The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-02-04
|hTl-JAPAAEsE
\ LAND BILL IS
DEFEATED
vorE STANDS 40 TO 20 AFTER DE-
sATE OF SEVEN HouRs-sILL
\ THREATENED TO INTERFERE
VITA INVESTMENTS.

SACRAMENTO, Cals Feb. 4.--lne
bill barring aliens from ownership OIL
land In California. introduced by A.
~ Drew. was rejected yesterday by
tfho assembly by vote OF as TO %
4 President Roosevelt had objected to
The original provision of the bill. The
:olanse applying 10. Japanese only was
|1otrfcken out at the presidents request.
The measure aroused intense antip-
nthy. Long before the debate, whicn
oontinued from IL o'clock yeterday
\ morning until 8 o'clock last evening.
(. ended. II was apparent that the meas
ure would be defeated. IL was ue-
olared that the bill, II enacted INTO
law, would drive at least a billion dol
lars Of outside capital out OF the STATE
and might 1eopardize the friendly reia.
lions with Japan, The supporters Oh
the bill contended that large numbers
q Japanese were coming into the
rtste !. that they were getting an i'm
pregnable position as land owners.
Drew Defends Bill
Ansemblyman Drew, In his argu-
meu4, said: II think voice the senti-
ment OF q majority OF the people OF
the state when say that conditions
\ 1oV prevailing are deplorable. This
y a 4 law-agatnst alien ownership OF
hnd In this state. not against the
y JnbnneSe alone, and the president
hiuDeif informs me that he is not OF
pooed 20 the bill as II has been
amGnded.
we must keep Japanese out OF this
cu1utry and we must prevent them
xrom owning land In California. Only
the government at Washington has the
\ poVof 10 keep them away from our
! ohoss1. but Il IL for the legislature 10
ray whether or not they shall own
property here.
1t 10 as important for California to
Z 90 her part to protect the integrity OF
her DOil q Il Is for the national gov
orumgnt to preserve racial integrity.
Il touch upon the national phase OF
the question because President Roose-
veh has asked us not to pass these
bills.
Il wish to dispel the idea that seems
10 have gained wide circulation that
my bill was the result Of union labor
.asftation. When I introduced II two
years ago l had never heard OF the
Astatic Exclusion league. II was not
done for any social interest. but for
"Who IN opposing this measure? The
0rst are the commercial interests. in
Guiding the chambers OF commerce OF
our two largest cities. San Francisco
end Los Angeles! Some OF these in
terests are large employers OF Japa-
nese labor.
in case the necessity arose. ia
pan could raise In California an army
% 10000 OF her own subjects. most OF
whom have served In the army.
The Japanese are better of where
& they are. They should be permitted
20 come here to take advantage OF our
educational institutions and to profit
BY our civilization, but we do not want
foreign absentee land ownership.
This Is a question OF self-preserva-
lion. The line must be drawn some
where and II we do not draw it now
those who come after us will have to
10 It."
AZ the conclusion Of his address
Drew received considerable applause
from the crowded galleries and from
his colleagues on the floor.
Census Should Be Taken.
Richard l.. Meirose, in opposing the
~
that there were $4,000 Japanese In the
state and he advised that the COVER
nor's suggestion to give the labor COM
lminioner power TO take a census be
acted upon before passing any bills.
He also said statistics compiled by
( the Asiatic Exclusion league showed
that there we're not more than 75
Japanese land owners In California
A. 70 Japanese labor. he continued:
Some OF you on this floor who own
vineyards know how necessary IL Is 1T
times to employ Japanese to harvest
your crops. The farmers OF this coun-
try cannot get along without other
than white labor and so long as tho
Japanese do not come here in over
wholmfng numbers cannot see where
the danger TO California lies"
The speaker declared that foreign
ers had invested many millions OF cap
1tal In the state that would be with
drawn n the bills we're enacted into
laws.
In San Francisco. he said, about
100000. 900 of foreign money was In.
vested and the prosperity OF Los An
geles was largely due TO aliens.
$1,000 FIRE.
nTSEQ0 Mich Feb A-(QnaetalA