The Washington herald., 1906-11-25
JAPANESE IN CALIFORNIA.
omciaI Report shows Them Active
in All Lines of Business.

I 0mciaI Report shows Them Active
in All Lines Of Business.
san Francisco Correspondents New YORK sun.
The Suns correspondent has obtained
the stlu imprinted report Of the Cali
fornfa Bureau of Labor Statistics for the
two years ended September 80 last. This
report deals exhaustively with the sub
ject Of japanese immigration at the port
Of San Francisco, based on the figures
Of the steamship companies. These fig
ures show that 15,477 japanese arrived in
San Francisco in the last two years. Sub
tracing departures there is left a total
| increase OF nearly I4,00o. Almost all the
arrivals were from Hawaii. In the same
two-year period a net decrease in Chi
I nese population is shown amounting TO
7.74S The old Chinese are going back TO
die in China and the exclusion law keeps
the young ones out
Inquiry into the condition Of japanese
and Chinese employees in towns and cities
was also prosecuted by the bureau. Il
was found that the japanese are enter
ing many forms Jr employment which
the Chinese have never taken up. and
that when the buein followed in the
same the japanese are adopting improved
and modern methods. At the time Of the
fire and earthquake, for example, the
japanese were running nine fully equip
ped steam laundries in San Francisco
alone, thing that has never entered the
head Of a Chlnaman. japanese and Chi
nese employees are paid about the same
wages, which is considerably lower than
that paid for white labor OF the same
sort
The prevailing rate paid for board was
$40 10 81 a month by Chinese and S12 to
SO by japanese. Other facts are given
which, the report says, emphasizes the
formidable character Of the japanese
competition especially"
1t was found in many instances that
four or five japanese living together were
running under one roof several kinds Of
business. A very common combination is
a shoe repair shop and housekeeping
establishment All spare time not spent
IN working out is devoted TO repairing
shoes, even the evening being devoted to
that work. Besides, the men live in the
same room, thus having q home for sew
eral people and the headquarters for two
distinct businesses in quarters no more
than adequate 10 housing one American. %
Men OF standing in the community"
the report goes on. who employ Japan
ese. and who have no race prejudice ap-
paTently. and who are distinctly opposed
TO labor unions largely on account OF the
opposition Of the latter 10 the Orientals.
declare the japanese TO be dishonest and
totally inferior in this regard 20 the Chi
nese- When the japanese arrived in the
FaJaro Valley they were welcomed by
the merchants, largely on account of the
TACT that they wore American clothing
and showed decided disposition 70 trade
along American lines. To-day the mer-
chants bitterly complain that the jap has
become their very close competitors He
also runs restaurants, barber shops. bill
hafd halls, saloons, groceries, dry goods
and ready made clothing stores In the
city Of WatsonviNe, and operates buses
and delivery wagons in the adjacent ter
ritory.
-One bank in WatsonvilIe positively re-
fuses TO open any account with the
japanese because Of their dishonesty. the
same bank welcoming business from the
Chinese"
In VocavilIe, IN Solauo County. the Jan
controls about half the fruit farms bv
lease or ownership. 1t is generally con
ceded, says the report, that about
ninety per cent Of all the people met.
walking or driving, on the roads about
Focaviile are japanese. It IS generally
conceded that the Jap is merclless when
he has his employer at a disadvantage,
that he viii work Cheaply until all cora-
petition is eliminated and then strike for
higher wages, totally dis-eggrdng any
agreement crfc0ntract The general per
sistency wifi which the japanese are
breaking intCt many industries. their fru-
gality, their ambition and their lack OF
business morality render them more
fOrmidable even than the Chinase-"