The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-10-14
OPPOSES JAPS
AND KOREANS
T.. ROSENBERG, AFTER VIEWING
COMMENDS EXCLUSION.

SAN FRANCISCO, October Ed
ward Rosenberg, former secretary Of
the San Francisco Labor Council has
returned from the orient, where he
spent several months as the emissary
of the American Federation OF Labor
in studying the labor conditions of the
Philippines, Japan and China and also
of Hawaii and their prospective effect
upon American labor. His report will
be considered by the federation at its
annual convention in Boston next
month. Rosenberg's observations led
him to believe that the United states
is in danger of a great and unwhole-
some influx of Japanese and Korean
laborers and he will urge the American
Federation of Labor to call upon Con-
gress for laws excluding Japanese and
Koreans from the United States upon
the same basis as Chinese are now eX-
cluded.
Matters which were particularly in
vestigated were the proposed opening
Of the Philippines to Chinese immigra-
ton. and the bringing into Hawai- of
thousands of Koreans. whose entrance,
Rosenberg believes viii crowd the Japs
out of Hawaii into the United States.
Il find the general condition Of the
Philippines bad" said Rosenberg, but
that Governor Taft and the Philippine
Commission are making strong efforts
to bring about a better state of affairs.
The present condition is due to the fact
that some of the interior provinces are
still terrorized by rowing insurgents, to
ravages of cholera and plague, to the
rinderpest epidemic, which killed off
a large proportion of the caribao, the
animals of draft, and to the fact that
there is agitation upon the part of
some employers to open the way for
Chinese labor immigration. The peo-
pie who are not yet wholly reconciled
to American occupation, lay to it their
recent calamities. The discomfort gives
the insurgents a chance to make trou-
BILE. The provinces are gradually be-
ing pacifed.
THE tropical climate reduces energy
but the Filipinos are not lazy With
proper instruction by Americans they
develop rapidly into skilled workmen.
The statement that they are lazy and
incompetent is sent out by employers
who wished to get the doors opened to
the Chinese, who will work for less,
and thus enable the employers to
amass fortunes in a few years. I'm
der Spanish rule Filipino labor was on
a par with slave labor. The native
eagerly grasps his opportunity to at
tain better system of things. and,
where he is fairly paid and decently
treated. does good work. Wages range
from 40 cents to 81 a day. Native
unions are being formed in Manila.
In Hawaii the Sugar Planters Asso-
citation controls the Government and
everything else The policy is to dis
courage settlers to check all immigra-
tion except that of Japanese and Ko-
Teans the latter working cheapest of
all. There are 10000 Japs in the ISL
ands. Koreans are coming in fast.
Ten thousand are being brought in
now. The Japs are really being dis
placed and they are moving on to the
United States"
Rosenberg found the condition of
labor in Japan to be almost as bad as
in China, though from different causes.
China has never risen; as enlightened
Japan rises it brushes back the la
| bOrer.