote this coming fall to return
a Republican Congress which thus permits
a coolie laborer in a foreign land TO take the
bread out Of his MOUTH We shall see.