Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-08-03
THE FRUIT PACKERS.
The New Scheme to Employ Children
4 in the Work.

in tho Work.
The claim is frequently made By the
fruit-grower and the vineyardist that if the
Chinese are driven out the fruit will rot on
the trees for labor 70 pick il. The answer
Is that there are thousands of men, wo-
men and children in the large towns of the
State able and willing to do the work now
done by the Chinese in orchard and vine
yard. This year determined effort is to
be made TO oust the Chinese from this
branch of industry. From talking and
suggesting the important move to acting is
now on the point of being made. Co.
operation is the basis on which the move is
to be made. The farmer and the vineyard
lst are TO undertake to care for and paw
the white employees, the railroad company
is to afford them rednced transportation
rates, and the authorities in the towns are
to send only those anxious and able to do
the work required of them. The State
Board of Trade, backed bv tl1e> Southern
Pacific Company, recently issued number
Of printed circulars to the boards of trade of
the different towns and TO the fruit-grow-
ere OF the State. In these circulars the
statements are made that a large number
of boys from u to Is years of age, and of
girls suitable to be of service in the pack
ing and drying establishments of the
State, are idle in the larger cities and
towns. Apart from ousting the Chinese,
the youths OF both sexes will, by being
employed instead of the Mongols, add to
the wealth of the State and acquire habits
of industry. Transportation facilities are
offered from San Francisco, Stockton, Sac
ramento and Los Angeles to any part of
the State where the services of the BOYS or
girls may be required. The benefit of re-
duced rates can only be had, however, by
requisition made upon the Board cf Trade
in one of the cities named. This requisi-
ton will be forwarded to the State Board
of Trade in this city, and will have to be
indorsed by the forwarding Board; as guar
anteeing that such employment is to be
had, and also by the employers name max
ing the requisition. Boys or girls accept
ing such employment will be forwarded 70
their destination at half rates and, pro-
yided they have certificates to the fact that
they really have been so employed, will
be returned to their homes free of charge
In order to facilitate matters, Tegistra ion
books have been opened at the cities named
for boys and girls who wish employment.
AT Stockton the applicants number I27, at
Sacramento 100, in this city over 500 since
July 23d. The applications from members
thus far include rs boys for Vacaville, all
of whom have been placed and are doing
we'll; % for the Napa valley, concerning
whom equally favorable reports have been
received On August 10th batch of 200
boys will be sent to Senator Stanford's Vina
ranch, the requlsition having been received
here through the Chico Board OF Trade
Ii these boys do the work well, eecond
batch of 200 will be called for ten days
later. The first experiment with boys in
any number was made on the fruit ranch of
l.
county, when the cherries were ripe. The
results OF the experiment were very salts
factory, and number of boys are still en-
ployed there
Mr.. Meeks gives it as his experience that
ten boys will pick as much as fifteen Chi
nese IN the same Gme and will do the
work quite rs well. OF the boys on the
local employment register, by far the greater
number are Americans, and nine-tenths OF
them are clean, intelligent and decentlv
dressed.
a matter of vital importance to an EN-
pioye OF almost any class is the amount of
his or her hire. With great uniformity of
opinion fixed rate seems to have been
tscltly decided upon by yineyardist and
orchardist alike. The boys and girls who
in all cases will work separately. and be
housed separately, will all be furnished
board and bed gratGit0usly. At Yina a
large frame building has been specially
constructed for the accommodation of the
boys, and similar structures have been put
up elsewhere. The one rate of wages paid
on all the ranches alike for boys and girls
is 81 day clear. Chinese doing the same
york receive about 81 so for a days labor
of ten hours, but find their own board and
lodging, usually carrying their tents with
them and squatting anywhere near their
work. The only objection raised hitherto
by the fruit growers is i'll the matter of
housing the boys and girls They say that
with the Cinnamon they have no trouble.
while the young whites need civilized food
and proper lOdging.-S T. Chronicle.