TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUTT-GROWERS' C0NA T ENTI0N. 



93 



are competent to take care of your fruit and handle it properly to work 

 in the orchards, some inducement must be held out to them. That 

 inducement at present is a little higher rate of wages than they are 

 receiving throughout the East generally for similar service. But the 

 conditions there are altogether different from what they are here, and 

 those who are engaged on farms there and work in the fruit orchards, 

 except they are residents of small towns and cities and go in the imme- 

 diate vicinity to work, are provided with comfortable sleeping accom- 

 modations, and a place to eat, other than under a shed or tree somewhere; 

 or, as has been written up in the Eastern States, the fruit-growers of 

 California expect a man to sleep in the open air, .and sit on a fence 

 during the day, if he has nothing to do, and no place to eat other than 

 as provided for a basket lunch or picnic. In other words, the farm 

 laborers are not provided with accommodations furnished in the Eastern 

 States. In a great many instances these criticisms apply. The only 

 inducement held out here is a change of conditions, a climate, and new 

 scenery. They will come West for that purpose. If treated properly 

 and given proper pay for their services, they will remain. In the outer 

 room, a few moments ago, I heard a couple of men discussing the ques- 

 tion of wages in California. One fellow says, "Have you got a job over 

 there?" The other says, "Yes. All I can get is $1.50 a day and board 

 myself. I went to get board and they charged me $6 a week. When I 

 get through a week I have $3 left." They are expecting more than that. 

 The condition of things is such that the fruitman believes and states 

 positively that he can not afford to pay more than $1.50 a day, where 

 they go and board themselves, or $1 a day with board. But certainly 

 the people who do the work from early morning until late at night 

 expect reasonable pay, and a great many of them would give more for 

 reasonably good accommodations than the pay. They feel better satis- 

 fied when they get better accommodations. 



VICE-PRESIDENT GRIFFITH. I hoped that question would be 

 discussed to a large extent this afternoon, for it is a very important one. 

 I know I have been approached by laboring men with reference to the 

 accommodations they get in California, and I know something of the 

 accommodations they get in the East. Where they work for farmers in 

 the East they are practically one of the family. In California they are 

 liable to be outcasts, in many places. However, if there is nothing to 

 be said on the question, I will put the question on the adoption of this 

 report. 



The report was adopted. 



MR. DORE. I suppose the committee is continued. 

 VICE-PRESIDENT GRIFFITH. I presume so; yes, sir. It will 

 not be discharged. That is a very important committee to keep. 



