The San Francisco call., 1906-10-01
CHINESE COOLIES
MAY NOT WORK
ON CANAL.
Peking Government Objects
to Contracts Recently
Submitted in America
SEEKS GUARANTEE
OF UNITED STATES
Steamship Company Mana
ger Delays Negotiations
for Transporting Laborers
SPECIAL DISPATCH no THE cALL.

Tor transporting LaborerS
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL.
WASHINGTON, Sept. so.-Unexpect-
ed intervention by the Chinese Cow
ernment in the matter of the employ
ment OF contract cooiie labor in the
building of the Panama canal threatens
now to cripple the construction work
at the isthmus. 1t became known In
Washington today that the Picking ON
cials have taken steps to regulate the
contracting of yellow labor. 1t has
been learned here that w. HI. Avery,
assistant general manager of the
Toyo Kisen Kaisha steamship line,
which wss to transport the Chinese
Iaborers from Asia to Panama, has not
gone to the Enst to arrange for the
passage of the Iaborers, as he had In
tended. Ee is delayed In San Francisco
upon Instructions received from the
home ONCE of the steamship company
in Japan, informing him that at pres
ent II Is not advisable to continue the
negotiations relative to the shipment
of the MongoIinns.
The Chinese Government has taken
exception to the method Of hiring the
laborers which was made public ten
days ago. when the Isthmian Commits
sion received bids from employment
contractors. II reported that <ae'
Chinese Minister at washington has
discovered reputed similarity be-
tween the proposed scheme of employ
ment and the peonage system of South
Carolina At least $500 laborers were
to be supplied at the outset. the COM
mission to have the privilege of call
ing for $4,000 additional. The bids
range from to IL cents an hour
SERIOUS CRISIS RESULTS.
The possible elimination of Chinese
labor from the canal work creates one
of the most serious crises yet faced by
the commission. According to the re-
ports Of engineers at the isthmus, the
Asiatic is the only laborer who can
work under the conditions presented
there. Al first it was thought possible
to hire the natives of Central America,
but their Incidence precluded that So
luton Then negroes from San Do
mingo and other West Indian islands
were tried, but it was found by expert
slowly that they were not worth their
board. There was left but the labor
of China and Japan to draw upon.
Toxic emphatically refused to let the
Japanese be contracted for. That was
some time go. Now China appears to
be following the precedent of the ISL
and empire. 1t intends to force the
United States to give some sort of
guarantee that the Chinese will be
properly treated on the isthmus-
The Chinese legation announced to-
night that China would not permit the
departure of natives under the con-
tracts recently submitted. Individual
laborers may accept employment. how
ever. IL may DC lildt LAc ioluihidu
Commission will alter the speciica-
tions so that laborers may be drawn
from the Straits Settlements.
AVERY REMAINS HERE.
At the time bids for laborers were
opened Nv. H. Avery, who occupies the
highest position of any foreigner in
the Togo Kisen Kaisha of Japan. was
in Washington negotiating with the
contractors for the transportation Of
the coolies The company operates a
line between China and South America,
and 1t was planned that Panama should
be made a port of call for the delivery
of the laborers. When Avery left
washington 1t was his expressed inten-
tion TO sail directly from San Francisco
for Japan to arrange with the owners
of the steamship company for the de-
tails of the transportation of the
coolies. Now 1t is known that he has
been instructed to stop in San Fran
cisco, having been informed by his
company that the Chinese Government
has decided that 1t will not permit
the wholesale expectation Of contract
labor