Bisbee daily review., 1907-08-08
INDUSTRY FACES
 SERIOUS PROBLEM
Mining, RaiIroading and Con- StruCtion Retarded by
 Lack of Labor,

Mexico and the northern portion of the republic in particular, is confront ed with a labor problem that is rap idly assuming a serious aspect.
 Will Mexico be compelled eventual ly to depend upon the development of its vast mineral resources and the construction of its railroads by work ing Chinese coolies under the same conditions that now exist in some dis tricts in South Africa or will condi- tions so adjust themselves that the exodus of natives to the United States will cease and native labor will be worked satisfactorily.
 That is the question prOspectors and operators of big industrial, min ing and construction enterprises in the republic are asking one another.
 Labor in Mexico is today far short of the demand and Mexicans are leav. ing the republic in large numbers un- der the inducement of high wages in the United States. Some go as far north as Chicago. but in that direc- ton mostly to Missouri river points. The Santa Fe now employs Mexicans as section hands and surfacers along almost the entire system between Kansas City and Fort Worth.
 Other roads all over the southwest are now employing the Mexican on this class of work.
 Labor agencies in Fl Paso are ship ping out Mexicans by the hundreds to the Pacific coast,
 To meet the growing deficiency in the supply of native labor the big con struction operators on the west coast of Mexico and mining companies in the coal fields of Coahuila have begun the importation of Japanese and Ch:- nese and it Is estimated that 5000 Jap anese have been brought into Mexico in the past year. Probably thous- and Chinese have been imported. The importation of the Japanese laborer for railroad construction has proven an unsatisfactory experiment so far. Down on the Manzanillo extension they work just long enough to accum- ulate a few dollars and then desert their jobs, heading for the northern boundary Under the Mexican laws, they are allowed the same rights as citizens and are free to leave when they please.
 It seems that the ultimate destina- ton of all the Japs who get into Mexi- co is the United States. For months swarms of them have been coming to the border. many of them on foot.
 Large numbers of Chinese have been introduced into Mexico in the past few months for work on railroad construction and so far there has been no considerable number of them decamping from the work to which they were taken. At Guaymas a ship load of coolies which arrived in that port some three months ago mutinied and attempted to jump into the sea, but they were diSembarked by an armed fierce and made to proceed to the construction camps. Through an agreement with the Chinese agents who supply cooYe labor a way has been devised to compel them to car " out their contract, and it is sus- pecfed that these measures are some
 zhat severe and somewhat of the Ea- ture of those employed in South Afri' e
 Whether the Chinese will prove an important factor is the solution of the labor problem in Mexico remains to be seen and the result is awaited with interest. The Japanese have proven absolutely unsatisfactory, ac- cording to the declaration of some of the biggest employers of that class of tabor.
 The native laborers have awakened to the fact that the persormance Of more labor means higher wages to them. but the higher wages they ob- tan the more they want, and they are in a continual state of unrest. This fact Is what is causing the employers of large bodies of laborers to lay awake nights and wonder what the end will be.
 President Diaz has in the past solved problems as difficult as the present one of labor. It Is possible that he or his administration may be able to bring about a satisfactory con dltlon of affairs In this instance.