New-York tribune., 1918-01-15
Import Coolies
California Had Labor She Protest Abdng
Could Feed the World of Frees

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: There is q serious shortage of labor
in this country and production even up to
the present capacity cannot be secured unless
we obtain more workers. To remedy this
condition Ebert II. Gary advises the i'm
mediate importation Of enough Chinese and
Japanese, including soldiers and sailors, to
meet every emergency, and to this end Con-
gress should enact the requisite legislation
right away. SO also the directors of the
New York Board of Trade have favored the
admission of coolies to do farm work until
the end Of the war.
DR.. Dwight Hills said lately from the
pulpit: "Chinesc coolies must be imported
by the millions to save this country from
famine and the conduct of the war from
grave peril"
Germany impresses labor at 10 cents day,
while we pay Sc day.
Why may not the President be empowered
to contract with China for one or two mill
ion men to help out California and the
Western farmers, retaining them until
six months after the close of the war? These
coolies would work in raising crops and not
in factories, SO labor leaders could not object,
for they have already pledged their aid to win
this war.
I have been in California and know she
can feed the world. and everything she has
from abalones to apricota, redwood to rice.
whales to wheat, is in great demand but labor
will not deliver "the Golden State" saws
Theodore Knappcn, fumes and frets and
curses in the presence Of a moncy-making
opportunity the like of which never was ana
may never be again.
California, with its 100000 acres under ir-
rlgaton, eXcels in the very crops that require
an immense amount Of hand labor. and. hav-
ing no crop of either negroes or coolies she
is sadly handicapped.
When ! met farmers in California and
avoided labor leaders and sand 1T orators.
| found they turned the Gilman out al
though California liked him, a. i now she
wishes him back as an industrial visitor. a
sort of revolving agricultural army of 100 900
or more, with an endless chain of coolies COM
ing from and returning to China
France has engaged over half a million
coolies on Il iive-year contract. Why cannot
we in America, in these war times of nc
cessity, follow Frances example?
| have read in the books by Tuthill, Cronise.
Lloyd, Friguet, Bancroft, Hittel and Mcclellan
that "the Chinese when in California were
not only not injurious competitors of white
labor, but were a great benefit to the people
and the state, and what they contributed
saved several counties from bankruptcy"
They have contributed largely to Cali
fornas prosperity and have in no instance
retarded her progress, but has aided in the
development of her vast resources!" "That
state" says "The Cincinnati Commercial ),
"needs to and can employ 100000 Chinese
without displacing a single white wac.
Garner"
I know the truth of these statements and
saw for myself that the Chinaman WORKER
was thrifty, lived frugally and when en-.
poyed in railroad building he kept to h;s
agreements and avoided sprecs much mora
than did the Americans or Irishmen.
trust we may learn from some of YOUR
writers on economic subjects more in detail
on this subject J. G.. PIMpr1Iv N''
New York, Jan. 6, 1913