The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-17
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The part playei BY japanese labor In
! California - AnAlys-i In recent report
of the Labor Commissions of thAa sta1s.
The report dos not suggest solutions 81
the problem. 10 merely presents actual
! conditions.
The Investigation % japanese In agricul-
turs covered visits to T. 100 farms scattered
over thirty-six COUNTIES and growing
almost every crop common to the state
% California. az this total number OF
farms visited lisa were Operated by
japanese farmers ~ owners. cash lea-e'-s
and share lessses. The remaining 1850
farms were operated by white farmers.
being equally distributed between those
employing white help exclusively. and
those employing miNed races. including
japanese.
These g. Toe farms contained eoT go
acres and produced crops valued APP
proAimaiely At SIS. OOO.O0 annually. On
these farms there were employed during
the past year an aggregate Of So ss2 per-
sons OF all races. 0. t52 % whom were
women. the length 81 employment vary
ing from n few days TO year
On the :. $40 farms Operated by white
farmers. employing q total OF 63l per
sons. So per cent. OF the labor employed
was white. - Z per cent. Japanese and iO.2
per cent. various other races, including
Chinese. Mexicans. Hindus and Indians.
On the 733 farms operated 10y japanese
farmers. employing i7,7sI persons, W
per cent. Of the labor employed was
Japanese. while sT2. or per cent. was
equally divided between male and female
white; in other words. on the basis Of
number employed. the Japanese fur
nishe1 practically 50 per cent. OF one
half Of III. labor necessary 90 grow and
harvest the crop. valued at SIS 90.
produced on the farms visited in this in
ve-tigation.
Tn. farms on which Japanese were not
employed were a. n rule much smaller
than those on which they were employed.
tho former averaging $50 acres. the latter
S57. demonstrating the necessity 81 a
class Of temporary laborors on large acre
ages
Another important fact developed by
the investi CATION was the relation be-
tween the character 81 the crop grown
and the employment Of Japanese. On
the farms where whites were employed
exclusively no berries or nursery prod
outside Of heans.
The average wage paid by white farmers
to white help was o.. 80 n day with board
and 81 40 day without board. and to the
Japanese 81 20 u day with board and
81 81 without board.
This. however, cannot lie taken as the
average earnings Of the Japanese. for
le2 per cent. OF thu entire number en-
A..
piecs work under which conditions the
earnings Of the Japanese are much larger
than those Of the whites.
The average wages paid 10 Japanese
farm labor by Japanese farmers was
81 81 a day with board and sl.5S a day
without board. showing that the Japanese
wers bettor paid by their own countrymen
than 10y the white farmer. This for two
reasons: First. that he 10 in greater de /
mAnd by his own countrymsn. and second.
that only 1916 Per cent OF the total numb.r
employed 10y Japanese farmers were
working 10y contract or piece work
The records of thu county assessors
show 100 farms. containing 1921 acres. B
owned by Japanese in the State VI Cali ,
fornia These farms were assessed az
$3.50 col on land and SO. s27 on improve
merits making n total % tsp7 .2ps, and \
were mortsaged to tbs extent OF si!3.Ss4 !
The records also show isS holdings Of town 4
assssssd at Sl74.0e4. Of which .
$50 eOo was on land and SIS .3el on i'm .
These holdings were mort !
ga ged 10 the extent 81 $50 30S.
very small percentage OF the leases .
are recorded. only $40 leases. covering
20 29s acres. being found ON the hooks
Of the County Recorders The actual
lease holdings OF the japanese in the state
Of California amounted TO IS 600 acres on I
cash leases and 60.OO on share leases
There were also recorded 10 leases on I
town property The farms held under /
cash lease by Japanese average 20 acres /
the largest number being S TO 20 acres
That part OF the inVesti CATION relating
To the japanese in business and activities .
other than agriculture IL practically COM
plete: 2,5is establishments were visited ,
throu ghout the state; .sSt were owned /
by individuals. $50 by partnerships and !