The Chinese Six Companies [pp. 518-526]

The Chinese Six Companies.
would say that the Six Companies have
done for the Chinese concerning the
Geary Act anything different from what
the President and politicians of the
United States would have done for the
American people under similar circumstances. Though every citizen of the
United States has an equal right in the
government, not every man is able to
hold the presidential office. Therefore
the Americans elect able men to take
care of the welfare of the country. The
Chinese also elect able men for officers
of the Six Companies.
It is well, perhaps, to explain why the
writer constantly uses the word "society" instead of " company," to designate
the Six Companies. Having compared
the two words, society and company, we
see the word society is far more appropriate than company. Perhaps some Chi
nese heard the Americans talk about a
company of men, and thought that when
a number of men constitute a body it
is called a company. The Chinese even
now often use that word, company, to
designate their clan or family.
Thus we see that the Six Companies
are neither more nor less than a mutual
benevolent society.
The materials contained in this paper
are from the interviews of the writer
with the President of the Ning Yung
Company (orne of the Six Companies),
the President of the "Meeting Hall of
the Middle Kingdom," and some pioneer Chinese, who have been in the
United States since soon after the discovery of gold in California. The writer
himself is also a native of China, hence
part of the material is from his own
knowledge of the subject.
Fong Kum Agon (Walter A. Fong).
526
LMay,