CHINESE LAUNDERIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2563, 26 July 1909, Page 3

CHINESE LAUNDERIES.

ALL «‘PARTNERS.”

YELLOW MAN COMPETES WITH

WHITE WOMAN

The European laundry with the protected white woman worker is in growing danger from the competition of the Chin Coe laundry with the unrestricted yellow man. The labor laws miss the Chinaman, because ho is not a woman, and because, as a rule, be is not even an employee, but a' “partner.” It is contended that if the present system of protecting the white woman, and overlooking the yellow man, is maintained, there will soon be no white woman worker to protect. John Chinaman is bis capacity of laundryman will probably be heard of again in Parliament before New Zealand is very much older. European laundry proprietors all over the Dominion (so a member of the “Dominion” staff learned during some inquiries recently) are getting into touch with each other and discussing the disabilities under which they labor as compared with their competitors from the Flowery Land. It seems that some of the most serious of these disabilities are actually imposed upon the white men and women engaged in this trade by the laws cf the land. The European laundries employ almost exclusively female labor, in accordance with the traditions and practice of white men’s countries’ everywhere, and it would be practically impossible for them to carry on in any other way. But women and girls engaged in factories (and a laundry is a factory within the meaning of the Act) are protected by special restrictive legislation in the matter of hours of labor and the amount of overtime that may be worked.

THE UNRESTRICTED CHINAMAN. The Chinese laundries are, as everybody knows, run entire.y by male labor and the same restrictions do not apply. They work at all hours and on any day of the week when it suits them to do so. Observers say that they may be seen toiling every evening, Saturday afternoons, all holidays, and frequently on Sundays. Moreover, as the workers are, actually or nominally, partners in the business, the question of overtime pay does not come in. Thus, while European laundry proprietors have to inform the hotels which patronise them that they cannot take their work on Fridays, -because they must close at lunch time on Saturdays, the Chinaman is under no such restriction. ALTERATION OF THE LAW WANTED.

What European laundry proprietors want is to have the handicap removed by means of an alteration in the law which will cause the restriction, affecting female labor to -apply also to male workers in laundries. This was done in Queensland last yeai; by means of a clause in the Factory Act as follows: — “All the provisions of this section applying to females oh all apply to adult mule persons engaged in or in connection with a laundry at work which is usually performed by females in a laundry.”

At present (subject to overtime provisions as stated below) the Factory Act prevents female laundry employees from working—(a) More than forty-five hours, excluding meal times, in any one week; (b) more than eight hours and a quarter, excluding meal times in any one day ; (c) more than four hours and a quarter continuously without an interval of at least three-quarters of an hour for a meal ; (d) at any time after one o’clock in the afternoon of one working day in each week ; (e) in the case of women, at any time between the hours of six o’clock in the evening and a quarter to eight o’clock in the morning following. Overtime is allowed, but it must not exceed three hours in any day, or two consecutive days in any week, or thirty days in any year; and there- must be no overtime on any holiday or half-holidnv.

PROSPECT OF EXTERMINATION. European laundry proprietors say that their industry, thus handicapped, is being rapidly exterminated Chinese competition. They are, however, still strong enough to kic'kt There are, it is stated 41 Chinese laundries in Wellington and suburbs, and 34 European. The latter total includes four steam laun 7 dries, which taken together, employ about 130 girls and women, while tlie others employ from three to fifteen. There are usually three or four workers in a Chinese laundry, but it .is clear from what has been written above that their share of the trade is quite out of proportion to the number of Chinamen engaged.

CHINESE VIEWPOINT

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE

CONSUL

HOW CHINAMEN ORK AND LIVE.

Mr, Yung Liang-Hwang. the Chinese Consul, when seen by a Dominion reporter, gave reasons why, in his opinion, the" movement of the European laundry proprietors in favor of an alteration of the law si fleeting the industry should not be supported. The. circumstances of the Chinese and tlie European laundries were <vuite different, Mr. Hwang contended. The latter were; large factories, and had machinery. while the former were small shops, Where one, two, or three men worked together. He did not know of any instance where , there were more than four! Several had told him that their business lias greatly decreased of late, no that from five working together they had come down to three, or two. This showed that their business outlook was not very bright. DIFFERENT CONDITIONS.

The hours of employees in the English laundries had to be limited, because, if they were not, the employees would leave rather than accept less favorable conditions than, those existing in .other industries. The law limiting women’s hours of labor was a just one because women were not fit for so much work .as men,, hut the Chinese laundries were run entirely by men. They , did not take large pieces of washing, such as bed-spreads, sheets, and 'table cloths. Their customers brought them no towels and very few shirts, and their business' was practically confined to collars, cuffs, and other small pieces. He did hot nee how their competition could be ruinous to European laundries, especially in the .large factories with machinery and many employees. PARTNERSHIP. The Chinese were virtually obliged to co-operate and run their laundries in partnership, because, coming to- this country singly, and having to deposit £IOO on landing, besides paying their passage money, they needed to obtain financial strength in that way. If they V ; ; : . v. : ■. 4 \ f

were partners in a laundry they had to observe the New Zealand laws in respect to partnership, and they did not want that law altered unless it was altered in .respect to partnerships in every other business. If that was done, he did not think the Chinese would have anything to say against it. CONCERNING SUNDAYS.

Mr. Hwang also said that it was a mistake to assert that Chinese laundrymen worked on Sundays, though some of them did occasionally make up thenaccounts or sort and pack linen on Sunday. Even that light work was not done on Sundays as a regular practice. . -

Mr. Hwang also repeated the statements which ho made on a previous occasion, to the effect that the Chinese do not- live so cheaply as is generally supposed. They spent more money on food and drink than other men of their class in this country. It wa». their custom to go but on Sundays nicely dressed, and to meet together at a social feast, where they would have eight or ten courses, with Chinese wines, which paid high import duty and were rather expensive.