Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-05-21
The JAPANESE IN CALIFORNIA

The San Francisco Examiner brings out tn,
first definite set of statistics on the Japanese sit
nation that we have yet seen in an American pa
per. Providing, of course. that the statistics OF
he California situation are correct, the follow
ing article by Percy f. Montgomery, formerly
.. s government agent in the Far East, is of I'm
lsual interest at this time:
How long would it take for the Japanese or the
Chinese. or the two, to swarm the Pacific slope
if they were not repressed? We do not know but
there are undeniable facts that will help us Judge
Chinese and Japanese have moved toward this
continent Systematically for about half a century
What has this movement accomplished? Let us see
st the general facts without the intricate details
Hawaii, first in the pathway of this movement shall
be our first example and the state Of California the
ultimate terminus of the movement to date, the
ond example
The japanese came to Hawaii to work as agricul-
turists The United States government published
several years SINCE in Document No. sc, Bulletin of
the Bureau of Labor the following with regard
to Hawaii:
In the year 1904, out of total of 1929 persons
of all nationates holding licenses for twenty-seven
kinds of occupations, from banking to fish drying,
121 were Japanese and 81 0S per of the school
children in American island territory Jap
anese.
The board of education reported that white chill
dren (Occidentas) home from school with their
of Orientals attending the schools Thirteen
years ago, in 1900, there engaged in "gainful
occupations" males, 1858 Japanese and Chinese
against 2O,3S4 whites. or IS SO per cent. This
Der has materially increased as far as the Orientals
have been concerned
Politically, Hawaii IL American territory In point
of fact, it is known to those cognizant of military
conditions and the government at Washington best
of all, to be strategically Japanese it has
been for many years.
The density of population in Japan is about $40 to
the square mile. In California it is about IA to Is
per square mile
Field notes, taking in 4,102 farms, practically
cry farm of value in the state of California showed
1733 operated by Japanese without any assistance
from white men, S62 Japanese and whites on shares
and 1,4O7 operated solely by white labor Japanese
owned 1879 farms of total acreage of 1871, and
leased ITO farms of total acreage of 115000.
Incidental to this farm property is urban prop
erty. Japanese own 10 pieces of urban property
valued at 100000, and invested in industrals of
their $16,114,407. Of this trade 36 80 per cent
was with the white his ground. The
total number of Oriental firms in business is given
254S, but 2.30 per cent of which have been in bus
mess ten years. OF the total number of firms now
in business 81. 20 cent have opened shop in the
past seven years. since 1906
The japanese does not assimilate with the white
resident but lives communistc life where the cost
of living is reduced to minimum and competition is
eliminated. The report shows that on minimum
wage basis of s125 per diem 20 cents to 80 cents
spent for living. On minimum basis of $3.50, the
sum of so cents is given as fair average of the
amount spent to live.
Wearying statistics could be given without end
After ALL they are but the more less inaccurate
records of human happenings
Scientists know full well that the white man and
tie Oriental will no more assmilae in California
than has the white man and the Oriental in China or
in India.