CHAPTER VIII.

JAPANESE IN CITY TRADES AND BUSINESS IN SALT LAKE CITY AND OGDEN.

INTRODUCTION.

The first Japanese came to the State of Utah a little less than ten years ago, when a contractor brought in 200 of them to engage in railroad work. With this as a beginning, the members of this race have increased in number, engaged in more numerous occupations, become conspicuous as tenant farmers in certain agricultural localities, and engaged in business on a small scale in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and a few of the smaller towns. Most of the Japanese are common laborers, and many of them move rapidly from place to place and from one industry to another. The number in a given locality or engaged in any given industry varies greatly during the year. Consequently it is impossible to do more than give an approximate estimate of the total number in the State.

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The following data were obtained in June and July, 1909, and are presented as showing the approximate number of Japanese in the State and the occupations in which they were engaged at that time:

"Not including about 200 Koreans employed on railroads, in beet fields, and leasing land.

Estimated.

• Exclusive of 93 included in above entries.

Exclusive of laborers and helpers in railroad shops and roundhouse at Ogden, included under railroad laborers above.

The total number of Japanese in Utah is thus estimated to have been approximately 3,000. Something more than 1,000 of them were men engaged at the time in agricultural occupations. Though most of these men purchase the bulk of their supplies at "American" stores, practically all purchase some if not many supplies at Salt Lake City or Ogden, and chiefly at the latter place. Some 920 men were employed under 10 contractors as maintenance of way men or as shop and roundhouse laborers by the railroads. In addition to these, 1,340 were similarly employed in Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming, thus making a total of 2,260 laborers under the control of 10 Japanese contractors with offices at Salt Lake City and Ogden. These men purchase by far the greater part of their supplies from Japanese supply stores, the majority of which are conducted by these labor contractors. The same is equally true of most of the 126 Japanese coal miners and the 143 smelter hands who are under the control of some of the same contractors. In addition to these 126 coal miners employed in Utah, several hundred are similarly employed in Wyoming through a contractor at Salt Lake City and purchase many of their supplies from him. Primarily to secure employment and to supply the wants of these men while at work and to provide for their needs when unemployed in the cities, a comparatively large number of business establishments have been opened by Japanese in Salt Lake City and Ogden, while a few have been opened in the small towns of the agricultural districts in which many Japanese laborers are employed. Still other establishments have been started to secure the patronage of other races. These various Japanese establishments provide gainful employment for perhaps 150 Japanese in Salt Lake City, for perhaps 125 in Ogden, and probably for as many as 20 in the small towns of the northern part of the State. Finally, in recent years a comparatively small number of Japanese have found employment as domestics in the homes of and as "help" in establishments conducted by white men.

JAPANESE IN CITY TRADES AND EMPLOYMENTS IN SALT LAKE CITY.

The "settled" Japanese population of Salt Lake City is estimated at about 441. Of women there were about 20; of children about 12. Of the men, 93 were, in July, 1909, employed in street construction and railroad work. Of the other 316, about 150 were connected with Japanese business establishments or engaged in the professions, about 127 engaged in domestic and personal service and related employments, 15 were employed in cleaning and similar work in "American" stores, while some 24 were students in public schools of the city and the University of Utah. In addition to these Japanese residents, there are a variable number of transient laborers. At the time of the investigation there were about 80 of these, but during the winter months this number increases to several hundred. The number of domestics employed regularly by the month in "American" families numbers about 75; the number of "school boys" who work a few hours per day for board and lodging and a small sum of money, about 15. The total number is so small as compared with the total number of persons engaged in domestic service that no appreciable effect has been wrought upon the wages and other conditions of employment of other persons similarly occu

pied. Only two men, in partnership, have engaged in house cleaning and similar work by the hour or day. Some 35 Japanese have found employment in white restaurants as cooks and "kitchen help.” The number is too small to have had any appreciable effect upon the employment of other races in similar capacities. The same is true of the 15 employed as janitors, porters, and "general help" in stores conducted by white men. The kinds of business and the number of establishments of each kind conducted by Japanese in Salt Lake City in July, 1909, are shown in the following table:

TABLE 13.-Japanese in business in Salt Lake City, Utah, July, 1909.

