TRUCK-FARM LAB<5r IN NEW JERSEY, 1922 
11 
than farmers in other districts who were so situated that they 
could apply readily to farm bureaus or to public-employment offices. 
Much Italian labor is hired through the agency of " padrones " or 
" row bosses," usually at an agreed amount per head. In some 
cases, at least, the padrones also charge the workers for getting 
them jobs. They accompany the workers to the jobs and act as field 
bosses or " row bosses," receiving the same wages as other workers 
plus a small agreed amount for each one supervised or bossed. The 
use of padrones was found almost wholly near or to the east and 
south of Philadelphia. The patronizing of private employment 
agencies by farmers was found mostly in districts near large cities. 
Advertising was seldom used. 
Table 3. — Farmers,'' principal methods of obtaining farm labor and employees' 
actual methods of obtaining jobs held, by percentages of total reports 
Method used 
Farmers 
employ- 
ing 
Laborers 
All 
American 
born 
Foreign 
born 
Through or of acquaintances 
Through family 
Laborers apply for work 
Personal search 
Solicited by employer 
Private employment agency 
Public employment agency or farm bureau. _ 
Through or solicited by row boss or padrone. 
Advertisement or answer to advertisement.. 
Other, various 
Total reports (100 per cent). 
Per cent 
19.5 
Per cent 
28.3 
13.2 
Per cent 
28.5 
15.5 
17.8 
18.2 
4.8 
18.5 
7.2 
3.4 
10.6 
37.9 
8.7 
5.3 
.6 
3.1 
.4 
2.5 
37.7 
9.3 
2.4 
.8 
2.0 
.6 
3.2 
292 
676 
496 
Per cent 
27.8 
6.7 
7.2 
13.3 
6.1 
"~.~6 
180 
Nearly four-fifths of the farm laborers interviewed reported get- 
ting the jobs at which they were working (Table 3) through their 
own personal search or that of friends or family, or of or through 
acquaintances. Their infrequent use of employment agencies was 
largely confined to patronage of private employment agencies by 
the foreign born. 
EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES 
Employment agencies placing farm help in New Jersey were 
visited in New York, Philadelphia, and several New Jersey cities. 
They may be grouped into those of the United States Employment 
Service and those privately conducted. 
The United States Department of Labor, in cooperation with 
State and local authorities, conducts offices of the United States 
Employment Service in employment centers of New York, New 
Jersey, and Pennsylvania, where they constitute an important factor 
in the employment agency business. These offices place all classes 
of labor and their services are free to the public. From the nature 
of their localities the placements of the offices are largely industrial, 
although certain offices place large numbers of farm workers over 
much of New Jersey. County agricultural agents often maintain 
close contacts with these offices and forward to them the labor de- 
mands of farmers in their districts. 
