TV. FISHERMEN, OTHER EMPLOYEES, ETC. 
In the early days canning was a haphazard business, and workmen 
came and went as common laborers do in the wheat fields of the West. 
As the business increased in importance and the need of skilled labor 
became imperative, men were put to certain work and kept at it from 
season to season, with the result that in a few years a corps of highly 
skilled laborers had been evolved, and this had much to do with the 
rapid extension of the industry. 
For many years Chinese formed the greater part of the cannery 
employees, the superintendent, foreman, clerks, machinists, and 
watchmen alone being white. No other laborers have ever been 
found to do the work as well or with as little trouble as the Chinese. 
In times of heavy runs, when the cannery would have to operate 
almost night and day in order to take advantage of what might be 
the last run for the season of the sometimes erratic salmon, the 
Chinese were always willing, even eager, to do their utmost to fill 
the cans, and, if fed with the especial food they insisted upon having 
and due regard was had to certain racial susceptibilities, the can- 
nery man could almost invariably depend upon the Chinese doing 
their full duty. 
The Chinese-exclusion law cut off the supply of Chinese, and as 
the years went by and their ranks became decimated by death, dis- 
ease, and the return of many to China, the contractors were com- 
pelled to fill up the rapidly depleting crews with Japanese, Filipinos, 
Mexicans, Porto Ricans, etc., with the result that to-day in many 
canneries special quarters have to be provided for certain of the 
races—more particularly the Chinese and Japanese—in order to pre- 
vent racial hatred from engendering brawls and disturbances. 
In Alaska the Japanese now compose about one-half of the cannery 
employees. While a few cannery men express themselves as well 
pleased with this class of labor, the majority find it troublesome. 
In Alaska and at a few places in the States Indians are employed 
in the canneries. In Alaska more would be employed if they could be 
secured. They make fair workpeople but are rather unreliable about 
remaining through the season. 
The supplying of this kind of labor is done largely through the 
contract system. In the large cities along the coast are labor 
agencies, mainly owned by Chinese, which make a specialty of fur- 
nishing labor for this work. In the agreement between the canning 
company and the contractor the company guarantees to pack a cer- 
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