854 AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



As the company's agent, the padrone naturally can dismiss the 

 man who objects to his dispensations, or can bully him into accepting 

 them. He can also prevent his being employed by other padroni. 

 The padrone's profit comes from two sources from the fee he charges 

 each man for his job, and from what he can make off the housing and 

 supplies furnished to these men. The laborer has to buy his food 

 from the padrone, who in many camps is allowed to deduct a fixed 

 amount from the laborer's wages every month, whether the man buys 

 that much or not. Sometimes the food is so stale and worthless that 

 the man throws half of it away and buys more somewhere else. He 

 has no place but his bunk in which to keep his food. 



NOTE. While the above remarks apply primarily to conditions 

 in construction work, the agricultural laborer has not been any more 

 gently dealt with by the padrone. Similarly, while the preceding 

 section speaks only of the good offices of the Japanese "boss," it 

 not infrequently happens that he exploits his helpless countrymen 

 without stint or mercy. Many private employment agencies have 

 been not less predatory in their dealings with foreigner and American 

 alike. Attempts by state agencies to secure a satisfactory dis- 

 tribution of farm labor have as yet met with only partial success. 

 EDITOR. 



C. Woman and Child Labor 



277. SOME INTIMATE GLIMPSES OF WOMEN'S LABOR 1 



Michigan. If there is one place where the American farmer excels 

 it is in getting the utmost out of his wife and family. He will not 

 co-operate, but the combined work of self, wife, and family produces 

 a living that another man earns for himself and his family. The busi- 

 ness and home are so close together, the demands of the business so 

 insistent, and the farmer so needing help that he just naturally assumes 

 control of all, and the woman is no longer boss of her own time. On 

 the farm she is the partner in the expenses of the farm. She is the 

 partner when it comes to picking berries, cucumbers, etc., and the 

 farmer doesn't pretend to grow stuff for the cannery unless he has a 

 wife and children who can do the picking, etc. He cannot afford to 

 hire it done. 



Minnesota. From the experience of thirty years in the store busi- 

 ness in northern Minnesota, I do not hesitate to say that over one 



1 Adapted from Report No. 106, Office of the Secretary, United Stales Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, pp. 10, 16, and Report No. 103, pp. 46-52. 



