IV. FISHERMEN AND OTHER EMPLOYEES. 



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 the 

 watchmen alone being whites. 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 peculiar 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. 



The Japanese now compose about one-half of the cannery em- 

 ployees. "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 emplo} T ed if the}' 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 



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