The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-03-25
CALIFORNIA SOL0NS
OPPOSED TO JAPANESE
Memorabilia Congress to Pass
Law Prohibiting Their
immigration.
Declares That Unrestricted
immigration Is Menace .
to the State.


has. by unanimous vote of the men,
oers of both houses, declared that un-
restricted immigration of Japanese is a
menace to the State, and has memorial
lzed the President. Secretary of State
and Congress to restrict, by treaty or
otherwise, the further immigration of
Japanese laborers to these shores.
The concurrent resolution dealing
with this important matter reads as
follows:
whereas, The constantly increasing
immigration of the subjects of the Jap
anese empire into the Pacific Coast
States and Territoriesand particularly
into the State Of California, has be-
come and is now serious menace to
the we'll being and prosperity of these
States and Territories, and particular
1y to the State of California; demand
Ing the taking of immediate steps look
Ing to the stay thereof; and
whereas, It is we'll known and gen.
orally recognized and acknowledged
that. among many other facts and
reasons justifying an apprehension of
great danger, because of the growing
and threatening invasion of our State
by Japanese immigrants, the following
are capable Of exact proof and do ex-
list:
'First-That the Japanese labOrers,
by reason of race habits, mode of liv-
ing, disposition and general character
istics, are a wholly undesrab BILE and
unsatisfactory addition to the popula-
tiOn.
"Second-That the Japanese laborers
are debarred from naturalization and
cannot, if they desired, which they do
not, become citizens and thereby as
sumo the privileges and responsible
ties of citizenship.
"Third-That the Japanese laborers
do not evince any inclination to assim-
late with our people or to become
Americans. They remain as they come
-Japanese-and, possessing no regard
for republican institutions, continue to
consider themselves subjects of the
country of their nativity, and look on
ly to the time when they may be able
to return.
"FOurth- That the Japanese immi-
grants now crowding to our shores are
as class, and with few exceptions,
contract laborers, obligated to serve
long periods of labor for small wages,
and thereby and as he result of such
conditions our communities are being
filled with a servile class of aborers
which exists in a state of slavery in
substance and effect, if not in name
Fifth-That the japanese laborers
are not hired individually, but in gangs,
and from contractor who has entire
control of their services, and who, by
the terms of the obligation under which
they are brought to the country, is
enabled to furnish them at such places,
In such numbers, for such times and at
such wages as may be agreed between
the contractor and the employer.
"sixth-That the contractor for Jap
anese labor, by reason of the favorable
terms of his agreement is enabled to
and is accustomed to supply Japanese
laborers wherever required in this
State at rates which do not supply a
white man with the common necessa-
ries of life, much less enable him to
provide for his family or educate his
children.
"Seventh-That the Japanese con-
tract laborers have already gained
control of numerous branches Of in
dustry in this State, and by reason of
the low rate of wages paid for their
work have forced all white labor there
form and they are constantly crowd
ing into other avenues Of labor and
driving our own workmen from occu-
pations to which they have been ac-
customed and from which they have
heretofore gained a livelihood.
hfh-Th1f 10
ers will within brief period, unless
their immigration be limited in some
reasonable degree, occasion great dis
tress and misery to the white la aborers
Of the State by depriving them of the
opportunity to secure work at wages
sufficient for support.
'Ninth-That the Japanese laborers
do not employ any of their earnings in
the building up of the communities
wherein they may for time reside
They are mere transients, coming only
to do the particular6 work for which
their contractor has agreed to furnish
them. and going at it's completion to
another place to which they have in
like manner been allotted. They do not
buy land for homes; they do not build
or buy houses either for business or
home purposes. They contribute Moth
ing to the growth of the state. They
add nothing to it's wealth and they are
a blight on it's prosperity and a great
and impending danger to it's welfare
"Tenth-The labor troubles in Ha-
vail have caused great numbers of
Japanese laborers such as have been
hereinbefore described to make their
way to this State, until now not less
than 500 each month are landed at the
port of San Francisco; and while the
present rate Of increase in the immi-
grafton is sufficient to justify the fears
which are justly entertained of the
disastrous results to flow therefrom, we
cannot but regard that the close of
the war between Japan and Russia
will surely bring to our shores hordes
to be counted only in thousands Of the
discharged soldiers of the Japanese
army, who will crowd this State with