The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-05-03
BONHAM WARNS
BERRY GROWERS
LABOR SHORTAGE Is IMPENDING
U. s. Labor inspector Says Hood River
Growers Must Prepare Comfort
able Quarters for Helpers

r. p. Bonham. inspector in charge
Of the United States department of Ia
Dor Offices in Portland, has warned the
strawberry growers of the Hood River
valley Of the necessity Of making prep
arations to house properly and care for
the army of transient strawberry pick
ers who will be needed here during
June.
In letter to A. W. Stone, Mr.. Bon
ham says:
Having in mind the difficulty exper-
fenced by the apple growers of Hood
River valley last fall in harvesting and
saving their apple crop, and having
also in mind that you requested my
opinion before that season as to the
wage it would be necessary or advisable
to establish as the standard pay for
pickers in order to secure sufficient
help, it now occurs to me that you
might appreciate suggestion at this
time in reference to the conditions the
labor market will probably be in when
the strawberry harvest opens.
you will recall that ! advised max
ing the wage for apple packers $2.25
per day and that you agreed with me,
but that the board of directors thought
otherwise and fixed the wage at 81. 90,
with the result that, Notwithstanding
the fact that we furnished you with
l,700 pickers and the city of Hood
River finally closed its schools and
stores for about week that all hands
might help, a valuable part Of the
crop was lost through failure to har-
vest same in season. My purpose in
mentioning this now is to emphasize
the possibility of even more serious
condition this year unless your grow
ers face the situation squarely and
prepare to meet it.
"The unemployed and needy this
winter were but few in comparison
with many previous years and every
thing indicates an increasing shortage
OF people who will of necessity engage
in the more or less uncertain, uncom-
Portable and Improbable seasonal
work of picking berries. AS have
said to you before. it seems that it
behooves the Hood River growers to
prepare now to house properly and
care for their help. If living condi-
tions are improved, you will find that
many women and children will 60 into
your valley and work in the berry
fields who do not go because of abso-
lutte necessity but for the change or in
the way of an outing. 1t seems that
your growers will have to depend upon
this class of workers much more than
formerly, and the only way in which
to induce such to come is not only to
pay fair wage but TO arrange that
they may live in that manner insisted
upon by self-respecting people.
II am writing this early that they,
themselves, may have time to inquire
INTO and consider the proposition, and,
if they so decide, build cabins or equip
themselves otherwise to care adequate
ly for their prospective employees.
Last year, both here and at White
Salmon, Wash. seven cents per carrier
were paid for picking berries, this sum
being increased to eight cents for all
laborers who remained throughout the
season.
Packers received 12a cents per crate,
or 10 cents for those remaining perma-
nently with their employers. While
the Association board has taken no
action on the coming seasons prices,
the wages will in all probability be
materially increased. Because of the
delay of maturity of the berry crop.
all local schools will have closed for
the summer, and pupils will be free to
participate in the harvest.
Mr.. Stone said last week that his
board of directors were emphasizing
among growers the absolute necessity
of preparing comfortable quarters for
harvest hands, and that the prepara-
tions for the coming season would no
doubt be better than ever on any
former year.