The Lamar register., 1908-12-30
CHINESE LABOR
BAD FOR STATE
&c SAYS LABOR COMMISSIONER
SWANSON IN HIS ANNUAL
REPORT.
Immigration FIGURES
MINING TROUBLES HAVE BEEN
SETTLED AND MINES EMPLOY
NEARLY 10000 MEN.

DsDver.-"Chinese labor is detrimen-
tai to the state" says Axel Swanson,
state labor commissioner in his bien-
NAL report now ready to go to the
PRINTER. This is the first complete
report In six years to come out of the
labor commissioners office and 1t is
a voluminous document in which gen.
eral conditions in the state are re-
viewed exhaustiyely. Discussing the
question of Chinese labor Commits.
sioner Swanson states there are about
800 Chinese laborers in Colorado. that
they are mostly engaged In small bust
nesses. such as laundries, stores and
restaurants; that they are few of them
married and they are detrimental to
the state because they spend but little
of their money for American made
goods.
The commissioner recommends an in
vestigntion of their manner of living,
which he declares is unsanitary and
menace to the welfare of the commun-
ity in which they reside.
Another interesting feature of the
labor commissioners report is the fig
ures showing the immigration to Colo
RADIO during the last two years. Italian
immigration leads, with 1,769 in the
past two years, and German immigra-
tion comes second with S95. and the
Creations come third with 713. That
the Chinese are not increasing by im-
migration apparently, 1t being shown
that only five have come to Colorado
In two years. The number of people
immigrating to Colorado is as follows:
German. S95; Scandinavian, 4S5; Eng
1ish, 1916; Croatian, 713; Greeks, 200;
Armenian, / Bohemian, 95; Bulga-
rian. 80; Chinese. 3; Cuban, 1; Dali
matian. 1901; Dutch and Flemish. IS;
Finnish. IA; French, AZ; Hebrew, 175;
Irish. 1879; Italian, 1,7G9; Japanese. IL;
Corean. l; Lithuanian, 3; Magyar, SO;
Poles, "a; Portuguese, q; Roumanian,
I: Persian. II: Scotch, 1G4; Slovaks.
%; Spanish, s; Syrian, "a. and 9TH
ers, 6. The total is 5.601 for the past
two years.
One of the most surprising parts OF
this report is the statement that only
eleven Japanese have immigrated to
the state within two years, 1t being
the general impression that the Jap
nnese he'd almost the largest number
of immigrants coming in.
Conditions in the mines of the state
are reported generally good at the
present time. 1t is stated that trou-
bles occurring at various mines with.
In the past few years have been ad-
iusted and that peace and prosperity
reigns in the gold producing hills.
with employees and employers working
hand-in-hand. improvements have
been made in the working conditions
of most of the mines during the past
two years and there has been de-
crease in mining accidents of a fatal
character. The mines are giving EN-
ployment to nearly 10000 men at an
average wage of $3.50 per day for la
borers and of $3.50 to $500 per day
for mechanics and skilled labor.
The petroleum industry is preemi-
nently mentioned. it being shown that
the oil fields In the vicinity of Flor
ence have shipped nearly $4,000, 900
worth of crude oil and that 1000 bar
rels Is the average production per
day in this territory. Efforts are be-
Ing made to reawaken interest in the
oil fields near Boulder and 1t is pre-
dicted that a number of wells will be
tapped there in the near future.
The remainder of the report deals
with labor unions, manufacturing in
dustries, agriculture and irrigation,
and indicate that the labor commits.
sioner has worked arduously in CON
Quoting researches for data.