The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-19

the alien children of every nationality
and limit the rights of free education to
children of its own citizens, for whom
the system is primarily designed and
maintained, and if the state should do
this the federal government could not
complain, since no treaty right could be
violated when the children of Japanese
We're treated precisely as the children of
all foreign nations.
The feeling in the state is further in
tensified especially in labor circles, by
the report on the conditions in the
Hawaiian islands as contained in Bulle-
tin 66 of the bureau of labor, department
of commerce and labor. The claim is
made that while labor has been almost
entirely driven from the Hawaiian Is
lands. and that the Japanese are grad
ually forcing even the small white traders
out of business.
Many of the foremost educators in the
state, on the other hand are strongly OPP
posed to the action of the San Francisco
board of education. Japanese are ad-
mitted to the University of California, an
institution maintained and supported by
the state They are also admitted to, and
gladly welcomed at, Stamford Universe
ty. San Francisco, so far as known, IS
the only city which has Disseminated
against Japanese children. l talked with
a number of prominent labor men and
THEY I'LL SdlQ that they lldh liO obJN1tAcAA
to Japanese children attending the prim-
airy grades; that they wanted japanese
children now in the United States to
have the same school privileges as chill
dren of other nations, but that they
We're unalterably opposed to Japanese
young men attending the primary grades
The objection to Japanese men attend
ing the primary grades could very read
lily be met by a simple rule limiting the
a GO nj all children attending those
grades. All of teachers with whom L
talked while in San Francisco spoke in
the highest terms of the Japanese chill
dren, say that they were among the very
best of their pupils, cleanly in their per-
sons, well behaved, studious, and remark
ably bright.
The board of education of San Fran
cisco declined to recind it's resolution of
October II, claiming that, having estab-
lished a separate school for Chinese, Jap
anese and Corean children, the provisions
of section 1862 of the political code be-
came mandatory.
A boycott was maintained in San
Francisco from October to October "a
by members of the Cooks and Walters
union against japanese restaurants doing
business in that city. Nearly all of the
leaders of labor organizations in San
Francisco, interview on this subject, dis
claimed any knowledge of any formal ac-
ton being taken for the boyeotting of
these restaurants. They admitted. how
ever, that there was decided sentiment
in the unions against paronizing Japan
csc restaurants, and that that sentiment
was created and fostered by speeches in
union meetings and by personal action of
the derent members, with the object OF
not only preventing union labor men, but
the public as WELL from patronizlng these
restaurants.
The secretary, as also the business
agent of the Walters union, local No.
80, headquarters at 1895 Scott street, San
Francisco, said that no resolution against
Japanese restaurants had been past by
their union, but that it was urged in their
meetings and by different members OF the
union to themselves refrain, and to Keep
the public as well, from patronizing SUCH
restaurants; that for three weeks in the
early part of October men were employed
by the Cooks and Walters union to stand
in front of Japanese restaurants on Third
street and distribute match boxes on
which was pasted a label as follows;
"White men and women, patronlze your
own race that was not, strictly speak
ing, a boycott, as boycott must be in
sttuted thru the labor council.
Perhaps a better idea of the feeling in
labor organizations against the Japan
csc restaurants and the methods that
were resorted to for the purpose of pre-
venting white people from patronizing
those restaurants can be gained by read
ing the following extract from the min
utes of the meeting of the executive
board of the japanese and Corean Elk
clusion league, as reported IN the san
Francisco Chronicle of June 20, 1906;
To Send Protest to Labor Unions-Ex-
cusion League Complains That
White Men Eat in Japanese Restau-
rants.
The executive board of the Japanese
and Corean Exclusion league at the
meeting held Saturday evening listened
to complaints that many wage-earners,
laborers, and mechanics patronize Japan
csc restaurants, while eating houses
conducted by white persons are as easy
of access and more inviting than those OF
the Mongolians. Secretary Yoell was IN
structed to communicate with all central
labor bodies in this city, informing them
of that state of affairs-apprizing them
of the fact that among the patrons of
Japanese restaurants are supposed TO be
men who hold membership in unions al
filiated with central councils.
The league requests the councils to
urge upon all affiliated unions to enforce
the penalties imposed by their laws for
patronizing4 japanese or Chinese. Inc
league also offers to supply proof of the
proposes to have the offenders photo
graphed in order to submit copies of the
photographs to the central councils and
thru them to their affiliated unions. In
this way the league hopes to accomplish
a double purpose-to deter union men
from patronizing Asiatics, or establish
the fact that the offenders are not union
men,
The attention of councils and unions is
elso RI he directed to the fact that many
berries sold in San Francisco are grown
and shipped to market by Japanese and
Chinese, and wage-earners are to De
cautioned against the danger OF their
health and that of their families In eating
berries picked and packed by unclean and
unhealthy Asiatics.
The plans for holding series of mass
meetings in coast and interior towns N
california were DISGUST at length, but
final arrangements were deferred until
the project shall be approved by the
league which will hold Its next conVen-
ton on Sunday, July l.
AS a. matter of fact. a most effective
boycott was maintained against nearly
all of the Japanese restaurants located IN
San Francisco for period OF at least
three weeks. Pickets were stationed In
front of these restaurants and every eff
fort was made to prevent people from
natronizing them. At times stones were
thrown and windows broken, and in one
or two instances the proprietors or the
restaurants were struck by these stones.
/ personally interviewed the restaurant
keepers and took down their statements.
George Sughihara, restaurant Keeper
at III Third street, stated that the poy-
colt commenced on October 3, and con-
timed until October "a; that on the first
day the boycotters distributed match
boxes on which was written: white men