The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-29
japanese in California
BY FREDERIC j. IIAsKIN.

lsAlus VI NiIS vi uTleu sent out
from, here each year arc produced and
handled largely by Oriental labor. In
fact. the industry practically depends
upon the five or six thousand Japanese
Ia,ore ~. n j. Fresno county They came
grape growers believed that in the Jap
anese they had found the solution pf
the vexlng labor problem, which ill
Californlafrult growers are continual
| ~ struggling to solve. After, a time
the Japanese had practically placed all
other laborers out Of competition. Then.
they changed their attitude. They had
their employers at q disadvantage. and
demanded Increased wages and all sorts
lof privileges.
Japanese farm laborers are by no
means content to remain in their po-
sltion,,. and they invariably attempt to
establish colonies which will give the
community bad name with white peo-
lple. This reduces the price OF real es-
tate and the Japanese enter upon pos
session OF the land by leasehold or pur-
lchase. Wherever the Japanese farmer
comes in force he drives out the white
man from the community His pres
cnce Is as surely depressing upon real
estate values as the presence of a col
ony Of negroes is in Southern city.
1.-THE Japanese farm laborer in the small
| fruit sections of the State can find
employment at wages of s1.25 10 sl.75
day In the great prune growing
district OF Santa Clara Valley they can
make as much as-s3 day during the
picking season. They live on next TO
nothing, and. save their money To
their savings they add money advanced
| from Japan, or they did until the. panic
cut off the supply from home, ana then
go out to buy or lease land
The Japaneae in California own over
ia thousand farms, an aggregate of
more than 100000 acres. There can be
,ittle doubt that many OF the farms were
a nh, pnI fro,
Japan by the financial agents Of the
lall-grasplng imperial household. A
Tokyo BANKER Is responsible for the
statement that the imperial household
lornia, Texas, Louisiana and Colorado.
The agitation for Il law to prevent
ialiens holding land In California grows
tout OF the general dislike for the Jap
ianese. and the increasing fear of their
lencroachment upon agricultural indus
tries.
a Japanese colony in the Sacramento
Valley, where potatoes are largely
grown, succeeded in obtaining leases
on large part OF the land. Two years
ago they attempted to corner the Call
Iitornia potato market. They failed
and lost lurge sums of money. Last
year they renewed the attempt and
were successful. They controlled prac-
tically the entire output of potatoes In
the State, doubled the price and made
back their losses OF the previous year
with handsome profit besides. This
spring the farmers In various sections
| from the Japanese potato monopoly by
planting large fields In more widely
separated sections. The berry crop OF
Santa Clara is controlled in similar
fashion by the Japanese farmers.
/ Vacaville is n Japanese town 1t Is
said that a traveller in the vaca Valley
VIII meet nine Japanese to one white
man. The fruit orchards in this valley
1 NCrv IA .t.s.
more than half is controlled by Jap
Ianese under lease. a small sectIon is
Iowned by the Japanese outright The
Japanese stores in Nacaville con;Jol
Ithree-fourths OF the business of The
town. In this section the farmers well
Icomed the Japanese with enthusiasm.
provided no accommodations for white
laborers at all, and rested on Oriental
help. II was but few years until the
Japanese became masters of the situa
ition, owning or leasing the greater part
of the land and outnumbering tho
whites in population. Land values
have shrunk one-third since the Japa-
tnese invasion. Efforts arc being made
ito bring in white farmers by cutting
iup the land into small holdings Of
! fssEsins them to white fiatrgIHfGs, with. faH=
Icouragfng III" raising OF garden truck
land poultry along with the fruit
| The greed and superficiality Of the
Japanese is proving his own undoing
lin this particular section. He has
ibeen here fifteen years, and for half
Iof that time has been in practical con-
Itrol of the situation. He has had time
flor his poor methods of cultivation to,
ltell, and they have proved him an IN.
4 competent horticulturist In view OF
1.-THE excellence of the gardens of Japan,
land the wellknown Japanese skill IN
ltree culture, this may be surprising.
But the fact is that the Japanese here
5Ihave forced their trees for the pur-
slpose of producing immediate results,
thave looked to the penny OF to-day
rather than to the shilling OF to-mor-
row. The same business fallacy which
Icaused Osaka cotton mills TO pay ~
Iper cent. dividend last year, and 50
timpoverish themselves that this year
ithey cannot take the raw cotton from
ling of the japanese In the vaca VAT
Hey. They wantsto make all the money
lat once. They still retain one great
advantage over the white fruit grower:
lassured of sufficient labor supply
during the picking and packing season,
!. while the white grower must trust 10
luck for his help.
Here in Fresno county there are also
!, la goodly number of Japanese lease
holders. and there are about thirty who
: own. vineyards. two of them large ones
i 1.-THE Japanese laborer in the ralsli,
, grape section has physical advan,
: Ecompetition. He has been used 70
squattng on his heels since babyhood
Hand he can work to advantages. squat
: ting on the ground beside the low
r,yines. The raisn pickers are paid by
1.-THE quantity Of grapes they gather
j land Japanese can easily earn So a day
iwhile the white man alongside car
y make but 81. The full Japanese pop
3 ulation of Fresno county during TN
Y Ipicktng season is about 5000. Hal
'of this number stay here the yea
d ,round. while the others scatter through
r.the state until the next season come
8 The Japanese are also trying to &c
control sof the fruit industry OF N
$, lPajaro Valley. The farmers here SUI
S fered from a lack Of labor and IN
= Japanese were welcomed with Srea
s,tacclaim. AT frstrsthey We're treate
= lwith the utmost consideration, but a
!: thine went on the people discovered ina
y there We're radical differences betwee
70 the Japanese and the Chinese, with Whoi
l. they had been familiaA For, severe
i Years one bank in WOsonNille, th
= centre of the valley.a has refused !
:. lopen an account witlt0a Japanese. a!
Though the same bank welcomes BUS
mess with the Chinese. The Japanes.
q turned to the money order depart p !, 7,
e, lnent OF the post-officc for banKin 7.