The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-25
ON WHITE LABOR
Result Of Efforts Of the California
Bureau.
SIX THOUSAND SECURE WORK
HoboS and Bummers are
Rigidly Excluded.
Strong Opposition to Japanese.
Better Wages Paid White
Agricultural Laborers.

The seventh annual report of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State
of California for the year 1896 has just
been issued by the Commissioner, E.
| l.. Fitzgerald 1t contains matter
which is interesting to the sugar plan
tiers of Hawaii. Instead of maintain :
| Ing the bureau as one for labor sta
tistics, the Commissioner changed it
into one for labor supply, and has
been experimenting in bringing the
laborers and the employers of labor ro
getber, under State supervision.
During the last year nearly 5000
white people have obtained situations
through the bureau. These persons
have been selected with care. The "ho-
bees and "bums" and tramps have
been rejected. A system of registra-
tiop was selected, so that unreliable
persons would quickly be put on rec
ord.
The ranchmen, the farmers and the
iorchardists were, at first, slightly op
posed to taking labor of this kind, Cw7
ing to their very unfortunate expert
ences in employing white labor, which
often proved most unreliable. But Mr..
Fitzgeralds scheme has turned out
we'll, and the employers of labor in
the country are gradually taking stock
in the plan.
The plan of free labor bureau, this
report states, was started in Ohio some
years ago, and was warmly commend
so great that it was adopted by the
State of Minnesota where it is now in
most successful operation.
Commissioner Fitzgerald saw the
State of California, and of his own
accord, without State support, con-
verted the Statistical Bureau into one
of free labor. His report treats, IN a
methods of securing labor, and the
advantages of bringing together the
employers of labor and those who Of
fer it, with some guarantee by a re-
sponsible intermediary that contracts
will be kept. This guarantee is moral, |
rather than financial.
The report makes several important |
points. 1t says, firstly, that there is |
growing up a strong opposition to the |
of Japanese laborers. 1t |
is estimated that there are now nearly |
10000 of them in the State, and that
they are coming in rapidly from many |
points. especially from British COlum-
bia The Commissioner has not been |!
able. even with power which he has |
of administering oathS, to ascertain the |
exact methods by which the immi- |
grants are brought in. He is clear that !
it is done in spite of the laws against !
contract labor. Japanese, who are ia |
miliar with the needs of the farmers, |
furnish gangs of their own people to
work on the ranches, and then import |
such laborers as they require. The la
borers are brought over by emigration |
who are in some way under !
control. The rate of wages
in California is so much above that
o. Japan that there is great induce |
ment for the people of that country 10
mortgage their little property and emf
CRATE to a country which flows with |
milk and honey. The Commissioner
fears that unless this immigration is
restricted in some way, it will greatly
increase. and compete with the white
labor of the States.
The wages paid TO these Japanese is !
about 81 per day, while white laborers
of the same class are paid $50. The
ranchmen are not fully agreed on the
relative value OF these two different
kinds of labor, but several intelligent
farmers testify that they prefer the
white men at $50 to the Japanese at
81 per day.
The Japanese labor is regarded as in
ferior to the Chinese, who are more
STEADY. and do not have the fighting
notions of the Japanese. The latter
are disposed TO drunkenness. and like
&c move about the country.
While white labor Is preferred, the