The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-05-15
FOR JAP RICE FARMERS
CONSUL GENERAL STUDYING CON-
DlTloNS IN SOUTH TEXAS.
Wants to Bring Out Men Of Family Who
viii Buy Their Lands ard Become
American Citizens.

Mr.. sadszuchi Uchida, consul general OF
Japan at New York, who arrived here
Tuesday, put in the day yesterday making
Inquiries as to lands and conditions around
Houston with the view to ultimately locat.
Ing n Japanese colony OF rice farmers In
this section. serious condition confronts
the agricultural people OF his country.
Fotty-hve million population Is crowded
into an area Of 10000 square miles. or
10000 square mies less than the state
of Texas with a population OF only 1900.
Wn. The government auds It necessary to
discover an outlet for a part Of this popu.
lsdon, or at least 20 AFFORD some escape
for the younger generation who have no op.
portunity at home 10 make fortunes The
great population logically makes the prices
Of lands so high thA it is practically i'm.
possible for man to get start In life MS
Is done In this great Western country. IL Is
MI. uchida's idea to bring to Texas farmers
IN tHlfly prosperous circumstances: that Is
10 say, men who Will come prenarcd 10
buy aud build their own homes
'Ot course, he said, II do not undertake
TO determine the matter | ann only making
an Investigation and shah rcport To mS
government. 1t is my idea to first bring
out dozen or a score OF families have
them conveniently and comfortably settled
anu II they make success and are sntis-
neu can bring as many as we can ind
cheap lands To occupy | would not nave
the Texas people understand that the lana.
ntsc immigrants whom | have In MUD are
aborcrs on the class commonly represented
by the Chinese Immigrants il is only the
poor Of China who leave their country: the
wel-to.do remain But with the Japanese
the thrifty and the ambitious arc seeking
new fields and the class who would come TO
Texas in this venture are farmers who are
lntplllgput OF al ola
ter ana Industrious habits. who Will EXPECT
to come here and become American citizens
You know we are proud To he called tho
Yankees OF the East and | feel uuttc sure
that by the second generation the Japanese
here would he thoroughly AmcucantZcd."
Some idea Of the handicap under which
the japanese rice farmers labor may hc oh
talned from the stntcn,-Mt that nnds are
worth hundreds Of dollars per acre and The
farmer who rents pays onC-hulf Of the total
yield {" the landlord. Under these cirgum-
stances II Is impossible for the most in
dustrious to obtain more Than Il bare living
frnm his labor, and these broad acres in
Texas AZ low prices and at cheap rentals
have awakened the desir In the Japanese
TO come Ia this section. The class to whom
Mr.. Uchida refers are expert rice and fruit
farmers, and IL may easily he seen that
they would hc Of great value to South
Texas for the knowledge they possess Of
these industries,
Mir. Uchid1 did not stop with lnqulrng
about lands and climate Int was particular
to ascertain how his people would he treat
ed by the residents of this country. Hc
makes II quito clear that they are int H.
gent. respectable people, not IL. NY way to
be claSsCd with the chcup - mcSe who
have caused SO much trouble on the Pacific
oo"et. pr1 DO n'"inlv hns In mind estah-
fishing this fact before they come SO that
they win be treat VITA respect He was
particularly interested IN the laws ~ Texas
AS to homesteuds, the school fund appor-
tonment and all such matters which 10 t
make up n successful ana happy social
life.
Mr. Uchida Is man Of fine address anil
liberal education. He speaks English with
only the slightest hesitation for the right
word occasionally. He Is proud OF his coun-
try and its late achievements To the Jlp-
ancse all Americans, or citizens Of the
United States. are Yankees" and with re
spect to this designation, n Post reporter
asked:
"Wil your people who come here retain
their native customs and habits and ne
Clannsh, or will they adapt themselves t.
Western life? That Is. VIII they rcma n
1aps or will they becosne Yankees
"They will become Yankees" he an
swcred, quito enthusiastically
Mr.. Uchida went from here last night 20
7 axe Ch"ros aud from there will double
back to Beaumont, and will return ~ uous.
ton about Flldav. He expects g. I'm \ Nv
York again hy the last of the month whc1
he will make his report to the government.
After this trip he intends to.NiSit Gcorgi D.
the Carolnas and Alabama fot careful
study Of the cotton mills OF this section.