The San Francisco call., 1910-06-06
Only Americans Gathered
Data on Japanese Labor
Report Represents Opinion From All Sources
Possible to Reach, Says Mackenzie

field and the gathering of citrus fruits
in the fall and winter
In this work upward OF 1000 sched-
ules were obtained, covering So OF the
5S counties in the state and including
an aggregate OF 697.1 acres. The IT.
inerary extended from counties in the
extreme north TO the southern bound
ary line, a distance of about 1000
miles. The work was carried forward
simultaneously in many sections and
was concluded with Imperial county.
which was visited in February. 1910.
These schedules were obtained from
employers of white people, and OF Jap
anese or other oriental labor exclu-
clusively. and from those employing
both white people and orientals.
Special effort was made In all sec
tions to obtain full data from all Jap
anese having IeasehOIds. tenures or
ownerships in lands. or operating
farms, vineyards and orchards under
various tenures of interest in crops
Visits were also made to packing. dry
ing and shipping plants. wineries. and
all information bearing on this investi
cation secured. Personal visits were
made to persons in various lines Of
business activity in all the more i'm
portant centers of population, and who
were from the nature or character OF
their enterprises in position to supply
additional or corroborative data.
With a view of obtaining full data
OF the fruit, berry and vegetable crops
produced in all sections OF the state a
schedule was prepared and by personal
visits and by correspondence informal
tion was obtained from the fruit pack
ing, the shipping and commission
houses. This information was consid-
cred of extreme Importance and was
sought with the purpose OF obtaining
at least an approximation showing the
magnitude to which the fruit industry
in this state has developed and the dis
tr1cts IN which the various classes OF
fruit are produced and the acreage. and
In measure to determine the various
belts or sections wherein are grown
the deciduous and citrus fruits and
products of the vine and the total
amount. and also the proportions grown
the Chinese The results obtained were
valuable, and while not as complete as
was hoped for. the information in the
mitted.
The policy adopted during this in
vest1Sation was to secure all the tnfor-
nation possible bearing on the subject
matter from all persons and avenues
competent and reliable, in whatever en-
terprise or industry or direction the in
Selected industries wherein Japanese
We're large labor factor or where con-
dfttOnS occurred or develOpment war
ranted were carefully studies and re-
search made to secure all possible data.
extensive correspondence was had with
the various departments of federal.
state and county governments and i'm
pOrtdnt statistical data obtained Wher-
ever the use OF printed forms would ia
cilitate this work they were supplied
to officials with the request that they
be properly filled in In the instances
or departments of counties letters In
blank were mailed throughout the
state From these sources were OBJ
tanned data bearing on immigration
Japan from California through the me-
dium OF the postoffice department.
The inquiry included records OF arti-
cles or incorporation granted to resi-
dent Japanese or to foreign Japanese
companies licensed by the state. owner
ship OF lands and terms relating there
recorded; the character or class of
taxes paid; attendance at public
schools; inmates OF public institutionss
IhIormatlon regarding the fishing in
dustries OF the state. and the Alaskan
fisheries which employ San Francisco
as basis of labor supply
Census cards were prepared. printed
In both English and Japanese. and the
work of securing the data was carried
on cOincfdent with the various other
lines of the investigation
In the gathering Of routine data and
special informa ton respecting the busi-
ness activities and the agricultural in
dustries special schedules were used
and were filed in BY the agents OF the
bureau.
The work of compiling and tabulat-
ing the data was begun November 1.
1909. and carried forward while the
work in the field was being brought to
close. Extreme care and precautiOn
have been taken in the compiling A
thorough study was made. first OF the
material presented in the data, with a
of the information contained therein
and of presenting the same by various
methods and In several forms. This ma
terial was used with the object in view
of drawing from these schedules and
from all other sources all information
obtained during the progress OF the
otherwise. from all the many industries
that had been considered in the inquiry.
tion of statistics and data, and in the
tedious work of compiling. the regular
office staff was increased and extra
time devoted to the work This COM
pilatiOn, being out of the ordinary
routine and in addition to the regular
necessary Office duties. required a great
deal Of extra labor and careful atten-
tion to details. both in the preparation
and in the actual labor The schedules
and special reports and statistical data
were carefully studied. tables were
prepared. and the character or form of
the tabulations changed or improved
according to new material secured by
their reports the special agents also
reviewed their own schedules and con-
suited their notes.
The inquiry developed. not only in
the compiling department. but in the
field as the work progressed. the vari-
ance of conditions in different coun-
ties, and in some instances different
sections of certain counties brought out
new ideas and facts. and kept the field
men and the office men constantly
studying the situation and conditions.
The expressions Of opinion and state
ments OF facts by the persons inter-
viewed were wholly voluntary. The
field agents were instructed to use no
argument against nor persuasion In
favor of the Japanese or the white
man. The purpose of the inquiry and
its scope were presented to the persons
interested and they were left to give
the facts relating to their own business
and to express such opinions OF the
situation as they saw At. It has been
impossible to reproduce all these ex-
pressions. so a consensus Of them has
been carefully preserved and presented
in the reports Of the special agents.
]. d. MACKENZIE,
Commissioner.
San Francisco. June 5, 1910.