The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-06-05
JAPANESE IN
THE NORTHWEST

SEATTLE, May 19.-There are more
Japanese in Seattle than in any other
city on the mainland of the nited
| States, and they are making theil
presence felt in the commercial life OF
the northwestern metropolis by rapidly
pushing into every line of business
They have fifty tailoring establish
ments, sixty eating houses and restau-
rants, forty barber shops, two banks
and two newspapers. They also have
numerous rooming houses and hotels,
shoe factories, bakeries, meat markets,
groceries and general stores. They own
and operate employment agencies, ex-
press and transportation lines, printing
offices and laundries.
Inasmuch as the Japanese are to be
found in such great numbers in this
particular American community, it will
be important to know what sort of
| impression they have made upon the
people among whom they have come
to live. For weeks past these letters
have been dealing with the, situation
from foreign viewpoint. telling what
Americans have to say who live
among the Japanese in their own
country. Now the opinion of Americans
who have had experience with the
Japanese in the United States will be
given. One notable feature of the race
question on the Pacific Coast is the
way the people here at once begin to
compare the Chinese with the Japan
ese, always to the detriment of the lat
ter. At one time John Chinaman was
a much abused person out this way.
but since he has been excluded and the
japanese allowed to come into the
country in swarms, the good reputation
of the Chinaman has increased thous
andfold.
1 called at leading real estate and
what kind of tenants the japanese
make. The head of the firm received
me and there was no mincing of mat
tiers in his reply. "They are no good"
he said emphatically. "They are so
unreliable and tricky that they almost
worry the life out of US. 1t takes twice
as many men to handle their business
as it ought to. We used to get along
so well with the Chinese that we went
after the business of the Japanese
when they began to come in, but we
soon found to our sorrow that although
they are both Orientals, there is a vast
difference between doing business with
a Japanese and a Chinaman."
What is the difference between
them?" l ventured to interrupt. Be
fore he could answer, a Chinaman
came in the door and lined up before
the counter where young lady clerk
was writing receipts for rent. The
head of the firm touched a button and
told the boy who answered it to show
the Chinaman into the private office,
where this conversation took place bet
ween them. John, your lease is up
on your house. Do you want to stay
there another year?' Yes, 1 take
him one more year if you bring new
roof and make the rent no more big"
said John. How much is it you pay?"
asked the agent. Il bring fifty dol |
lar a month plenty quick if you bring |
new roof Can do?" The anxious
tenant was told that the roof would be |
brought right away and that settled /
the matter.
This particular Chinaman had been !
1 tenant nine years and had never been /
ate with his rent. The firm did not
even have written agreement with !
him, a plain understanding of the terms
oeing all that was needed. When ask
ed if this might not be an exceptional
case, and if some Japanese might not
have been just as prompt, the agent
replied: I'VE have had years of ex-
perience with both of them and we
found that once a Chinaman enters
nto an agreement he will generally
Keep it, and that as a rule japanese
will not keep any contract that he can
break, if it is to his advantage to get |
out of it."
One of the principal lines of work
that attract the Japanese is domestic
service, but in this they fall far short
Of being as satisfactory as the Chinese.
One great objection to them is that
hey are unreliable and will seldom
hesitate to leave their employer in the
urch if some more lucrative position
pliers itself elsewhere. Impudence
s another charge made against them,
many instances having been reported
where housewives have had to tele-
)hone for their husbands to come
lone at once because the japanese
ervant had become insolent. However,
would doubtless be unfair to claim
hat this was a general fault of the
Japanese in domestic service.
The universal complaint about them
eems to be their lack of interest in
heir work. They invariably have
,ook around somewhere and are study
ng and working with their lessons at
very spare moment. OF course their
to gain knowledge and i'm
rove their station in life is commend
bile, but there can be no doubt that
t detracts from their value as SER
ANTS. When they accept employment
S menials they ought to obey orders
nd do the work assigned them with
proper spirit. Instead of this, the
verage japanese domestic takes his
ituation merely as a makeshift, and {
IL the while he is perfol ming a SER s
ants tasks, he does so with the full
elief that he is the equal or superior
every member of the household in ,
rhich he is employed. The least little i
riction never fails to bring this point {
} the surface. One lady expressed T
ne experience of many housewives on :
ne Pacific Coast when she said: THE a,
japanese are too proud and sensitive to {
-ork out. 1 got so 1 was afraid to c
I'll one of them to sprinkle the lawn ,