The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-15
.COOL1E .LABOR,IN PERU.
Importation Of Successors to
Black Slaves Revives Discussion.

The recent landing at Callao Peru, OF
many Chinese coolies, SAID 10 nave peg"
cont racted for In China TO work Tor va
rjors agricultural and other ctnerprsscs
for q specified term Of years, has aroused
again the discussion of the cooilc lanoF
abuse in the South American republic.
The facts concerning the labor question
in Peru are very interesting. and throw
a good deal Of light on the ndustrial
condition OF the country, which IS not
to say the least, prosperous under pres
ent surroundings. .a.
Peru which In 1870 possessed 4. 20 ne
gro slaves OF which SO per cent were en-
ployed as field hands on the plantat IONS. "A
found herself suddenly deprived Of THIS
class OF labor by tho abolition of slavery.
unfortunately her citizens were not OF
the energetic and enterpr1slnS Gas"
which, confronted by similar conditions
nut their shoulders to the wheel N ms ~
Southern States of the United States al
ter the Civil War and made their sectlon
OF the country one OF the most prosper
Gus within the land. The Peruvian
planters turned to the native indian
snopulation Of Poru to relieve them from
The burden OF working. the black Slaves ven
having originally been imported. but ti.e
Indians. no longer. the patient tlilers =.
the soil which had been IN the old l"s1
lines, proved themselves unfit to supply
Tho national need. The plantations were
allowed to become less and less frnitt"i
wear after year, and finally their owners
realized that something must be uoIc ~
remedy the evil OF the progress OF lns
country lndustrially would be absolutely
Impossible. ,,h,.
OF the Indians by the importation or
coolies was made in ls49. and the traae
assumed great proportions soon after. IN
The co.'s Chinese and Japanese coolles
were imported in great numbers FOR VOTE
on the sugar plantations. Astotisli',."
cruelties were practised on these people,
Who were kent In a condition little better
Than slavery. When the Chinese lega'
tIon went to Peru, In 1882 81, these ASH
tics we're liberated and ,cattered al over
Tho country It Ia estimated tnat pc
4 ween tho years 1910 and 1871 no les"
than S7343 coolies were imported NV
Peru. Peruvian economists ana tllln ,
view the question OF Importing coa ..,,a.s
labor with much concern. On lliea WHY
The problem Of providing agricultural
labor In Peru is n serious one
THE heures quoted apply to the Paclnd
coast of peru and n portion OF tho inter-
Tor, excluding transandean Peru. tfe
great region known locally as the Mon
tnna whose life is still separate from
NAT t,, Of the rest of tro republic ana
whose contact with tho outer world Is
chiefly through the Amazon River ana
Rrnsii AS yet no contract laborers
have been imported into the Mons
tant, but this is said to be dus
only to the lack OF large ruh'
her cutting enterprises in that region,
There is a large immigration of Chinese
and Japanese through Brazil and ANA
ION, and they are believed to he chiefly
old contract lahorers who have serYcd
their time and been attracted up the
Amazon by the opportunities offered to
Independent labor, The number Of these
Immigrants Is placed in the Department.
of Loreto alone at some seven thou'
sand annually. s