• Not including 1 physician, 1 house-cleaning establishment conducted by 2 men in partnership, and 1 carpenter.

The total number of establishments was 46. Of these, 7 were employment agencies (most of which sell supplies also), while 4 were provision or supply stores, both closely connected with the employment of laborers in the mines and smelters and on the railways. The 7 contractors, from their Salt Lake City offices, in July, 1909, controlled 1,223 laborers, besides several hundred employed in the coal mines of western Wyoming. In the majority of cases the contractors collect an interpreter's fee of $1 per month and 5 per cent of the earnings of each laborer, the wages being paid by the employer through the contractor. A further source of profit is found in the supplies furnished the laborers working under the control of the several contractors or agents.

Besides the supply stores conducted by the contractors and not engaged in local retail trade, there are four provision stores conducted by Japanese. These are located in the Japanese quarter, which centers in a small street one block west of Main street (the center of the business district), between First and Second streets south. These stores are patronized almost exclusively by Japanese. Most of the 9 boarding and lodging houses and the 3 restaurants serving Japanese meals are also located in this district. Of these establishments, only one-a boarding and lodging house-is patronized by others than Japanese, and in this case the Japanese patrons constitute more than 90 per cent of the entire number. The prices charged for boarding and lodging range from 55 to 75 cents per day for transients. The charge for lodging alone is from 15 to 35 cents per night; that for single meals, 15 cents.

The restaurants serving American meals, the small laundry, the barber shops and baths, the curio shops, tailor shops, and billiard and pool rooms, unlike the business establishments already noted, have comparatively large numbers of white patrons. Until shortly

previous to the investigation there had been seven Japanese restaurants serving American meals, but two of them had failed and had been closed. The five remaining were scattered through the business district and were found to be patronized chiefly by white men, the vast majority of whom were of the laboring class. They serve cheap but substantial meals at low prices-two at 20 cents, two at 15 cents, and one at 10 cents. These establishments in point of furnishings, service, food, and prices do not differ materially from a very much larger number of small "cheap" restaurants conducted by white men of various races. No opposition has as yet been aroused against the Japanese restaurants; their competition has not had any serious effect upon their competitors. The hand laundry employs only four men. The three barber shops are also small, two of them having only two chairs each, the other four. One of the barbers employed is a white man. The Japanese and white patrons of the smaller shops are about equal in number, but the latter class predominate among the patrons of the larger shop. The charge for hair cutting is uniformly 25 cents, for shaving 10 cents. These prices are the same as those which obtain in small shops of the same type conducted by men of other races, many of whom are foreignborn. However, in the majority of the shops conducted by white men the prices are 35 cents for hair cutting and 15 cents for shaving. The baths conducted by Japanese are run in connection with two of their barber shops.

The curio shops are small, and, as elsewhere, are patronized largely by white people. The three tailor shops are small, each being conducted by one man. Though each is an agent for Chicago merchanttailoring houses, most of the business done consists of cleaning, repairing, and pressing suits. The price charged for cleaning and pressing is $1 per suit, the same as at other shops engaged in that business. Of three billiard and pool rooms conducted by Japanese two are small and are patronized by the members of that race almost exclusively, while a larger one with eight tables is patronized almost entirely by white men. The last-mentioned establishment sells soft drinks and cigars also, and does a large amount of business. The other branches of business engaged in by the Japanese are of little consequence. They have been indicated in the foregoing table.

The more essential matters relating to Japanese business in Salt Lake City may be stated in summary form as follows: (1) The more important establishments are directly connected with the supplying of laborers to capitalistic enterprises and providing these laborers with the necessaries of life; (2) the Japanese may supply most of their needs, save for clothing of superior quality, at establishments conducted by members of their own race; (3) their barber shops and baths, some of the pool rooms, the curio shops, tailor shops, and restaurants serving American meals are patronized largely by white persons, but these establishments are few and small, and maintain the same level of prices as are found in similar establishments conducted by other races, so that the competition between them and their competitors has been of little consequence.

JAPANESE IN BUSINESS IN OGDEN.

Ogden is a supply point for railway and for agricultural laborers engaged in truck gardening and sugar-beet growing. The 4 labor