The Washington herald., 1907-06-09

Col Henry F. Blount. Of the American
Security and Trust Company. who bu,
recently returned from a trip 10 the Ori-
ent. gained much interesting and valuable
information on his travels He stopped
at San Francisco. both going and return
ing. and says that the conditions In the
earthquake city are indescribably bad
The city has not only been In the hands
Of gTafters. as recent disclosures hsy,
shown. but is so dominated and con-
trolled by labor agitators and dsturbers
as 20 make the rebuilding Of the city
next 20 impossible. The cost of labor
has been so high as often to necessitate
the suspension Of building operations
The streets are I'm bad condition. and life
there has been almost intolerable.
Col. Blount encountered an Irishmar
cleaning street and commended him
for t. What pay do you get for sucl
work?' he asked of the laborer. "Ouly
$3.50 a day" was the Irishman's Teioin-
der And how many hours do YOU work
day." he was further asked Il hav,
70 work eight hours. said the Irshman
with emphasis on the eight
This was cited by Col. Blount as an in
stance of the eXoruitaEt wages paid fol
the most ordinary labor. Skilled me
Chanics receive daily wages as high as 8
and 80
The advantageous location OF Sar
Francisco gives the property owner.
there hope that the city will ultimately
come back into its own, but it Is ad
mitted that Seattle already has proftcC
largely by the adverse conditions az SaI
Francisco.
Treatment of the Japanese.
Speaking Of the japanese trouble Col
Blount said that his personal Inquire.
had convinced him Of the justice Of Pres
ident Roosevelts action. Respousibl,
people of san Francisco and especially
/ those at Los Angeles, did not hesitate
privately 10 condemn the menacing atu
tudo Of san Francisco toward Japan a.
utterly unwaTranted.
In this connection Col. Blouut says tha
/ Mr.. George Kennan. in the current issu
! of the Outlook. has told the literal trutl
J I'm his article entitled The japanese ~
the San Francisco Schools" Mr. kennai
shows that the school problem was n,
/ problem at all OF the total number o
! pupils I'm the public schools in December
+ 1896. there were out ninety-three Japa
nese. or a little more than one 10
school building. OF these nearly one
! third were born I'm the United States an,
/ twsnty-eight were girls. OF the sixty
/ five boys thirty-four were under fifteel
years Of age. OF the thirty-one owe
| fifteen only two had reached the age o
/ twenty, and the average ago Of the re
mainder was seventeen. There were bu
/ six japanese in the primary schools
} three in one school and one each In tn
I three other primary schools Mr.. Kennal
says that the superintendent Of school
/ assured him personally that no complain
/ OF bad conduct on the part % a Japanes
/ scholar had ever come to his knowledge
/ One of the most experienced teachers de
nounced as absolutely without foundation
/ the statement that the influence of tn
/ japanese in San Francisco schools had
/ tendency toward immortality On IN
| contrary. these Japanese pupils furnish
4 ed examples Of industry, patience. unob
! trusiveness. obedience. and honesty il
/ their work which have greatly helpe
/ many efficient teachers 20 create tn
| moral atmosphere for their Class-rOoms
/ Nlr Kennan also quotes Mr. +. G. Moore
/ superintendent Of schools in Los Angeles
as saying that he had never heard
/ single word Of protest against the Japa
nese pupils there He bitterly regrette
the action of the San Francisco schoc
authorities, ard said it was wholly un
/ necessary and not representative Of publ
/ opinion in California.
J Nj KEENAN, charges That the Sa