Chapter IV.

Japan and the Alien Land Law,

The Japanese were the successors to the Chinese in California. There is a striking parallel in the two cases. Both were favorably received at first; both met their first effective opposition from the laboring classes; both were in turn, discriminated against by the state legislature and were it not for the fact that Japan her self checked the coming to this country of her laboring classes, she would no doubt have suffered at the hands of the Federal fovernment, which even in spite of the fact she seems liable to suffer at most any time.

Japanese were first employed on the farms in California about the year 1887, taking the place of the Chinese who had now been materially reduced in number because of restricted immigration.1 Very few came at first, but during

the years of 1899 to 1909 Japanese immigration was at its
height. It was found that they fitted well into the place
formerly held by the Chinese, because they seemed to adapt
themselves readily to the same kind of work. They offered to
work cheaper than any other race and "under bidding of the
"2

Chinese and the white men was the method commonly used.
1. Report of Immigration Comm. Sen. Doc. vol. 85, pt.1,61 C.2d.S.p3
Doc.vol.85,
2. Ibid p.65.

As time went on and there was a restriction in the immigration of Japanese by the home government, they became more independent and demanded a higher wage. To quote from the report of the Labor Commissioner: "With prosperous times and an inadequate labor supply under prevailing conditions with new opportunities opened for them, and especially, with restriction upon their future immigration, the wage of the Japanese have increased more than 50% within 15 years and especially since great restrictions were placed upon the future increase of their number, they have ceased to greatly under bid other laborers." They have become skilled in the

ers!

hand work in the intensive agricultural fields and predominate in the best fields of California and do a large portion of the work in the citrus and berry fields. In the more recent years they have met with more opposition from the

ranchers themselves. To quote from the sane report at page 67: "Within the last few years, however, since the Japanese have come to predominate in the handwork connected with the production of most of the intensive crops, there has been much opposition to then on the part of the ranchers. Complaints are heard that they are less accommodating and do less work in a day; they have become very independent and hard to deal with; by strikes and threats of strikes and boycotts, they have raised wages; and they cannot always be depended upon

1

1. Report of Im.Com. (Sen. Doc.vol.85,61 c.2d. Se33.p.63