The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-12-10
Champion of Los Angeles Unions
Tells Toilers of East That Asia
tic Immigration is Question
Organized Labor Must Solve in
the Immediate Future.

audience gathered in Cooper Union
this week to listen to the sensational
story Of the importation and organ
ization. by the Big Interests" on the
Pacific coast, Of an army of 16o,-
600 Japanese, Chinese and Hindu
strikebreakers.
These Asiatic colonies scattered
up and down the entire coast" con-
stitute vast industrial war camps"
declared Job Hartman, the speaker.
an attorney for the Los Angeles
trades unions, whose mission is to
inform organized labor In the east of
the Asiatic menace.
'And they are ready to fill the
places Of the skilled trades as we'll as
unskilled," continued Hartman. "as
witness the strike in the Craig ship
building yards Nnear Los Angeles,
where union carpenters were re-
placed by Japanese mechanics
The Southern Pacific railway has
It's section work done throughout
the entire San Joaquin valley bs
Hindu labor, said the speaker. Men
and women work side by side in
overalls. so that it is almost impos-
sible for a passer-by to tell the sex
OF the laborer tamping the road bed.
The Japanese have complete sys-
TENS of obtaining employment
through their agents esta blished in
every California city and town They
are always ready to underbid Anieri-
can labor few cents; as for instance,
when the going wage is So they will
work for $1.75. They have COM
plete control of the orchard, vine
yard and small fruit industries as
far as labor Is concerned. This ap-
peals to the capitalists who through
the daily press decry the opposition
to Asiatc labor
Such papers as the Los Angeles
Times have Systematically supported
the Japanese invasion, and behind
the Times are vast moneyed interests
now reaching out to control the
western coast. the Panama canal.
and all that constitutes the "open
door" to Asia.
Hartman, whose appeal for the
Los Angeles strikers was feature
of the A. F. OF L. convention at ST.
Louis, later. stated in all :. interview
that Asiatic immigration is ono Of
the biggest questions which the
workers of the Pacific coast will
have to deal with in the near future.
He says the workers of the east do
not realize the Importance of this
question as do the workers of the
far west.
Taking Places of Americans.
Hartman says that the Japs and
the Chinese are taking the places of
American working men in every line
of industrial activity. He said:
There are more than 10000 Jap
anese workers on the Pacific coast al
ready. They are doing all kinds Of
work and are efficient in every line
they take up. They are in a position
to work cheaper. than any other class
Of workers."
Hartman said that the capitalists
OF the Pacific coast are making an
aggressive campaign for the "open
door.' in order that there may be
plenty of workers so that compet1-
tlon may be intensified and the trade
union movement crushed
The "Open Door" Wanted
The Merchants and Manufact-
urers' association of California is de-
oermlned upon the open door," ne
said. The capitalists realize that
II the Japs and Chinese are BROUGHT
INTO this country without restriction
1t will be an easy matter to crush
out the trade union organizations.
Hartman said that in one of the
largest concerns In California, the
Craig Shipbuilding company. Japs
are almost entirely employed. The
well known Socialist orator, while
he looks upon the immigration OF
Japs as heavy club in beating down
the wages of American working men.
recognizes virtues among them that
make for progress. He said:
Jeps Students of Science.
"Eighty-five per cent of the reading
matter purchased by Japanese has to
do with scientific subjects, especially
10 applied science. Ninety per cent
OF the Japanese workers carry small
pocket dictionaries with them daily.
ana whenever word appears to
them that they do not understand
they at once look it up. They are en-
thuslastic In attempting to learn the
English language. They want the
pest there is in the sciences and the
study of industry. Utilitaria nism
seems to be their principal attitude
toward every subject Of study
Hartman said there are no cleaner
people than the Japs are. "They
I've" he said, principally in tents.
Tor it is never very cold in California.
Connected with these tents are bath
houses and they bathe daily. After
they are through work they change
their clothes and devote much Of
their time to study
Japs' Methods of Working.
According to- Hartman, the Japs
have peculiar method Of working.
He said a group generally go into a
ne1ghborhood and take contract for
a certain amount Of work. Some-
times this Is picking fruit or pruning
trees or any other kind of labor that
American workers do. The capital
lists, he said, have less trouble with
them, because when they contract to
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