The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-01
KENT HOP MEN CUT WAGES.
OFFER PICKERs ONLY SEVENTY
FIVE CENTS A BOX.
Labor Commfssioner Grout Believes
Men Cannot BE Had Mt That rfg-
ure-Yakima Growers Maintain
same Scale as Last Year.

within the next ten days over 1000
hoppickers will be shipped from this
city to the Yakima fields Under ordi-
nary circumstances even a larger num-
Der would be sent TO the White river val
ley fields but the growers Of that sec
fion have combined to lower prices, and
are offering only rs cents a box instead
Of 81. the pay received by pickers In pre-
vious years, and now offered al Yakima
As result. II is predicted by Labor Com
missioner Grout. that few pickers Will
this year decide to go to White river val
ley
No official announcement of the 15-cent
price has been made from Kent or any
Of the neighboring towns. but in all or
ders received by the city free employ
mcnt bureau from there II has
been the price specified. These or
ders have been numerous. already
dred men. and most Of them
have been quite urgent as the yield is
heavy and picking II 10 start next week
H. y. Madison, Of Kent sent an order for
forty pickers. writing as follows on the
question OF wages: my hops will be
picked In boxes-not weighed-and the
price the same az other people in the
vicinity pay. which will be. In all prob
ability. 75 cents"
pay to IS cents box may prove sue
cess. because OF the number OF Indians
willing to work IN the Ken. fields. but I
am inclined 20 believe that II will end. as
all such attempts have ended in dis
astrous failure" said Commissioner Grout
yesterday. THE Yakima growers tried
. similar cut three years ago and learned
. lesson they will not soor forget Right
AT the time when the pickers were pre-
vxn tuN IN utu fpr 10
nouncement was made broadcast that rs
cents would be the price. We could find
no one willing 10 work for that. and made
q plea for the restoration OF the 81 scale
After the exchange OF several letters this
was finally granted. In the meantime the
had become tired OF waiting and had ac-
cepted other work or gone elsewhere to
spend their vacations. We were able 70
get only a few pickers. nothing like the
number necessary TO properly handle the
crop. I think the Kent people will have
the same experience this year"
Mr.. Grout yesterday issued circular
announcing dates for four shipmenta OF
hop-pickers 10 Yakima. The hrst Of these
will be Thursday. September 9. and will
be followed Saturday. September 8;
Tuesday. September II. and Thursday.
September 10. by similar consignments
Tho pickcrr will leave here on the 7t5
n. m. Northern Pacific train and at 2.so
p. m. will arrive at North Yakima, where
JTfe transportation 10 tho vtTfDus Htfus
will be Immediately furnished.
The efforts to secure s. rate for the
round trip from Seattle 10 North Yakima
have not been abandoned. as tha North
ern Pacific officials have as vet taken
No action upon Il. but the arrival Of the
riekfng time has made II necessary TO
begin shipping pickcrs AT once. In the
absence Of further concessions. last years
rate Of $3.50 for the round trip will be In
force. These tickets will he good for re-
turn until October ib which allows plenty
~ time. as the hop-picking season will
probably not last over four weeks The
Northern Pacific win not give even this
round-trtp rate unless twenty-five or more
tickets are sold for each OF the four
shipments.
All pickers sent out by Mr.. Grout are
given numbered tickets. upon presenta-
tion Of which 10 the Yakima Hop Grow
ers' Association, the organization inciud-
Ing all OF the principal fields Of the coun-
try. they are sent TO the places needing
help and Immediately put to work