The Lafayette gazette., 1902-02-15
LABOR F0R FIELD WORx.

LABOR FOR FIELD WORK.
Inability to secure labor is a
source of trouble to planters in
st. Martin, VermiliOn and other
parishes. We have not heard of
any complaints from this parish,
but we suppose that the same
conditions exist here. In ST.
Martin, the Messenger tells us,
planters have been unable to find
labOrers to work their fields. This
is sparticularly true of those eengag-
ed in the cultivation of rice. In
that parish there appears to be a
disposition among the negroes to
move into the towns and to work
as little as possible. In Vermil-
ion, we are informed by the Mer-
idional, the negro !labOrers have
been spoiled by the ce-growers
who raised the wages of common
labor from 60 cents to 81. so a day
and board. For obvious reasons
the growers of cotton and cane
cannot pay that much for field
hands, and the consequence is the
work is not done The negroes
believe that they are in a position
to dictate terms to their employ
ers and there is no agreement
possible. This very unsatisfac-
tory condition of affairs is becOm-
ing quite serious and there seems
to be only one way out of it and
that is to secure labor elsewhere
In some of the sugar parishes
Italians have, in a large measure,
taken the place of the negroes as
field workers, and it is said the
change has been beneficial to the
landowners.
In the Red river section Mex
lean labOrers have been employed
and from what the Bienvi11e Ar
gus says the swarthy sons of
MOntezuma have done pretty
well. The Argus give the follow
ing interesting account of the ex-
pertinent
Mr.. Harper has gone to South
Texas to secure MexicanS to grow
cotton ON 400 acres of land. This
fall Mr. Harper had some 40 or 80
Mexicans picking cotton on his
place. Behind Jim Harper is
one of the largest mercantile and
cotton planting firms in this val
ley, and this firm has two years
experience in bringing from
South Texas Mexican labor to
pick cotton.
From the white foreman on
the Harper place, we get the fol
lowing "data:' There is head
man to Mexican squad who
speaks English and Spanish. and
who looks after the interest of the
labor under him. If the Ameri-
can can handle the head man.
then all is we'll. In the scale of
the Mexican is in ad-
vance of the negro labor. The
Mexican gets in more time pick
ing cotton. He picks cotton more
free of trash. The expense ac-
count of feeding Mexican is less
than that of the negro. The Mex
lean is largely a vegetarian. He
eats onions, garlic, red pepper,
cow peas, rice, corn meal, lard,
coffee and little fresh beef once
per week. On the same planta-
tatiOn the Mexican will make
money when the negro came out
in debt. The Mexicans don t swap
and then want the
white man to pay in cash the
boot. The MexicanS don't engage
A lawyer to get divorce and call |
On the white man to pay all these
things and a thousand more, the
negro does to increase his indebt-
adness to the white man. Cotton
in Southern Texas is |
the result of Mexican Ia
Dor. In handling Mexican labor
IN cotton plantations, and in log
Texas, all llprOmises made
hem must be complied with. The
vocabulary of the white
man accustomed to handling ne
grOes must be laid aside. The
Mexican is a reliable labOrer."
The DODularitV even among the