The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-06-05
CALIFORNIA WANTS LABOR TOO.

CALF ORNIA WANTS LABOR TOO.
A report just made by the California
State Board of Commissioner of Labor,
on the japanese in California, is re
garded as having an important possible
bearing on the future policy Of the
nation with regard to japanese labor.
California having been the State main
/ ly responsible for the japanese exclu-
sion policy now existing, the report of
/ the commissioner that the State alb
soIutely needs some such labor as the
/ japanese, for the development of her
! industries, is a striking and important
| new feature Of the discussion. The
/ following, from an Associated Press alb
| stract of the report, which was flied
| in Sacramento. May 81, shows that the
| California labor commissioner thinks
! that California needs labor about as
much as business men here think Ha-
wai needs labor:
! ''Some form of unskilled labor. such
as is now represented by the japanese,
/ is essential for the continuance and
development Of the specialized agricul-
/ tural industries of California
/ This is the broad conclusion of the
report of the State Labor Commissioner
lust submitted to the Governor, on the
japanese in California and which was
: prepared after over year Of careful
/ field work by corps of special agents
among the farms employing japanese.
The investigation was authorized by
act Of legislature just after the anti
! japanese agitation in California in
! l90s-1909, and the report consists of
! over 10000 words exclusive Of a mass
Of tabulated statistics.
''The so-called oriental problem in
this State is thoroughly discussed IN
, the report and after searching inquiry
. into all economic and social conditions
, finds that some form of unskilled labor
/ capable of Independent subsistence
, quick mobilization and entailing no re
sponsibuIty upon the employer for con
tinuous employment, is absolutely nee
essary to California 5 field, orchard
and vineyard industries if these vast
enterprises are to be perpetuated anC
developed. The report is of the opinion
that the japanese are second only t.
the Chinese il meeting these require
ments.
AS to the Complaints heard agains
the japanese in the districts in which
they are employed in great numbers
the report states that they arise large
" from the attempts Of the laborer
to secure higher wages. 1t is pointed
out, however. that there are few com
plants Of this character except IN sucl
I. tod Inv ll To
nese IaboTers by virtue Of their mum
bers and the almost absolute depend
ence Of the growers upon them for TIL
harvesting Of the crops in the shor
time the seasons allow for the work
The average duration Of employment
en- farms is less than two months il
the wear. In this connection the repor
points out that the japanese hav'
learned that they can make much NOR
money out Of contract lab0ring than
working for daily wages. The rougl
average wage in the fields, orchard
and vineyards is given at approximate
" $50 per day. Under the cOntrac
system the Iaborers are able TO max
from $500 to 500 per day. From
this thew have passed to a more liberia
form Of contract. working together OF
: shares; to growing crops on gr0unt
held by them under cash rental an,
in comparatively isolated instances, t
actual ownership of the land.
q japanese ambition. SAYS the re
port. to progress beyond mere servilit,
to the plane Of the better class o
American workmcn. 10 own a home, t
operate industries, to be master and no
slave, IS of the same quality as tina