The morning call., 1891-10-20
HOW 1T WORKS.

At the beginning of the present fruit
season The CALL advocated the employ
ment, as far as practicable, of women and
girls in saving our fruits. We believed the
orchard to be legitimate field for women's
work. Acting upon suggestions made at
the time numbers of women sought and
found employment at picking and packing
fruit. The best report of how this labor ex-
pertinent has resulted comes from Fresno,
and is worthy Of note
Some time ago a. B. Butler OF Fresno. one OF
the largest raisin growers In that section, de-
clded to dispense With Chinese altogether In his
Taisin packing. and gave white girls and women
the labor. provided they were willing to do It,
which il thus noticed in the Fresno ErpOsttor.
Up to that time he had paid the Chinese by the
day aud the work had been done; but In many
ways 1t was not satisfactory. In the employ
ment of girls to DO the work there were some
difficulties to be met, the most considerable OF
these being that there was no arrangement by
which tie labOrers could board near their place
Of work. The Chinese had lived under tile
hedges and wherever they chose, but the white
workers were not easily Satisfied and re-
quired better accommodations. This trouble
was overcome by running a special train ou.
from FresnO-lwo miles-ln the morning and
back again in the evening. The fare was only
few cents; in fact II was but sixty cents
week to each person. Thus the laborers could
live at their homes in Fresno, go out 10 work
each morning take lunch with them, and
return In tie evening to their homes In The city.
By this means the difficulty in supplying accom-
modatlons for the aborers was met Tire next
thing was TO see II a sufficient number OF willing
workers would respond 10 the clll. They were
not offered wages by the day, but by the piece.
This was an encouragement to the willing and
the skillful. The scale OF wages was graded on
the amount Chinaman will usually do In a day.
The girls and women accepted the proposition
with VIII, and enough were obtained to do all
the work. The special train carries them out In
the morning and back in the evening. They get
pay IN proportion TO the amount they do. II en-
courages them 10 do their best. Some OF the
most sklllfu Of the women, II Is stated make 81
day. Even small girls earn 81 a day. The
wages average very high, and yet Mr Butler
finds hat The work is done as eheaply and more
satisfactorily than when the low priced China
men did it. II is better every way. and Mr.. But
Ter says be mas no desire at all 10 return TO the
Chinese. The packing is neatly done, and the
goods present fine appearance.
II a source OF satisfaction, comments the
ErpoSttor, TO know tnat this experiment has
turned out well, for 1t is without doubt the
earnest wish of tile raisin growers and packers
to have the work done by white labor when it is
possible What MIR. Butler. who has one OF the
largest vineyards in the comfy, has done many
others can do. The white labor viii certainly
supplant the Mongollans in course OF time.
To which THE CALL would add that what
Is said Of this particular class of white labor
holds good with reference, not merely to
the raisin industry, but TO orchard work as
walI