The San Francisco call., 1907-02-14
TVEITMOE IS BUSY
At SACRAMENT
CALL HEADQUARTERS,
1907 EIGHTH STREET.

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 12.-Post-
ponement or dismissal of the suits
begun by the Federal Government
against the San Francisco School
Board or immediate action by the
Legislature on the Keane bill, which
specifically excludes Japanese from
the schools for white children, is the
programme organized labor purposes
to insist upon.
Organized labor thinks that the Fed
eral Government is acting unfairly in
the matter of the pending suits and
unless an agreement can be obtained
for the postponement or dismissal OF
the actions, which have been set for
trial on February Is, the labor inter
estS will demand that the Legislator
disregard the request of the Presidept
the Congressional delegation and Gov
ernor Gillett and promptly enact the
Keane bill. which amends section 1922
Of the Political Code by naming speci-
fically Japanese, Malays and Koreans
for school segregation with Mongo-
lians.
The plan of action has not been def
nitely settled upon, but it is hoped to
have the request for a postponement
the Legislature.
Failing TO get such an agreement
from District Attorney Devlin, Senator
Keane viii demand immediate consid-
Grafton for his bill.
COURTS DECISION FEARED
The demand for an agreement has
fits origin in the belief entertained by
the labor leaders that the word Mon
golian, as incorporated in existing law
viii not include Japanese, and that il
the suits against the San Francisco
School Board are permitted to go tc
trial the decision Will be against the
defendants. They are not at all op-
timistic about a satisfactory agreement
being reached by the President and the
San Francisco representatives in Wash
ington, but quite regardless of the sue
cess or failure of that conference, they
claim that il the Government wished
to act fairly it would suspend the hear
ing of the pending cases until after
the conference is concluded.
o. A. Tveitmoe. secretary of the
Building Trades Council of San Fran
cisco. is in Sacramento in charge OF
the movement for organized labor. He
is not very sanguine about the State's
ability to secure q postponement OF
the causes set for hearing next week
but he is hopeful that he may be able
to prevent a decision against the
School Board by forcing the enactment
of the Keane bill. He said today:
STATE LAW NECESSARY
We are satisfied that the word
'Mongolian' will not reach the Japan
ese. If the Federal Government wishes
to act fairly in the matter, after com
pelling the California Legislature tC
bow to a party mandate and suspend
nf c1
will also consent to a continuance oi
its cases. If the President will noi
consent we must, as a matter of pro
lection, insist on the immediate enact
ment of the Keane bill If those case:
go to trial and the Legislature ad
journs without passing some sucf
amendment as is contained in the
Keane bill, the ultimate decision o.
the Supreme Court will be against the
School Board, and no blame can attacl
to the court for such a decision.
Then we would be helpless for two
years, or until the Legislature meet:
again. We can pass the Keane bill
OF course, should the Governor decline
to sign it, or even veto it-well, that:
his affair."
Secretary Tveitmoe definitely anC
distinctly announced that organized la
Dor of California would not be salts
which contemplated the exclusion o.
japanese coolies only. The labor in
terests will. according to their leader
be quite willing to submit an agree
ment which will provide for proper ag'
regulations governing the admission o
Japanese to the primary schools, i
such an agreement be a part of al
agreement for the extension of th
Chinese exclusion law to the Japanes'
in all it's comprehensive terms, ant
with the same excepted classes.
WANT SWEEPING EXCLUSION
The labor interests, according Il
Tveitmoe, attach little Importance t
the proposed exclusion of coolies,
class which they claim is insignifican
as compared with other classes consti
tuting the real commercial and mil
itary menace to this country. Labo
demands exclusion, strict registration
and, after a lapse of six months 70
registration, expulsion of all except th'
excepted classes.
Tveitmoe, while he expresses conf
dence in the ability of Mayor Schmit
to withstand in large degree the in
fuences that are being brought to bea
on him in Washington, does not expec
much from the White House confer
ence. The exclusionists look for ever.
influence from promises to threats [,
be employed. They expect that argu