<Begin Segment 31>

DG: Let's talk about the Hotel Association some more. Okay. So it started in 1910 and you say it started for social reasons you think a lot.

TH: Social and business. I mean, to help each other.

DG: To help each other. Was there any exclusivity? I mean, did everyone get to join or did they...

TH: Well, I think it was open. Membership was open to anybody that wanted to join, any Japanese operator that wanted to join because meeting is conducted in Japanese, and you can't invite the American people or the Chinese to join. Everything was conducted in Japanese.

ET: Yeah. One of the reasoning, I think, according to Mr. Hara, very few people would be able or willing to go to city hall to have a discussion if they had a problem.

DG: So then they had to have somebody who knew English well to translate.

TH: That's right.

ET: Mr. Hara used to represent some people for fire problem.

TH: Well, yeah. He took any complaints or people come in and say I got this kind of problem or I have received this from the inspector and things, he would help them out with it. Or like new operators needed an engineer's license to run the boiler, steam boiler. You have to have an engineer's license. He would take them down there and put 'em through the regular examination.

DG: Now, who's Mr. Hara?

TH: Seichi Hara. He used to operate the Tacoma Hotel.

DG: And that was in the International District.

TH: On 8th and Jackson.

ET: Yeah, on the north side.

DG: Okay. And he was --

TH: Secretary of the association in the '30s.

DG: Okay. So he was a Issei?

TH: He's a Issei.

DG: But he spoke English well.

TH: Spoke English, yes.

DG: And then he did that kind of thing.

<End Segment 31> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.