Year: 1876

Banishment of the Chinese the Ruin


of CaIffornfa's Agriculture.


The testimony taken tefore the Congres-
sional committee on the Chinese question last
week called the attention of the public to some
of the drawbacks of agriculture in California,
including the high rate of wages and the 9a-
trustworthy character Of many of the white
farm laborers.


Prevalent opinion spopg farmers declares
that the cultivation of the soil under ordinary
circumstances with white labor in California
is upprofts able, End although there is q great
prejudice against the Chinlneu for many rea-
sons, vet they are accepted rs indispensable to
success in mang departments. If (though this
is a confiu, ,ancy which nobody regards rs
within the range of ossibility) a resolution
were unanimously adopted by the whites that
all the Cinnamon should leave the State at the
end of next yesS there would Immediately be
a reriors declire IN the value of vineyards, Or
cbards, hop fields, strawberry plantations and
grain fields.


This is not question of sentiment, but of
business. High wages have very decided I'd
vanta2es where tine workmen are economical
ard intelligent, where the employers make a
profit from the lator, end where the employ
meut is constant; but whenever large pro-
potion of the laboIers e9e unsteady in their





after year, and where theemployers agree that
they cannot afford to hire more than few
months at time, there the wages should te
reduced TO such a rae that Fermanence can
lie obtained. Wages should be reduced TO
such figure for white farm laborers that
public opinion among the farmers shall de-
clare that they can afford to employ them for
general farm work by the year. Now the rule
is that the MN employed for year aicer yeer
are Chinamep, while those hired for two or
three months aud then discharged are white
men.


II there were a fair profit from the employ
ment of white farm labor by the year, aud If
there were an abundant supply of it, public
opinion would demand the exclusion of The
Cbiramep, who are unfit for citizenship, and
are in many respects not desirable as neigh
bors. The general dislike of the white people
for Cinnamon as associates has no bearing
upon the interests Of agriculture, which de-
mand serious consideration in correction with
this Chinese question.


We regret that no attempt was made by tie
committee TO get an authoritative expression
of opinion from the Patrons of Husbandry,
which is the best representative of the farm
ers, most of whom till small farms owned by
themselves. Whatever contributes to the well
fare of this class enriches the State, and no
other organization IN the State is so extensive,
Is made up of single industrial class, or has
u Letier llSnb 10 SPEAK upon tliS question:.
Their views are doubtless correctly stated by
the RtrdI Press of the 10Th instant, which says
edtorially:


As far as VIC have had Of pOrtunity for oil -er-
v-ticn and conversation amUpg our farmers, the
general verdict s that they have no liking .or
the Chinese, but they do not see how they can
get alorg Without them. They lou-d not spare
hcm ruy better than they could heir farm ma
chincry.


High wages and high rates Of interest ruin
thousands of hard -workiny farmers in ourSEate
every year, compel them to sell out, and not
unlrequently the purchaser was the hired man
on the place before; and the former owner
then WORKS for wsges under his former SER
want, who teconss bankrupt in turn and Is
fought out by the previous owner. Such
singular chaug,s have occurred more than
once in Caliioinia.-Asd Cal.