The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-07-31

Editor of The Examiner:
Dear Sir:-COnSideTable opposition and
criticism have developed from the state
ment made by me that the Japanese
practically monopoliZe the work done in
the beet fields of California, and ii has
been enormously stated that it is my
desire to throw mud at Mr. Spreckels
This criticism emanateS in most cases
from subsidized writer's of the Sugar
Trust.
1t has been my desire only to give facts
and not TO deal in personalities; but in
defense of my position l feel called upon
at the present time to give the testimony
of one or two persons of those examined
at the investigation recently made IN
jacksonville:
s. Kirnura said: II am the oldest Jap
boss in this country. 1 am the man who
first brought Japs here. and 1 do most
of the contracting. L also do work Tor
Mr. Morse, SUPERINTENDENT of the Wat
sonville Refinery. Claus Spreckels asked
me to work for him last year at Salinas.
He told to take all my men and go
down to his place and go to work on
beets. Some of my men come from Ha-
wall. This one is from Spreckelsvllie,
the Island of Maui (pointing to man in
cart with HIM, worked for Mr.. Spreck-
els down there-plenty of men come here
from his cane fields-much better here.
Not many idle Japs here; pretty soon all
get work. Japs much better than Chi
nese to do northumberland it better.
Men get from 90 cents to 81 per day; 81
kind of Work-250 to 300 men May be
loo Chinese and Japs around Watson
vile. l can take as big a contract as
want to-.
done in the beet fields by japanese and
Chinese?
Japanese; 40 per cent is done by Chi
neSe.
G. Minezima, one of the largest Jap
anese contractors at Salinas, said: The
Western Sugar Refinery has an immense
tract of land here, perhaps 10000 acres,
hire Japs The bulk of it is let under
contract at from 81 to sl.15 per ton to
weed, thin, hoe, top and load: There
one time, but they have changed to Japs
and Chinese. They pay. them s. per acre
after they thinned and hoed; bal |
ance is paid upon delivery. They work |
about from 20 to 80 men to 100 acres
scarce i'm beet fieIds-never saw white |
man working there. Heard that Claus |
spreckels brought 80 Germans home from
O.@"what percentage of work in the
beet fields of Watsonville and Salinas is
A.@"About 30 per cent and to 40 to So
per cent by Chinese. Next year Japanese
do all Chinese have worked in potato,
strawberry and vegetable fields. Not so
good as our men for thinning beets
The same character of information was
gathered from all who were questioned
and including the japanese bosses, Whlch
was as follows:
tractors or homework, 100 Main street;
s. Ota contractor, IA Main street; X.
Yamamura, beet contractor lao t,a MAIN
street: K. Bahia, Japanese contractor
Main street; s. Kimura, beet contractor
Main street.
1T has been stated by those who wish
to deny the existing conditions that the
blowing and sowing, ETC.: is done pE
white labor 1t was Impossible t Tor me Heri 10
and / only reported the work as 1t eX>
listed in the fields at the present date:
Two immense steam plows OF ~ tons
each capable of doing the work or from
20 to 80 men, have just been 1mpoTteo
from Germany by Mr. Gdaus ne SpT British
ship Howth on April 18th. This Will do
away, to great extent, with the man
ual labor in preparing the ground.
Regarding the great Salinas Refinery
Claus SpreckelS says:
s'After awhile l want to get the farm
ers TO own the beet factories and make
their own sugar L want them TO 90 az |
they do in Germany Let them seho
trade of sugar-making. Let them give
their children a lesson in industry, ana
give them at the same time better heaith
by working few hours in the beet tlelds
during the month the wedding is done
Let them share among themselves the
residue from the rehnerles, ana II they
work one-half as hard in the future az
they have done in the past. the result |
can only be prosperity. Finally, let me
add that if the tariff is let alone, as it |
now is in five years the United states |
will be exporting sugar, instead OF I'M |
.aThere is no danger that the sugar in |
dustry will be overdone for years to |
come The United States consumes
about S,0G00OO.0o0 pounds of sugar, worth |
in its crude state $50 000, 900. To produce
about ! COO .OOO, 600 acres of land and hun |
dreds of factories. This would give EN-,
pIoyment to thousands or men; ana
would curtail our annual expenditures
over 800 600 900. If this enormous SAVING |
were to accrue under joint system as |
has already been proposed in the ca,
buenga Valley a large percentage would |
go directly to the farmer who grew the
beets. as Vel elias aS the TO G macbinerV used
in the factories is brought from Ger
many and the skilled workmen to op,
IL. 70 fnV
not be many years before the ingenious |
American inventor Will be giving both
Germany and France many new points |
about labor-saving in beet-sugar max
While the Salinas factory would pn-
doubtedly be a great acquisition TO that
territory nevertheless the western SUI
gar Refinery owns beet acreage enough |
when planted to work the same 10 1ts
to say that the product of their land |
would be considered first TO the exclusion
between those who criticised my report |
and myself Is the percentage of coolie |
labor EMPLOYED While I do not admit it. |
for the sake of argument, admitting that |
30 per cent il coolie labor, let us see
where this industry; winch sh9ulo a,-a re
man in California, will bring US If 1t is |
to be operated even with that percentage
OF Oriental labor. While today we have |
onIy thousands Of acres under cultiva- |
ton none would dispute but what there |
are thousan ds of coolies employed Does
not this mean that when have mil |
lions of acres under cultivation that we |
will have the same increase in coolie |
labor?
At the price of beets today they do not |
pay the farmer any better for his In |
yastuent than does wheat with a pro- |
portional yield and fair market
In conclusion. 7 wish to say again that |
this is an industry which should receive /
the support of all. and II should he /
launched I'm California that all NAV |
receive its benefits. farmer and laborer
alike: hut if it is continued upon the !
lines Of TO-DAY the time is not far distant |
when. instead OF it being boon to |
California the DeOple will he arraved |
against labor and its monopoly. they |
arc today against the famous funding |
bill.
TT the Western Sugar Refinery Is sin |
cere in it's statements that it is their de- |