The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-28
JAPANESE IN CALIFORNIA.
A Fruit Grower Describes Labor COndi-
lions on the C0ast.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: As a
resident OF Redlands. Cal. and an orange
grower. 1 have read with interest the letters
Of your correspondent in San Francisco con-
corning the anti-Japanese feeling on the
Pacific Coast. It seems to be his opinion that
the fruit growers OF California employ Japa-
nese laborers In q spirit Of perverseness. not
from economic necessity.
Permit me to say that. at least to the ex-
tent OF my personal knowledge. the fruit
growers OF southern California will employ
white American labor every time, other
things being equal. They really should not
be expected to turn away Japanese labor
when American labor becomes inefficient or
annot be obtained. Several years ago the
orange packers Of southern California per-
mitted the growers to have their oranges
picked by the box. The average price paid
the picker was three cents q boz. An or
binary man would then pick eighty boxes a
day. and l have had men pick no boxes a
day. Last year the growers were instructed
by the packers to pick only by the day. the
wage being q. Immediately the amount OF
fruit picked In q day fell to an average OF
nifty boxes. raising the cost Of picking from
three cents to four cents Q box. This being
the state OF the case, can the orange grower
be blamed for hiring Japanese pickers at o. as
a day when they will average as much as
seventy boxes . day2 The comparison ap-
pears thus:
Wags. Bor.,. Boz.
White labor. ..........s...t2.00 90 %
japanese labor ..,........... LIS 10 .02lz
Not only are the Japanese laborers efficient,
but they are easily directed and appear
to want to please their employers. Other
things being equal. / have always employed
American labor, and I shall continue to do so;
but ! cannot. nor can other fruit growers.
afford to throw away n and q half cents on
each box OF fruit picked.
Not only has American labor become
inefficient In southern California. but In some
places IL has almost disappeared. A friend
OF mine has a large lemon orchard near San
Diego; Recently he was unable TO obtain
pick his fruit. For some time he went short
handed rather than hire Japanese. but at
last, to an his orders: he was compelled to
lean labor in southern California 10 inefficient.
! had men working for me last winter whom
such men DO not hesitate TO c%riticise tSefr;
follow lab9rers, who shirk. and upon them
they lay the blame Of compelling. the fruit
harsher critic OF the lazy. American laborer
than his fellow laborer who still will do an
We are sufrerins in the labor market from
the demand. The American Isborer becomes
Atlantic and Pacific coasts foreign labor
comes in to supply the demand. Unfortu-
nately for the citizens Of the Pacific Coast,
from being assimilated into the body polite,
with the result that we have an undigested
element In our midst. apd consequent suffer-
ing and uneasineSs.
California is suffering from a labor famine
to-day, and all / ask Ia that the people OF the
East give US time to solve our labor problem,
and sympathy while we are trying to do so.
We recognize the problems attendant upon
assimllable Orientals, but at the same time
we recognize that this element has been in
troduced by the action OF the law OF supply
and demand.
The Japanese are here, and I think we
should not be too harshly criticised for using
them in the extremity OF our need. We re-
greet that extremity as inch as anybody.
G. l.. PARTRIDGE
WILLIAMsrowN. Mass. November %.