ORGANIZED LABOR

JAPANESE UNION HOLDS MEETING

Crowd Attends Initial Session of New Labor Organization -- Orientals Seek American Workers' Goal.

By C.D. STRATTON.

Inauguration of a movement of more than local importance and significance was celebrated in Seattle last night when the Japanese Labor Association, a trade union organization in many respects unique, held its first open meeting and placed before the public, particularly the Japanese colony, its aims and purposes and its plans for the future. Nearly a thousand Japanese of both sexes and of all ages attended the meeting, the first half of which was devoted to speechmaking and the last to an elaborate program of Japanese music and dancing, closing with an admirably played tabloid drama of Old Japan.

The meeting was held in Japanese Hall, 121 Maynard Avenue, and was presided over by C.T. Takahashi, a leading merchant and importer of the colony, who is president of the new association under the temporary organization just completed. At least a dozen members of the association were speakers and the new movement was discussed from many different viewpoints -- journeymen craftsmen, employers of labor, tradesmen and capitalists all having their say regarding the young organization and frequently rousing the big audience to a high pitch of enthusiasm by their oratory.

President Takahashi's speech, however, was interpreted as fairly representing the sentiment of the association. He declared that for several years the United States and Japan had been engaged in an interchange not only of articles of commerce, but of knowledge and ideas as well. Long ago the diplomats and high officials of the one country began visiting the other. Later students traveled from one land to the other and an inerchange of college professors for mutual benefit was arranged. Then merchants and capitalists enrolled in various commercial organizations interchanged visits.

Labor Not Drawn Together.

But never yet had there been an interchange of ideas between the workers of the two nations, and here, the speaker believed, would be found the real source of whatever suspicion and misunderstanding the Japanese in America encounters.

It would be the mission of the new association, said Takahashi, to bring about closer relations and a better feeling between the workers of the two countries and to change the opinion of the Occidental that the Oriental is content with cheap wages and low standards of living. In fact, he said, the Japanese is not a cheap worker and has not desire to be rated as such. Therefore the association would cooperate to the fullest extent with all Seattle unions of the American labor movement and strive to bring about in due time full affiliation with it, working in the meantime to raise and maintain wages, improve working conditions and elevate standards of living to place the Japanese worker on a par with the American wage earner.

Similar views regarding certain of the problems to be met were expressed by T. Sato, who spoke in English in deference to the Rev. Sydney Strong, pastor of the Queen Anne Congregational Church, whom he presented as the next speaker.

Sought to Become American.

Sato declared that Seattle Japanese, as a rule, had come to America to become Americans and were imbued with the same love of liberty and republication institutions as immigrants from any other land. He paid an eloquent tribute to George Washington and touched effectively upon the recent trip to the West of the Liberty Bell. The new association, he believed, by removing causes of misunderstanding between the wage workers of America and Japan, would greatly strengthen the friendly relations now existing between the two countries.

Dr. Strong made a good trade union speech, dwelling upon the benefits of organization to the wage earner. He declaimed any credit for the organization of the new association, but commended its purpose heartily. He had not found the Japanese a cheap man in any respect, he said, and complaints to that effect were justly to be made only against the newcomer, still unfamiliar with American standards. By educating these new arrivals and by maintaining and raising still higher the standard of living for the Japanese worker, the association could and would do much to bring about close and friendly relations between the wage earners of the two nationalities. Organization of labor, he asserted, would benefit not only the worker but the employer, and he gave his approval to the liberality of the new association in giving the employer a voice in its proceedings. In closing he promised the association his aid and cooperation at all times.

Japanese Club Entertains.

Following the speechmaking and entertainment program the members of the association were the guests of its officers at supper served in the rooms of the Japanese Commercial Club in the same building. The association now has 120 members but is expected to grow to several thousand.

It is the intention of the promoters of the Japanese Labor Association to make it eventually the city central body of all Japanese labor organizations that may hereafter be formed.

The association in its present form more resembles one of the trade guilds of the Middle Ages than a modern labor union, since masters as well as journeymen are in the organization and tradesmen also are admitted. Ultimately, it is expected, the form of the organization will approach more nearly the American standard. Already the organization of several craft unions to be affiliated with the association is under consideration. Notably large in proportion to the Japanese population is the number of culinary craft workers, tailors, shoemakers and clerks who could be organized. The Japanese barbers already have a strong local union and in fact are the pioneers of the Japanese labor movement in Seattle. It is their strong desire to become affiliated with the Journeymen Barbers' International Union and thereby with the American Federation of Labor, but the constitution of the international now stands in the way.

Not Excluded by Miners.

The United Mine Workers of America, the international organization of coal miners, does not exclude Orientals, and officers of the association point with pride to the fact that a number of Japanese miners in the Colorado coal fields carry union cards and receive the full union scale of wages.

The temporary officers of the labor association are C.T. Takahashi, president; J.T. Kikutake and C. Ito, vice-presidents; K. Sasaki, secretary; C. Fujii, treasurer.

The association has adopted a union button of white enamel with the letters J.L.A. in monogram of gold, surrounded by the blue band with white stars.

The hall where the meeting was held last night was profusely decorated with American and Japanese flags intertwined and red, white and blue bunting draped the walls. The members of the association wore a red, white and blue ribbon badge.