Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-08
Limited Importation of Chinese.

ment to any suggestion looking to its mod
lfication.
Limited Importation of Chinese.
The Philippine commission, which fully
realizes the situation has again and
again recommended that law be passed
giving them authority to admit limited
number of skilled mechanics and laborers
from China under certain regulations Ihelr
plan is to have contractors, factory man.
ayers owners of large estates, mine oper-
ators lumbermen and others wEo require a
large number of laborers, make appnca-
ton for the Importation of as many hands
as they need for term not to exceed HVe
wears and give bond that they Will deport
their men at the end of the term agreed
upon.
be supplied without permanently lhcreas-
ing the Chinese population of the 1siands OF
exposing the Filipinos to the competition
which it is alleged they dread. 1T should
be said however, that the F1llplnos take
no interest in the argument. They 90 not
care how many Chinese come into the coun-
trv. the, more the better. And it is equally
true that there is no serious objection from
any source in the islands to limited I'M
portation of Chinese labor ON the con
trary it would be dlf1cult 10 Ilho amy oooS
who is opposed to II. '.
The entire opposition comes from the pom,
ticians and labor unions IN the uHnteo
States who know nothing about the sltua-
than facts They argue that Chinese com
petition is degrading to labor In the fhi-
ippnes, as well as in the United Slates'
Hence it must be prohibited Inc oniy Uo
lection YOU ever hear raised in the Phlllp-
pines is that the Chinese are frugal ana
economical and save their money. 1ney
very soon advance from laborers 10 petty
shopkeepers, and then to commission neI
chants and jobberS, and underbld Whlte
men for government contracts ana otner
business. because they can do everything
so much cheaper than the Caucaslahs.
Valuable Enterprise Lost to Manila.
Two years ago Messrs. Farnum, Boyd &
Co. shipbuilders of Shanghai, proposed TO
invest half million dollars in dry dock
and shipbuilding and repair shops at Ma
Mia provided they were allowed TO prlnS
with them a portion of the trained mechan-
les in their employ at Shanghai 1t was
manifest that they could not do business
without shipwrights. machinists and other
skilled labor, and it was equally OBVIOUS
that these could not be obtained at Manila.
Farnum, Boyd & Co. proposed to employ
two native apprentices for every skilled
Chinese mechanic they imported and In
that way would be able within a few years
to educate a sufficient number of Filipinos
to do their business. But the commission
had authority to modify the exclusion
law or to make any exceptions in its en-
forcement. Hence Manila lost a half
mllion-dollar shipyard, and vessels needing
repairs still have to be sent TO Hongkong,
Shanghai or Nagasaki at a large and I'M
necessary expense. All government vessels
sent to China for repairs; the War De-
partment transports are compelled to go
there two or three times year, when that
money might be kept in the Philippines if
there was any one there who could do the
work. If the recommendation of the COM
mission had been adopted there would al
ready be good supply of skilled labor be-
cause the Fflipinos are exceedingly quick in
learning the use of tools.
In the government printing office at Ma
Mia nearly the entire force is composed of
F1l1pinos, and every one of them has been
educated since American occupation. The
Filipino is very deft in the use of his fin
gers and in handling tools. He learns with
amazing rapdity, but he is inclined to be
careless and reckless in handling ma
chinery.
Farm Labor Wanted
Factory labor, however, is not needed so
much as ordinary agricultural labor. The
native is not only reluctant to work with a
shovel or hoe, but he is weak physically.
He has hollow chest and narrow Shout
ders and the muscles of his body are not de-
veloped. Military officers say that this is
not racial defect. but insist that it is due
merely to a lack of exercise and insufficient
nourishment. In proof of their theory they
call attention to the rapid physical deyeI-
opment of the native scouts and constab-
ulary, who, after few months of physical
culture ana three square meals a day, de-
velop into robust, chesty and muscular ath-
letes, capable of any amount of physical
labor and endurance
1t cannot be denied that all the Malay
countries are entirely dependent upon the
Chinese for labor, and that wherever they
go they thrive physically and save their
money and make useful, Industrious law
abiding citizens. They are no better than
the japanese, however, although the latter
are more inclined to be quarrelsome and
are not so easily subject to discipline. There
Is no exclusion law against the japanese.
On the contrary, their Importation is en-
couraged, and Secretary Taft made a spe-
cial visit to Japan while governor of the
Philippines to arrange for the shipment
of as many japanese coolies as could be OBJ
tanned as laborerS upon the government
work. Since the war began, however, nearly
all of the Japanese in the Philippines have
hurried home to join the army, and those
who are too old for military service are
voluntarily sending money to the govern
assist in wing the of