The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-02-10
JAP. LABOR IS MENACE
TO WHITES ON COAST
Their Cheapness Is One of the
1nsistent Demands Why They
Should Be Admitted.
Writer Wonders If Japanese
Labor Is Really Cheap-Ar-
CUES About Much Waste.

Inc cheapness of Japanese labor il
one of the insistent reasons whv that
class or farm hand is so strongly pre-
1erred by some. There are reasons why
the Japanese are preferred or used
| "h1ch nave seeming justification, but
| IS there justification for the alleRa-
tlon that 1T is because of their cheap
| ness. We think not. In fact it is pref
~ safe to assert that there never was
class of labor used in the orchards of
VacaVllle which was as high priced as
the Japanese. In the first place, unless
! closely watched, they have deteriorated
! the value OF every ranch on which they
| nave been employed. Some Of tho
! ranches which have been leased to
! them have been practically valueless
| from an orchard standpoint, and would
not be taken as a gift by thoroughly
good orchardist who understands the
!; fruit business. We heard a discussion
OF this proposition and. the way IL
comes about which is illustrative OF 4
condition which continually recurring
all over Vacaville township. A man
VINO thoroughly understands the
science of pruning observed the work
done by Jap and made the observa-
ton that the damage inflicted in a
days work could not be repaired by a
week successful labor at something
else. Two Japs blowing field were
observed by another. One had a plow
so deep in the ground that the horse
was being killed by the unreasonable
quantity OF labor he was doing. The
next Jap was going over the ground
at mop. skip and jump, which was
equally unreasonable. The work being
oone was cheap in neither instance
we DO not believe that Japanese labor
IS cheap IN any case. It is convenient
ana IN large supply. Measured from
the standpoint Of the Individual or
chardlst we think the analysis of re-
suits will satisfy any impartial exam
1ner of the local situation that the
Japanese are in no wise cheap. labor
ers. but are in reality the the highest
priced orchard help ever employed in
Vacav1lle.
A Few years ago there was a large
Chinatown in the vicinity and many
hundreds of them in the valley, doing
most of the orchard work Today
there are but few Chinese in this
whole section, they having been nut to
route by the Japanese. When the Jap
anese first came here they worked for
a dollar day, were faithful and re-
liable and spent their money with THE
white INGREDIENTS. This gained for them:
the confidence of the white people, but
no sooner had they routed the Chinese
than change took place. The jap
anese began to establish their own
stores and to trade only, with them
selves They raised their wages to
$1.25 per day, then to $1.35, then to
$3.50 per day, and at last erected
bank OF their own, so that now tho
white people get nothing whatever
out of the Japanese, and as for work
they are both slow. unsatisfactory and
unreliable. so that the condition in
Vacaville today is that the orchard men
are paying one-half more for their
labor land unreliable labor) than they
did when they had Chinese labor ana
the money thus paid is entihely lost
to the country 50 far as the white pop.
ulation is concerned. -.-> i