New Britain herald., 1924-01-18
CALIFORNIA LAW
 DRIVES LAPS EAST
Are Forbidden to Own, Lease, or
 Work Land on Shares

San Francisco, Jan. 18.-Japanese
 farmers. forbidden by a California
 law to own or lease agricultural lands or to work them on crop-sharing basis. are turning toward eastern and middlewestern centers of population, local Japanese say.
 California, in turn, is looking to the east and middle west for thousands of white farmers 10 purchase, lease or work lands forced away from Japa- nese tillers. Throughout the / state ways of attracting farmers are being discussed. The land offered includes \ ome of the richest soil in the state. ] The United States supreme court in several recent decisions has upheld the California alien land jaw. The latest decision upholds the provision forbidden aliens ineligible to citizen ship from being employed on crop ,sEaring contracts. This ruling is said Ito have affected more than 30,000 Japanese, who until this fall were em- plcyed on. California lands under scrop-sharing contracts. Tens of thous- sands of highly productive acres were involved.
 Go to Eastern States The immediate effect of the decis- ion, it was said at the Japanese con- suate and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce here, was for representa- tiyes of the Japanese to be sent into eastern states to survey the agricul- tural situation. The survey was re- ported to have indicated that many Japanese could find profitable em- ployment as truck gardeners in dis tricts surrounding the large cities. It also was learned that in most of these districts Japanase could lease or buy land without restriction.
 For years California has been wag- ing a fight for white state." The political fight has ended, the Japa- neses have given assurance that they will make no further effort to com bat the law, but behind it all has beet, left a vast and acute economic problem of replacing Orientals on California farms.
 The big land owners of California have been hit the hardest. The huge estates have been the largest employ CTS of Japanese under leasehold and crop-sharing contracts. These es- tates still can employ Japanese as farm laborers for cash wages, but the Japanese is declared to be not nearly so efficient as a laborer as on crop sharing basis. Furthermore, the Jap- anese themselves much prefer pro- prietary interest in their undertakings, now forbidden in California, but pos- sible in other states.
 Break Up Big Estates
 In many quarters the breaking up and sale of big estates is forecast. If necessary, they must be sold or leased in small parcels to farmers who can till the acreage by their own re- sources. Often the larger farms can- not afford to hire enough day laborers
 In 1920 William D. Stephens, then governor of California, reported to federal authorities at Washington that Japanese operated 45S,05s acres of the very best lands In California" producing crops valued at s67,l45,730. At that time the, land ,curtivated by the Japanese was f6 per cent of all the irrigated farms in the state. Many authorities say the percentage has in- creased largely in the intervening three years. The Japanese controlled many of the states most valuable agricultural products. Most of this production now must come from white persons employing their own labor. Much of the produce finds its ways into eastern markets. Japanese still own and will farm 7i.769 acres bought before the anti-alien land laws became effective. Corporations owned or controlled by Japanese have an ad- ditional Sl,000 acres. Neither the in- Iiividuals nor the corporations can add |