United labor bulletin., 1909-10-29
THE JAPANESE QUESTION.
BY C. D. Shields Before Los Angeles
Labor Council.

The subject that has been assigned to
me for this evenings meeting is that of
local Japanese conditions, as they now
exist within our great state of California
know of no greater subject that is be-
fore the people of our state. or in fact
the Pacific coast today than the Japan
ese question
Going back no further than 1893 and
following the immigration of Japanese
into our country up 70 the present the
figures from the report of the commits
sioner of immigration of the United
States are very striking during the year.
In 1893 there came 1850; 1894, 1881; ;
1895. 1850; 1896, LILO; 1897, 1926; 1898,
2,23O; 1899. 2.s44; 1900 1885; 1901, 81
269; 1902, 14,270; 1909. 19.96s; 1904, a.
264; 1905, 1881: 1906, 1885; 1907, 30
226; 1908 5000.
Remarkable as are the figures bearing
upon the immigration OF Japanese to our
country. | do not think that they repre-
sent the true increase as thousands of
Japanese have doubtless come TO our
country of whose entrance no record has
been made. They have come from Can
ada and Mexico. 1t has been estimated
that the number who have entered in
this manner for many years equals the
number who We're admitted through the
custom house. Upon this question the
commissioner general of immigration OF
the United States says in his report for
the fiscal year ending June 80. 1907:
Japanese laborers in large numbers are
and have been for months fiocking to
both Canada and Mexico.
That in the vast majority of cases
their intention (usually formed. it is be
lieved before embarking for the voyage
over is TO enter the United States. the
bureau is convinced. In other words
these laborers merely use foreign con
tiguous territory as /, place of temporary
sojourn while perfesing nlans for pro
ceeding to points in this country. Re
ports received from immigration official;
located in Canada and along the MeXi
can border show beyond question tina
such is the case. while California lead:
the list in the greatest number OF thest
Oriental subjects.
/ The relative proportion OF this Orien
tai population when compared with th'
population of our own state, is compare
lively small. yet in spite of this, resent
ment is felt towards them very generally
/ by certain sections of this state, thai
have any considerable numbers of thess
Asiatic people. This resentment Is deeI
rooted and is not the passing sentimen
/ of restless day. The Japanese comint
here, look upon this country as plac'
which will furnish men with immediate
work at good wages, and probably viii
some remote. or uncertain idea of max
ing this their home The immigrant IRON
the Orient has lived in a conutry wher'
he has received something like 10 or II
cents per day for rs labor. He is viii
ing to work long hours, and is willing
to accept for his labor less than the
minimum wages paid to the white la
borer Certain handicaps that exist com
pel him to do this He does not know
our language He is not as skillful a
first as our own laborers. He is not sup
piled with large amount of money. an'
| is compelled to earn the means for HI:
subsistence The result is apparent. H'
establishes a scale Of wages that he car
with difficulty raise after he does know
our language. and alter he has become
proficient as a workman. He iaoors 10
rate far lower than the wages paid tt
white laborers for doing the same work
The office of the Asiatic Exclusion
League, from estimates based upon the
wages received by thousands of laborer'
in the city of San Francisco. does no
hesitate to say that the wages which the
Japanese receive are from 40 to so pei
cent lower than the wages received b,
the white laborers doing the same char
acter of work.
This is not the only way the presence
of the Oriental laborer is detrimental tc
the interests of the white workman. Fol
years the American laborer has beer
struggling for shorter workday. He
has desired more time away from dali,
routine for himself or for his family. He
has so far succeeded that the cight-houl
day is becoming more and more univer
sally recognized. From statistics care
fully prepared by the Asiatic Exclusion
League of San Francisco covering thou
sands of Japanese workmen. it is showr
that the Japanese laborer works from II
to IA hours per day, where the white la
borer works about nine hours. No one
can successfully maintain that such com
petition as this does not tend to lower
the condition of the white laborer. The
white laborer is not accustomed to liv
ing as the japanese laborer lives. He
demands better food and better homes
single room will furnish all there is Of
home for from six to ten japanese. and
this poor accommodation would not be