Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-05-17
ITALIANS AS FARM HANDS.



The Newark Meas, which, by the way,
we find from brief daily acquaintance, is
one Of New Jerseys great newspapers, has
this information on a subject Of consuming
interest to New Jersey farmers, We quote
the article IN full:
franklin Dye, Secretary OF the State
Board Of Agriculture, has taken steps to
carry out the suggestion made at the last
annual meeting OF the board, with refer
ence to utilizing immigrants as farm la
borers ssHe has opened communication
with G. Rossati, manager Of a labor in
formation office for Italians, in New York
City, and has received a reply which gives
fair promise Of at least partial solution Of
the farm labor problem IN this State.
How TO obtain competent and trust
worthy farm hands in sufficient numbers
to meet the actual necessities Of the far
mers in all parts of New Jersey was one
OF the most Important questions discussed
at the Trenton meetings in January last.
One suggestion was that negroes be induced
to come here from the South, but the ex-
perlences in Burlington and other lower
Jersey counties within the past year or two
and the generally unintelligent and UNI
trustworthy character OF that class of help
prevented approval Of the suggestion, and
turned the State boards attention to
another possible source of supply. A reso-
luton was adopted recommending that the
secretary establish such relations between
the farmers and those interested in the
welfare of immigrants as would facilitate a
distribution Of the latter among the agri-
- <to <o%
"Of the / ,053. SIS immigrants who landed
in the United States last year, no less than
SO, 961 located in New Jersey, but of this
number very few sought work on farms.
The great majority Of them located in the
already congested districts Of the cities, and
the problem of farm help was increased
rather than simplifed by the tide Of immi-
grafton As very large pro PORTION of all
the immigrants now coming to this country
are Italians, Secretary Dye has very wisely
made the experiment OF supplying farmers
with help of this nationality.
Manager Rossati is not only pleased to
cooperate with Secretary Dye, but be
states fact not generally known, and one
that affords great hope for the success Of
the experiment 1t is that more than
eighty per cent. of the Italian immigrant
laborers arriving at New York come from
the country districts of Italy and make
splendid workers for the farm, especially
for fruit culture or for any work concerning
intensive cultivation. 1t may seem strange,
this being the case, that the Italians have
SO completely Stunned the rural districts,
but she reason is apparent. AS Americans
would seek the society Of Americans if they
went to Italy, so Italians seek their own
countrymen when they come here, and
therefore they crowd into the cities.
Secretary Dye very properly takes this
natural fellowship propensity into consid-
GRAFTON when he advises farmers who are
disposed to apply for italian helpers to CO.
operate either as neighborhoods or through
local organization and employ number OF
them under such conditions as will afford
them social intercourse and make them con-
tented. It is sincerely to be hoped shat the
outcome of this experiments will prove
satisfactory If such results follow. it will
relieve the city of much undesirable con-
gestion, and will afford the farmers the help
which they have greatly needed for many
years past. There is no good reason why
those who were excellent farm hands in
Italy should not be suited to farm work
here. Most of them are intelligent, tract
able and trustworthy, and these if we'll
treated may prove Of great value to the
farming communities of this State"