The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-04
THE INCREASING JAPANESE

THE INCREASING JAPANESE.
One of the curious fal!acies of the
time in the discussion of the Japanese
question, is the misunderstanding in the
East rs to the numbers of japanese in
this country, and the increase in those
numbers. II is commonly accepted in
the East that the japanese in the United
States are decreasing largely in mum
bers and that before long there will be
SO few left that their presence will not
especially be felt.
This feeling undoubtedly has grown
up because Of the japanese treaty Of
1911, which engaged the japanese GOV.
eminent TO do what it could TO restrict
the immigration of japanese to the
United States. 1t was explained that
the japanese government would rather
have the surplus population of Japan go
TO Korea or Formosa and help the de-
velopment Of japanese sentiment and
Japanese prcdominance in those coun
tries; and their presence in southern
Manchurla, which is practically de-
tached by Japan from China was, il
was explained. especially desired in or.
der to strengthen Japan in that prov,
ince, both as against China and as
against Russia. Our own governmental
reports very curiously seem to have
taken this explanation seriously, and we
have from them constant issues of fig
ures tending TO encourage The idea that
the japanese are becoming fewer and
fewer i'll this country. That this is a
fallacy is perfectly well understood
throughout all the western country
There are more Japanese everywhere in
the mountain and coast States than ever
Argonaut, which is opposing the anti
alien land legislation IN California, ad
mits this increase Of The Japanese. 1t
says that prior 10 1909 the Japanese
owned 2211 acres OF agricultural land
in California and leased 54,S3l acres
but the report of 1909 showed that they
owned l6,949 acres and leased l37, ,233
acres. The estimates now are that the
japanese own $4,000 and lease 900
acres of agricultural land in California
1t is impossible to reconcile these
verified statistics of ownership aud
lease of agricultural land in California
by Japanese with the contention that
the numbers Of Japanese in this coun~
try are continually decreasing. The
truth is that the numbers Of Japanese
in this country are increasing in even
greater ratio than their ownership and |
leasehold of lands in California would
indicate; for, they are swarmlng all
through the mountain and coast States !
in increasing numbers all the time. Sec
retary Bryan, during his visit to Sac
ramento. was taken out into the San
Joaquin valley and shown large areas
where until within very few years
there were scarcely any Japanese, but
which are now occupied almost exclu-
sively by japanese settlers and col
onists
Eastern newspapers sneeringly ask
why. it is that Californians plead the
baby act and admit that they cannot |
compete with the Japanese in agricul.
tural products aud the managing of |
fruit farms The sneer shows the abso.
lutte want of knowledge on the part Of |
those from whom it comes, of farming !
and labor conditions in California. In |
that State. as in most other States,
there are labor laws restricting hours of
toll, limiting the employment of women,
and dlscouraging, if not forbidding,
child labor. These apply TO and are
enforced by and upon white farmers and |
fruit growers ms TO all Of the help that
,hey need to employ. The Japanese,
however, pay no attention among them
selves to hours restricting labor, nor to
laws forbidding the employment of chill
dren. In a Japanese colony the whole
crowd, men, women, and children, ia ke
hold and work whatever. number of
hours is necessary to do the required |
work Of the day or the week. II is not
a matter OF eight hours with them, nor
even Of twelve. or sixteen. They work
as much and as long rs is necessary to
do the work, and all of them work
Such thing as an appeal from Japa-
nese colony or hive, as among them.
selves, against the eight-hour law,
against the employment of child labor.
or for the enforcement Of sanitary reg.
ulations, is absolutely unknown And
this is but one, although very import.
ant, factor in the business of competing
by white men against the labor of .Japa.
nese in their colonies
Secretary Bryan was, of course, made