Page 1 Advertisements Column 6

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2012, 22 February 1907, Page 1

SAN FRANCISCO NEWS. SA N FRAN CISCO, Jim. 19. Tho Japanese controversy is still a tiionio of discussion. The Federal District Attorney has returned from Washington, where ho conferred with tho United States Attorney-General, and legal proceedings have been instituted to I'orco tho San Francisco Hoard of Education to rescind its action and admit Japanese children to the public schools. (A previous letter showed that no exclusion had been attempted—that a special school is provided with an adequate force of to: cliors to instruct* the young of the Orients, and that tho law of California, the desire to protect the child--1011 from possible contamination by Japanese young men whoso morals tiro not always of the host, and tho hotter facilities to teach, are good and sullieient reasons for the action taken, which lias the approval of a largo majority of the citizens. There is a strong sentiment against the inroads made by Japanese in the fruitgrowing sections. As their numbers have increased so have their methods changed. The average Jap. is obsequious to a degree while in the minority, In his natural state he is imbued with tho belief that there is no King or ruler but tho Mikado, and ho looks upon America as but a means to an end. Needless to say, this view is not popular in the United States. The official immigration returns show that during tho mohth of January, 1907, nearly 2000 Japanese landed in tho Hawaiian Islands. The greater proportion of these w r ill sooner or later reach the mainland. They will scatter through the cities and country, and the steady influx is viewed with alarm.

Not only have the Japanese the controlling influence on many fruit ranches where help is the first requisite of success, but they are rapidly accumulating property through their renting propensities and willingness to work cheap a ill live cheaper. That the feeling referred to is no figment of the imagination may be adduced from the testimony of Mr. Ivawakami, a Japanese of standing. He says that his countrymen own 98!) farms, aggregating 61,859 acres, and those farms range in size from over 400 acres to less than 20 acres each. Since this information came to hand the Japs, have acquired large holdings, by lease, in the vicinity of Vallejo, in Solano County, and a project is under way to establish a colony numbering 15,000 Japanese in Los Angeles County. Inasmuch as Japan refuses Americans the right to acquire.'titlc to land, some of the newspapers on the Pacific Slope are agitating the enactment of a law prohibiting aliens from owning land in California. Of course there is opposition to Japanese exclusion. There always is. David Starr Jordan, President of the Stanford University, and one of the leading educators of America, said it would be a hoodlum act to exclude Japanese, and that relief should come from the Mikado’s Government of its own volition. A mass meeting was held in the southern part of the State to protest against interference by law. Some fruit-growers favor the Japanese. The arguments presented by the opponents of exclusion are based on the almighty dollar and that love of humanity which preaches (but does not practice) the brotherhood of man. But the cry is still loud for a white America, for the perpetuation of the ideals of the country, for the civilised plain of the Occident, fof a standard of living among the workers that shall at least bo tolerable, and for a morality that protests against the degradation of women. A Japanese in the city of Stockton, about 100 miles from San Francisco, lias emulated the methods of bis American brother. He lias cornered the potato market. By means of down-to-dato trust manipulation, and the fact that most of the potato crop is raised by Japanese, his coup was possible, and the white housekeepers are chagrined "to find that the healthy price of the dinner staple is caused by a Japanese and his desire to collect several thousand American dollars. Howovcr, after all it makes little difference whether the skin of a trust is white or' brown.

There is a large sum of 4,000,000 dollars troubling tho minds of many San Francisco’s citizens. This amount represents the balance of the world-wide relief fund. Its disposition is a problem. One of the daily newspapers has offered a prize of 100 dollars for tho best solution of the difficulty. One or two members of the relief corporation favor the construction and equipment of a large hospital that shall be a credit to the State and nation. Tho ramshackle building at present hpushig the side of the city is'a disgrace, and its management could easily be improved. It isn't often that a community suffers from too much money, but here is a case in point. Some of the donors have insisted that their contributions shall be expended for specific purposes, but most of the !!”!!:oils it awaiting the plan or plans yet to bo devised. The “graft” charges against Mayor Schmitz and Abu itpef are in tho courts. The' former is demanding a speedy trial. At first his lawyers combined with Mr. Ruef’s legal representatives to avail themselves of all possible technicalities, but afterwards there was a division, and the Mayor elected to stand alone. He asked that the judge should try him on one of tho several charges, naming the charge preferred. To this the judge demurred, claiming that the defendants, who are under indictment for similar alleged offences, are in collision, that there is an absence of good fail) shown, and that an early trial would result as soon as Mr. Ruef abandoned bis tactics. Efforts, were made to induce the presiding judge of the Superior Courts of San Francisco County to intervene and assign the cases to another, judge, who would comply with Mayor Schmitz’s demands for hastq; hut the attempt was unsuccessful. The affair drags in the style peculiar to some of the American courts. Just now Mr. Ruef’s attorneys . are examining the grand jurors in an effort to shqiy bias, and all be questions that occur to inventive minds are showered at those on the witness stand. From present appearances, it will be several months before the defendants are tried. In the meantime, public interest is waning. The prosecutors claim that startling evidence will be presented in the near future and that many municipal officials will wear stripes as a result. Of one thing there is no doubt—the present administration of San Francisco is lamentably inefficient to grasp tho vexatious problems that aro a legacy of the troublesome days of last April.

The inhabitants of tile bay cities were surprised to see snow capping the mountains on January 6 and on subsequent days. ■ It is many years since such a beautiful sight was observed. While cold enough for snow yet it. was unlooked for, and therefore unexpected. Severe wind and rain storms have raised a doubt in some minds as to whether or not the climatic conditions are changing. The weather lias not interfered with building operations. It will not be long until temporary work will lie. concluded, and then will come the permanent- structures to house a city. The railroad companies, promotion committees, and other agencies anxir ous to sec San Francisco build up issue bulletins telling of millions spent in construction, of enormous sums yet to be extended, of the darth of skilled labor, of business activity, and tlie general attractiveness of the state of California. Unskilled labor is plentiful. Th.rrc will come problems to handle : ftor the railroads and corporations dispense with the services of those .0quired on the preliminary work of construction. It- is as much as a man’s life is worth to discharge a Greek laborer. Two or three times lately American foreman have had 'o resort to desperate measures' iu protect their, lives from bands of l. 'ndreds of shrieking Greeks. These outbursts were occasioned by the “letting out” of incompetent men. ft is a common sight nowadays to tee the turbans of Hindus, who cross into the United States from Canadian territory, and who are "ml pi' 1 mainly on railroad, construction. Colonies representing every nation cn earth are in process of formal ion in California.—N.Z. Herald.

Because It Cost Nothing.—‘All, Jackson!’ exclaimed a miserly individual thoughtlessly, meeting, an acquaintance at a railway refreshment bar. ‘lt isn’t often wo meet—er—wliat will you have?’ ‘Thanks,’ replied his friend, considerably astonished; ‘l’m not particular.’ ‘Good,’ said the clot .-fisted one; ‘then we’ll have a walk,’