The San Francisco call., 1910-06-02
LABOR LEADERS :
SAY MACKENZIE
MADE MISTAKE
George Tracy, GiIday and Others
Condemn Report of State
Commissioner
Plenty of White Men to Harvest
Crops and Asiatics Are
Not Wanted

The report Of Labor Commissioned
John D. Mackenzie has aroused a storm
OF protest. not TO say condemnation,
among the labor men Of san Francisco,
who declare that in recommending the
inlmi grafton into California of Jap
anese cody labor he has clearly dem
onstrated his lack Of Information on
the subject Of labor conditions in the
state
In voicing their protests. little doubt
is left Of the union mems attitude
George A. Tracy, past president of the
typographical union, characterizes the
report Of Mackenzie as ridiculous.
ENcUGH WHITE LABOR
Tracy declares that conditions among
the farm laborers are highly favorable
and that all the white labor needed in
California can be supplied. He, with
others, insists that If Mackenzie bases
his report on statistics the men who
were anxious for the, importation of
japanese labor are in a measure re-
sponsible for the reported conditions.
Under normal conditions there is
plenty of white labor to be had in Cal
ifOrnia,' said he, TO be used on the
farms al harvest. The trouble has been
that some Of the farmers have hired
Japanese labor and thus given the orr
entsls a foothOld in the field. They
work for less money and live under
different codnitions than a white man
does But in spite of their cheapness
g ths farmer has become dissatisfied and
VIII take the white labor whenever he
swakens to the nature OF the Japanese
far inland japanese labor is not
. trustworthy nor reliable and has in
many instances proved a failure. IT is
absurd and ridiculous to say that Cal
ifornia needs japanese labor. Better
that q hundred prune crops fail than
that this element be admitted TO the
state 10 compete with the natives The
problem is deeper than q mere crop.
This element has made conditions hard
er Tor the native born and has done
much TO elbow our own citizens from
certain Localities. They -colonize so
that they can work out a monopoly,
but i feel that the California farmer
has learned 10 distrust them.
PROBLEM Is INSPIRED
I can not understand why Maeken-
zie made such a report, for my own
personal observations Of the labor sit
uation in the state has disclosed to ne
other conditions, which are hardly in
harmony with the report If there is
any problem" il is one which the few
farmers who have employed the Jap
have brought about Let them OFFER
labor 10 the idle men who are waiting
for work and the problem viii dis
appear"
W. J. GIlday. financial secretary of
the painters union, insists that Mac
lkenzie's report can not be taken seri-
ously by the union men Of the city or
state who have familiarized themselves
with conditions by actual contact
lI~ "a
in the eyes of the labor world" said
Gilday. Perhaps his report is the best
thing he has done since he has been in
the position Of labor commissioner, for
it clearly shows his lack of informa-
tion. California needs no japanese
coolies. There are more idle, honest
and competent white men today to
handle the state crops than there have
ever been before, If z careful investi-
cation was made. personally can not
see how he can render such state
ment to an intelligent California public
and expect them to accept ii. The
crops Of our country should be picked
by the citizens OF our country.
Tt is just this coolie element that
has made a problem in California in
dustries. 1t is a shifting, unreliable
and undesirable element, and those who
have encourag ged Il must pay whatever
penalty there is in badly handled crops
The japanese work their way into the
ranks Of the white labor, spoil condi-
tions, then try to dictate terms. Some
of the California farmers have learned
the lesson, and the remainder viii if
they continue 10 employ coolies.
Mackenzie's report can not be taken
seriously at all. don't think he knows
enough about labor conditions to make
q report"
TOO MANY COOLIES
Building Trades Council Delegate
John Lally, president of the hod car
riers' union, echoed The sentiment ex-
pressed by the others. THE men in the
ranks know all about the problem of
japanese labor" said he. There are
already too many coolies in California
There is certainly no scarcity of white
labor. There are. IN fact, hundreds of
idle men IN san Francisco today look
ing for work on the farms, railways
and in the construction camps Of the
state The crops need not suffer for
lack Of white labor. It is all here If
the farmers want it,
John H Azlt, delegate of the engi-
neers union, IN discussing the report at
the building trades temple last night
said: Mad ackenzie's report does not in
nE opinion, give a true insight into
state labor conditions. We certainly
have plenty Of coolies now and while
they are working, hundreds of white
citizens Of the country are unable TO
find employment. Prune crops and
grape crops can be gathered by the
white men who are seeking the work
now II the farmers viii take them
Jordan Against Aliens
CHICAGO, June President David
starr Jordan Of Stanford university,
who is taking his first real vacation
in a quarter Of a century, arrived in
Chicago yesterday on the way to at
tend meeting Of the national fisheries