Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-01-19

because Of the high wages and the
scarcity of hands. But they are get
ting no sympathy or encouragement
from the labor leaders. 1t will be many
years before public sentiment will be
strong enough to secure any conces-
sions On the farms, IN the lumber
camps and wherever labor is needed
there is chronic complaint Of its scare
ity. 1t is impossible to get sufficient
help of any kind. A gentleman in
Oregon, who is familiar with the con-
ditions, described the situation few
weeks ago, when he said:
THE rapid cutting of timber in
washington and Oregon is leaving con-
siderable areas of arabic land In
such condition that it is practically inn
possible to make any use of it, owing
10 the great expense involved in clear
ing it of stumps. Some ten or fifteen
years ago. when Chinese labor was
comparatively plentiful in this section,
these chinese would take contracts to
clear such land at from SIS to $50 per
acre. l am now informed that con-
tracts which have recently been let at
$50 per acre for such work have been
thrown up because the contractors
could not make it pay. 1t is generally
understood that the clearing of cut.
over timber land now costs the pro
hibitiye figure Of about 500 per acre.
The result is that the land is not be.
ing cleared and because it is not
cleared it is not producing anything
and is not being placed in condition to
attract what this country so much
needs, and that is additional settlers.
If we had a considerable amount Of
Chinese labor, these Cinnamon would
go onto the cut-over land, clear it up
and put it in condition, and at a cost
which would enable the white man to
till it and make it productive. In this
work, which would employ thousands
Of Cinnamon. there could be no al
verse effect upon white labor.
Ten or fifteen years ago nearly all
railroad section gangs were composed
of Cinnamon. Today Japanese are
largely supplying such labor, but ow-
ing to the restrictions placed on emf
grafton from Japan we are not get
ting a sufficient amount Of this labor
to meet necessities; at the same time
Chinese labor has practically disap-
pearcd from the railroad work. These
japanese are so much in demand at
certain seasons of the year in the
harvest fields and in the sugar-beet
fields that it is difficult to keep the
gangs we'll filed up. When we had
Chinese am informed, the gangs
when once filed require comparative
~ few changes, as the men worked
steadily and did not drop the railroad
work to 60 to pay a little more per day
for the time being.
chinese which formerly furnished
practically all of the labor for the
salmon canneries along the Columbia
River, are now getting so scarce that
you will find in the canneries mixed
crews of Chinese, Japanese and white
labor including white boys and girls.
The Chinese are particularly adept in
doing this kind of work. When the
salmon are running it Is absolutely
necessary that every hour possible
tage. Chinese will do this where
white men will only work stipulated
time The salmon canning season
only lasts few months, the supply Of
fish is not regular, but comes in runs,
that is $50 to speak,, in spurts Of
greater or less dimensions and the
fish must be promptly taken care of
A nf w
labor now engaged In the canning
business could be more profitably en-
gagged in the fishing industry If
Chinese could be had to work in the
canneres The irregularity in the
way the fish run at times permits the
men in the canneries to work only
quarter or half day in order to care
for such fish as are caught. white
man cannot afford to work on that
basis, owing to his expense for living
while the small cost of living for the
Chinaman enables him to take his
chances with the employer In addi-
ton to the foregoing. cannery men
state that while the Cinnamon work
regularly throughout the season. it Is
the experience with white male labor
employed in the canneries that If they
are paid on Saturday they do not re.
turn to work until Tuesday or Wednes.
day In the meantime the fish are per-
mitted 10 spoil The Cinnamon who
are here are constantly growing older
and less able to stand the work in the
canneries, and a very serious condi.
ton coufronts the cannery men at this
time
Servant maids for households are
very scarce on the coast, and many
people who are able and willing TO
pay for domestic help are unable to
secure same. When Cinnamon were
plentiful. competent Chinese cook
could be had at from SIS to SIS. To.