The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-03-21

The following article was spec
tally prepared for the ADVERTISER
by a gentleman who has made a
careful study of the subject of labor
in the United States. 1t will be
found full of facts which are inter
esting in themselves, and relevant
to the questions now under discus
sion in the Islands:
A few years ago it was my privi-
lege to tour nearly every Western
State of the American Union for the
purpose of studying the labor situa-
Uion, in all sections requiring a large
number of manual employees. At the
time, l prepared an exhaustive report
of my findings, embodying statistics
and other valuable data, for an asso-
citation / then had the honor to repre-
sent. / regret that this has long since
passed from my hands, and am un-
able TO locate a copy at the present
moment; but. from memory and later
observation, / can, in few words,
thoroughly explain the condition of
American agricultural labor systems,
correct certain misconceptions of the
matter into which a few of your read
ers have fallen, and show the degree
of interest we are justified in allotting
the question of American white lab
orers for the cane-fields of Hawaii.
In the beginning / feel sure you will
pardon me for saying that, in the sew
eral articles appearing in the various
city papers during the last few weeks,
i find more or less error, especially in
a mn laf fod af
while these accounts are applicable to
certain conditions and narrow pro-
vinces, they really afford very
meagre idea of the general situation
and are not to be depended upon as
basis for calculation.
For instance, within twenty miles
of Topeka, Kansas, the same man, in
single day, may be offered half
dozen different prices for his services
for the same work; on the outskirts Of
Denver, where are those beautiful lit
tie truck farms, it is no unusual occur
renee for laborer to leave wages of
$50 per month to accept $25 from the
next door neighbor; in the wheat and
corn-fields of Missouri s12 80 per
month with board, for ploughing is
aimed at, though the same man may
command $14 within two miles of
where his last month had brought
him only so; in Minnesota, Iowa,
Nebraska and the Dakotas the same
lack of system prevails; in Western
Texas, new country, with its broad
expanse Of wheat, wheat, wheat, we
find more regularity than elsewhere,
the general wages paid farm laborers
throughout the section being $l2 per
month and board; in Idaho, Wash
ington and Oregon there is an imp per-
feet GuEfcrp heuinnirCy with tho w CAT
fields of the Palouse country of Idaho
and Washington at S25 and board, and
decreasing toward the west and south.
Each community in California may
be said to have its own rate; and that
State becomes the hardest Of all to
figure upon. All is irregular and sub
ject to multiplicity Of conditions.
Chinese, japanese and the overflow Of |
laborers from the Eastern States, |
their irregular distribution and the |
of demand and supply,
occasion a condition of affairs not to |
be met with elsewhere. / have known |
laborers to receive S25 per month |
with board in one section Of Cali |
fornia, while, in another, at the same !
work, So 80 was considered good |
wages; and as low as S. is paid |
/ should say that the aver
age wages paid to farm Iaborers in /
California does not exceed $15 per
month with board. From the
above you will readily per-
ceive the difficulties to be encOun-
tered by man not close and wide
observer of the matter in his efforts to
reach an intelligent basis for calcula-
ion. Even the figures prepared by
he United States Labor Commission
are at fault in many particulars; and
are 20 because they originally come
rom the books of one to three large |
planters in a State, who have their
)wn little systems, but know little
about ges in the adjoining counties !
FOR example, a Mr.. Richardson Of
Denver. lawyer, who owns that !
,reat alfalfa farm west Of the city, the !
argest probably in the country, and
Who knows nothing Of farming, sell
IOm visits his own plantation, but
caves it entirely to a manager, did,
furnish the Commission
With a table OF wages for the State of
Colorado I'm 1855. Nothing whatever
gainst the veracity Of Mr. Richard
on; but the point is that wages are
more and far less in his immediate
leighborhOod than his statement
would indicate, and he went far wide
4 anything like an average for the
state
The report from Minnesota viii ap-
,ly TO the southern part of the State,
,ut not TO one-half Of the agricultural
erritory. II was formulated in Min