OCR Text |
Show OISTRSCT JUDGE IT m 1P0RTI OF COOLIES That the importation of thousands of Chinese coolies is not the proper solution of the labor shortage problem prob-lem in the United States, and that the shortage in labor is duo to the fact that there aro thousands of idlors ablo to work In tho country, was the declaration of Judge Alfred W. Ageo of the Second Judicial District court, today, in nn interview. The Judge said: "In my opinion, the presence in this country of a largo number of alien-born alien-born persons, who do not voluntarily or who cannot, under our laws, become citizens of the United States, and who, therefore, owe no allegiance to this country, or its flag, is undesirable. "The suggestion of Samuel G. Blythe and others that 500.000 Chinese laborers labor-ers should be brought to this country to ongago In industrial pursuits during dur-ing the war with Germany, Is a very dangerous proposition. Once they are hero it will be found very difficult, diffi-cult, if not impossible, to return any great number of them to China. "Wo do not need 600,000, nor any numbor of Chinese- laborers, in this country. Tho problem of the hour is to devise some law and some method by which the million or more of able-bodied Idlers who infest the cities and towns of this country, performing no labor of any kind, producing nothing, noth-ing, but living like parasites on that which is produced by others, at the expense of tho men and women who do labor, and who pay the taxes, may be compelled to go to work, and cease to be a burden and a menace to tho government and its institutions. "It is true that sometimes men are idle for want of employment, but thero aro hundreds of thousands? who are idle from mere choice. At this thno there aro fifteen men In our county Jail, and I presume as many more In the city jail, most of them professional idlers and loafers. Thero should bo somo way in which these men can bo compelled to work and earn their living, instead of being supported at tho expense of the public. pub-lic. Shoriff Peterson is to be commended com-mended for his efforts to compel those who have been convicted of potit offenses and sentenced to the county jail to perform some labor in return for the oxpenso of keeping them. "This problem of devising ways and means of compelling tho army of idlers who congregate in our cities is one of tho biggest and most difficult diffi-cult problems with which tho American Ameri-can peo'plo are confronted today, and ono that must be met sooner or lalor, and the sooner the better. There is no truer saying than that 'Idleness is tho beginning of crime.' If wo want to rid our country of criminals, we must rid it of idlors. If we over secure se-cure national prohibition of tho liquor traffic, I believe it will bo a groat aid in tho solution of this problem. It Is a problem of transcendant importance import-ance to every community at this time. "Tho situation calls for wise statesmanship states-manship and unselfish patriotism." |