ASSEMBLY ADOPTS THE RESOLUTION UNANIMOUSLY
Strong Arguments Against Japanese Labor Expressed Even by Representatives of Farmers and Miners.

Sacramento, March 2.--It is well known among the legislators that the preamble and resolutions were prepared by William S. Wood of the Republican State Executive Committee, and were approved by the legislative committee appointed by that body, and are designed not only to define the position of the State in regard to the question of Japanese immigration, but especially to commit the Republican party to an unqualified and earnest advocacy and support of measures tending to limit in some reasonable degree, the number of Japanese laborers to be admitted annually into the United States. It is expected by the committee that the result will be accomplished by diplomatic action, and it is known that the Japanese Government will receive favorably any suggestion from our Department of State looking to such action.

A consensus of opinion of the growers may be stated in the argument of Assemblyman W.F. Chandler, a raisin-grower on an extensive scale in Fresno county. In this unofficial argument he said:

"There are certain seasons of the year in this State when it seems a floating labor population that may be transferred without inconvenience from one part of the State to another is a necessity. Take the hop-growers, berry-growers, fruit growers, grape and raisin growers, and the orange-growers. The men engaged in those industries find employment at harvest times for from a few to hundreds if hands. In their several crops, each wants this help at the same time. They want a large force for only a few weeks in the year, and as soon as their crops are gathered the men they employed are free to go elsewhere.

LABOR PROBLEM ON THE FARM.

From the berry fields the workmen may go to the fruit orchards, then to the hop fields, then to the vineyards. It is at such times that a floating labor population becomes necessary. The American laborer is generally a home-lover and does not relish drifting about the State working here and there. In our district we have tried white labor and it has not proved satisfactory. Many of them complain of the heat, others complain of the food, though without reason. I tried white labor thoroughly. I went to the expense of purchasing camp outfits, buying provisions, erecting quarters and employing cooks, and despite all this I was obliged to keep men on the road all the time during the season looking for help.

With the Japanese and Chinese this is not the case. They provide for themselves, and they do their work thoroughly, and when through they pick up their baskets and blankets and go on to the next place. If it was not for this help the growers would suffer far greater loss than they do. However, I for one will waive all this. I fully realize what unrestricted immigration of the Japanese would mean to the Coast, if not to the Nation, and for the good of the whole people shall lay aside any selfish interest I may have and vote for the resolution."

Assemblyman John F. Pryor of Hanford and others voiced the same sentiments and voted for the resolution. It was agreed that in such industries as permitted of a fixed habitation, such as beet-sugar, vegetable and truck farming, berry-growing, mining and mills and factories, etc., that the employment of either Chinese or Japanese to the exclusion of white labor was wrong, against the American standard of civilization and a menace to its social institutions.

M'GOWAN CALLS UP RESOLUTION

Further consideration of the resolution at yesterday's session had been made the special order immediately following the reading of the journal to-day, and when that formality had been disposed of, McGowan of San Francisco arose and said:

"Mr. Speaker, I call for the consideration of the special order."

The Speaker--What is the special order, Mr. McGowan? I do not see it on my calendar.

Assemblyman McGowan--The motion to adopt the resolution in which the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress of the United States are memorialized for the purpose of restricting, by treaty or otherwise, further immigration of the laborers of Japan.

The Speaker--Assemblyman McGowan calls for the special order, the resolution requesting the restriction of Japanese immigration. Are you ready for the question?

Assemblyman A.M. Drew was recognized. Yesterday Drew secured a postponement of the question until this morning in order that he might make a further study of it. At the first reading yesterday he was of the opinion that some parts might be eliminated to advantage and others even more strong inserted. Then there was a paragraph referring to the fact that "Japanese laborers do not employ any of their earnings in the building up of the community wherein they may for a time reside; they do not buy land for homes; they do not buy nor build houses, either for business or home purposes."

FRESNO FEELS THEIR PRESENCE

This paragraph, he said, was not applicable to his town (Fresno), where the contrary was the case. However, he had ascertained from his colleagues that practically nowhere else in the State were the Japanese buying property and realizing that the resolution was intended to be general in its scope he waived his objection and sustained the resolution, saying:

"Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Legislature--The resolution memorializing Congress to restrict the further immigration of Japanese is very important. Some of its sections are not drawn as I should have drawn them, and there is one section not applicable to my section, which I regret is not an absolute statement of fact. I refer to the statement that the Japanese do not invest. As applied to my section that is erroneous. I regret that they are investing.

"They are buying up land and they are building and gaining a foothold. I wish it was not true. In my locality, they are buying everywhere and the result is apparent. There are some things left out that I would like to see inserted, but I realize that a resolution of this kind must be entirely general in its scope; that it cannot cover specific and isolated cases and is intended largely to educate the masses as to the danger from unrestricted immigration, and I am therefore not prepared to offer any changes.

"Our relations with Japan are at present amicable, and it is our desire that they should so continue. They are an energetic and patriotic people and are making a place for themselves among the nations of the world, and we should do nothing that will hamper the State Department in any pending negotiations. Further, I believe in the presence of a few Chinese and Japanese. In the fruit gathering season we could not well get along without them. However, I am opposed to unrestricted immigration and I shall support the resolution."

AIMED AT JAPANESE LABORERS.

Assemblyman McGowan was again recognized, and said in part: "It is not the intention to question the integrity and good will of the Japanese nation, a nation that stands for progress. The foundation of the resolution is a request that the Government of the United States formulate some treaty with Japan in which the immigration of Japanese laborers be restricted. Such a request I believe will not involve the existing relations of the two governments. China, signed a similar treaty with us without any unfriendliness being aroused, and I believe that Japan will do the same.

"The danger which now confronts the people of the Pacific Coast, and particularly of California, from the continuation of unrestricted immigration of Japanese manual laborers is a source of the most grave and serious apprehension to those who would stand as the protectors of American labor and the defenders of our public institutions and customs. The race habits, disposition, mode of living and character of the Japanese laborer make them a most undesirable element for us to permit to come in contact with the workingmen of America, and while the evil of their presence exists we can at least see that we do our part to start the machinery of government which, in the end, will result in passing a restriction act against Japanese laborers, and by such action protect our laboring classes from a competition which American habits and customs.

UNANIMOUS VOTE CAST.

The vote was unanimous and was as follows:

Ayes -- Amerige, Anthony, Arnerieb, Atkinson, Barnes, Bates, Beardslee, Bliss, Boyle, Branstetter, Burge, Busick, Chandler, Cleveland, Coghlan, Cooper, Creighton, Cromwell, Cullen, Devlin, Drew, Duryea, Espey, Gans, Gates, Goodrich, Heid, Houser, Jarvis, John, Johnson, Johnstone, Jones of Tuolumne, Jury, King, Lucey, Lumley, Lynch, Manwell, McCartney, McGowan, McKenney, McNamara, Meincke, Mindham, Mitcheltree, Moore, O'Brien, Olmsted, Perkins, Piaeffle, Pryor, Pyle, Rolley, Severance, Slavin, Sttrobridge, Strohl, Thompson, Tranaue, Treadwell, Tripp, Vogel, Walsh, Waste, Weyand, Whiting, Wickersham, Speaker Prescott.

Noes -- None.

Absent -- Beckett, Burke, Coyle, Dorsey, Ells, Estudillo, Busick, Hartman, Hawkins, Jones of San Francisco, Stanton.