Arizona republican., 1910-05-31
The Labor Problem on the Coast.
Registeri

1 from that fact, demurrer would cor
 rectly represent the sentiments of the thinking people of the West in the matter of the plea made by the Cali
 fornia commissioner of labor in be-
 half of the admission of Japanese la
 borers.
 It is undeniable that many portions
 of the Pacific coast country-and
 California particularly-are in need of much more unskilled labor than is
 available. The fruit industry in all its branches, many branches of farm
 ing. the dairy industry, gardening the sugar beet industry, and others which could be mentioned call for more la
 borers. The great difficulty in find ing sufficient labor to harvest these
 various crops has undoubtedly had the effect of greatly modifying the formerly prevalent spirit of opposition to the admission of Chinese and Jap anese laborers. If it were not consid- cred politically unpopular to advocate a repeal of the Oriental exclusion laws. we have no doubt that many people in California would openly SUD- port a liberal modification, at least, of the laws and regulations which exclude Chinese and Japanese.
 But, admitting the need of more la borers, 1t by no means follows that wise solution would be to let down the bars and admit the Orientals. The wisest counsel that has been heard on this subjejct was given by Rud- yard Kipling a few years ago, when, on visit to the British Northwest, where the same problems exist, he said in substance to his fellow citi- zens of the British Empire: You sadly need more unskilled labor, it is true. and il appears that men of the Anglo-Saxon race will not willingly do the work that must be done if this country is to continue to develop. But you make a great mistake in turning to the Orient for your supply You should go to the south of Europe for your laborers. These people are of the-white race. will be assimilated by your population. and they and their children will become good citizens of your country. The Hindoo, the Chi nese and the Japanese will never be- come part of your populations; they will always be a people apart; their permanent interests will never be here, but always they will be citizens of the far east"
 We. of course, have not pretended to quote Mir. Kipling accurately, for his public remarks on the subject are not at hand; but we nave followed the spirit of his talks to the people of British Columbia
 Kiplings doctrine is sound, and it applies equally to all the western coast of America. The Oriental la borer. however efficient he may be. and however agreeable he may be as an individual, is no, the man with whom to solve the unskilled labor problem of the west. The question should be studied from the standpoint of statesmanship as we'll as the stand point of material needs. and this is not done in the report Of the labor commissioner of California, the prin- cipal points of which were printed in The Republican of yesterday. The United States receives immigrants from Europe every year to the number of approximately one million. Un- fortunately these immigrants. landing on our Atlantic seaboard, remain in the eastern section of the country They flock to the already congested cities. And yet they come from farming population of Europe, mostly, and would take kindly to farming pur- suits here. if intelligently guided to the farming districts ana properly ad- vised and looked after.