The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-09-01
SCHOOL VACATION
MAY BE CHANGED
Legislature to Be Asked to Co.
operate With the Orchard
Owners During Harvest

With women and children as prune
pickers and harvesters OF other small
fruits, grapes and hops. Homer A.
Craig. president of the farmers union
/ of Union district, Santa Cara county,
i believes he has the solution of the diff
fculties which now beset the rancher.
He believes that women and children
can do the work which is now largely
done by japanese and other oriental Is
ana that by changing the time of
school vacation, so that children can
be available when the fruit is ready
TO be picked. the need for orientaIs,
which may now possibly exist, will
be entirely eliminated.
Craig's plan has secured the in
dorse ment of the farmers union of
Santa Clara county and the plan he adj
Vocates will be among the most i'm
portant TO be considered by the state
convention of the farmers union, which
meets in San Jose in November.
The plan has also received the in
lorsement of educators throughout
the state, including State Superinten
dent of Public Instruction Hyatt, SUI
perintendent of Schools Alfred Romeo
vieri OF this city, City Superintendent
of Schools McClymonds of Oakland,
County superintendent d. T. Bateman
of Santa Clara county and City Super
intendent Alex Sherriffs of San Jose.
The matter will be brought to the at
tention Of the state legislature at the
next session in January.
The plan is to change the period of
school vacation from the present time,
when the Vaca ton terminates in August
or early in September, to later so that
the schools will remain closed during
. - h az
This arrangement could be effected, ac
eording TO Craig, by an act of the
legislature. AT present the fiscal year
in the school department as in other
branches of state county and city gov
errments, ends with June so.
SPEAKS OF OWN EXPERIENCE
Discussing his plan and his own ex-
perience in the work, Craig said yes
terday
There are tens of thousands of
women and children OF San Francisco.
Oakland, San Jose and other towns who
could DO the work of harvesting the
fruit crops of California if it were not
that the children have to attend school
the time the fruit is ready to har-
vest. Mothers and children are adj
mirable orchard help. have tried
them on my place and found that fam
lies give entire satisfaction.
At first 1 employed young people,
boys and girls, but they were not so
satisfactory. Then 1 engaged mothers
and children and found that they met
every requirement. While have never
used oriental labor on my place 1 have
every reason TO believe that the work
of women and children is more eff
cient. My neighbors have complained
that they could not secure white FAM
HES. but / have had little difficulty.
VACATIONS COME WRONG
There is difficulty. however for
the schools open too soon for the llar-
vest. II the vacation period were better
arranged the children could harvest the
apricot, peaches, pTune and grape crops.
The schools should close July so and
open about September 80. With white
families employed the fallacy of State
Labor Commissioner ]. 3. Mackenzie's
report on the alleged need of Japanese
will be plainly demonstrated. Macken-
zie claimed that the orchardists and
vineyardists were demanding oriental
labor. as they could not get white
labor.
But there is plenty of white labor
available if the effort would be made
10 secure it, and by changing the time
of the school vacation additional white
labor would be placed at the disposal
Of the ranchers. This fruit ranch work
IS easy ana WOULD pracIcaiIy amount
TO an outing for the children. Children
Of u years Of age can earn as much as
IS cents day and their mothers can
earn twice as much. At my place 1
make conditions pleasant for them,
furnishing tents, wire mattresses and
sheet iron stoves"
The committee of the Santa Clara
county farmers union which is work
ing for the application of Craig's idea
consists of Craig, chairman; President
Bagwen Of the Morgan Hill farmers
union and Secretary w. A. hammers of
the Santa Clara county farmers union.