The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-05-19

| the legislatures resolution will be
the foundation for the drawing up of
| a bill or bills to exclude the Jap
anese laborer.
| Strange as 1t may seem, in view
| of Japan's need of men to fill the
ranks thinned by Russian bullets.
the influx Of Japanese has never been
greater than since the Russo-Jap-
anese war broke out. The explana-
| ton Is found in the fact that Japan's
population, now sorely taxed to meet
the expenses of the war, must look
elsewhere for funds. America is it's
natural prospecting ground and to
this country the brown men are flock
ing on every steamer.
| The Japanese find little difficulty
| in securing employment, as they gen.
orally accept work at half the white
mans wage and as a result Cali
fornia is teeming with the invaders
who have entered upon every branch
Of wage earning. From the experience
of the average citizen of this coun-
try, it is impossible for white skill.
| or white labor, to pit itself against
| hope of success.
The last consignment of Japs to
come here numbered nearly 1000 and
was quickly scattered to the four
points of the compass Some there
are who enter a mercantile life where
they knife and undersell all possible
competition. Others assume the role
of the laborer, willing to work hard
for a daily stipend sufficient for the
purchase of rice and fish. Others en-
ter schools, and still more apprentice
themselves to become skilled artisans.
There is not an American war
craft afioat today but that 1T has
Japanese among its servants, and
these bright little fellows thoroughly
post themselves as to their surround
ings. In San Francisco the japanese
has entered the mercantile line with
a vim, to the supreme disgust of the
American merchant opposed to his
special line The public schools are
crowded with the little brown men,
who are getting the best educations
the land affords, and in the mean
time the Japanese is even dominat-
ing several small industries of the
state while adding to his numbers
here at the rate of 1000 a month.
OF late, the dread disease of ira
choma, which destroys the eyesight
and is extremely dangerous as con-
tagious disease, has been discovered
among the Japanese flOcking to this
port. Strict quarantine has succeeded
in limiting the spread of this terrible
malady, and deportations have also
resulted, but the general cry is that
the infected Japs go back to their
own sunny climes.
1t is a well known fact that the
average type of japanese who come
to San Francisco is an undesirable
character. In all of the large banks
where a Japanese trade is conducted,
Jap clerks are never trusted, but Chi
nese clerks are placed there instead.
This custom, established because the
ordinary Japanese is by tradition and
habit a most unreliable person, is
founded on reason. The laps are not
to be trusted AS servants, they are
practically a failure because of this
trait, and yet they are willing to work
for less than any other human being,
not barring the Chinese himself.
Each Chinese clerk is employed to
offset the inherent dishonesty of a
Jap, is termed a "comprador' and
is trusted fully. The wary, shifting,
suspicious and slippery character of
the Jap has won for him the earnest
contempt of the American laboring
community, even aside from the con-
sideration that he will take starva-
ton wages if that will serve to de-
ton.
The alarm caused by the invasion
has been increased ten fold within
the past few weeks. The japanese
have no trouble in landing on Ha-
wall and a few weeks residence there
gives them the right to land in the
United States. Since the agitation
has taken on such great proportions
the Japanese consular officers have
adopted various means of holding
back the exclusion tide, but were I'M
successful until the consul at Homo
lulu hit upon what he believed to be
plan the inner motive of which
the American people would not di,
vine. This was nothing more nor
less than the issuance Of an order
by the home office restricting the
number of men to leave the island
kingdom for Hawaii on any one
steamer to 100.
This restrictive order, however,
provided that each immigrant must
be married and must be accompanied
by his wife.
The intent, to those who have
carefully watched the question, was
as plain as a pike staff. Emigration
would be restricted, but there was
no mandate against the raising of
large families and the overrunning
of Hawaii a territory of the United
States, and eventually the mainland,
with thousands upon thousands of
Japanese of both sexes, all clothed
with the rights enjoyed by any white
child born on the mainland.
In this the labor unions see n
greater menace than the mere coming
into this country at present of male
laborers and has aroused in them a
greater determination to secure the
enactment of an exclusion law.