The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-09-27
WOMEN WILL
PICK APPLES
men ARE SCARCER THAN LAST YEAR
Portland Office of U. 5. Department Of
Labor Will Open Office in 0cto.
ber-Wage Scale Suggested

The crop of Hood River valley ap-
pies, which will reach approximately
], ,000, 900 boxes this fall, must accord
ing to R. P. Bonham, director of the
Portland Office of the United States
immigration Bureau, the employment
service of which annually furnishes
thousands of laborers to local straw
berry growers and orchardists, be
picked to large extent by women.
Communicating Friday with F. W.
Buff, manager of the Fruit Growers
Exchange, Mr.. Bonham declared that
men are far scarcer than last season,
when women were used to a large ex-
tent in the apple harvest.
In circular issued to apple growers
by the government employment agen-
cy, Mr.. Bonham says;
''This service plans on again assist.
ing the Hood River valley growers in
harvesting their crops. We will open
branch Office in Hood River early in
October.
at should be borne in mind that
men are scarcer than last year, and
therefore women must be employed
more than heretofore. You should rec.
oncile yourself to this fact and govern
yourself and arrange your help accord
ingly. Some satisfaction may be found
in the fact that in the employment of
women you are less likely TO be dis.
turbed by professional agitators.
at is respectfully suggested that If
your help is satisfactory this year, you
secure their names and addresses and
sy,xy 70 thay,, IN Va,
are in permanent business and your
labor problem is important, and may
be vital to you next year. believe
that the reputation of the Hood River
valley has, or may have, as to the
treatment of its seasonal help will
prove this wear, and in the future, a
business asset-or otherwise"
At recent conference of the ship
ping organizations of the valley the
following scale of wages was suggest
ed and communicated to the Portland
employment office: Men. from rs to
30 cents per hour; women, 20 to 25
cents per hour packing to AZ cents
from sizing machines, and cents
from tables, where it is necessary also
to sort fruit. The circular. states that
IL ID DSlleNcu LildI II VIII Ue HGCGsedEy
to pay a minimum of So. 70 per day to
men and 1925 for women.
The Portland Office of the United
States Department of labor will this
season follow new plan of supplying
help to orchardists. Heretofore all
laborers were registered here after ar
rival from Portland. This season Mr..
Bonham has supplied all growers with
blanks, ON which they will furnish him
with estimates of the help needed.
When the pickers are needed the Port
land Office will be notified and the Ma
borers will be sent directly to orchards
from Portland. In former seasons
many families have become disgrunt-
led after having to wait here for sew
eral days before being supplied with
work.
''ln his conversation with me-" says
Mr.. Buff, MR. Bonham laid great
stress on the preparation of comfort
able quarters for workers. During
past years many growers have been
neglectful of this phase of the harvest,
and as a result the valley has suffered
We want to be prepared by all means
to take good care of our harvest
hands.