erate with the farmers in devising methods of securing, organizing, and caring for desirable white laborers.

With a gradual change to other races to replace the disappearing Asiatics, the wages of some classes of agricultural laborers would probably be changed somewhat to meet the wages of other industries. The present piece-rate prices for seasonal handwork in most branches of agriculture are such that the average white worker can earn more money per day than at unskilled work in many other large industries of the State, but white men are not at present attracted to farm work, in which Asiatics predominate, and adequate living accommodations are not available. Much of the seasonal farm work, however, is paid for on a time basis at wages somewhat less than those paid unskilled workers in most other industries, and these wages would probably rise slightly to meet the competition of the other industries. The factories, railways, and other industries of the State all require labor, and the farmers must offer as good wages and conditions in order to secure reliable white men.

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS.

The earlier sections of this report have been devoted to tracing the history of agricultural labor through the development of the diverse fields of agricultural enterprise in California. Changes in races employed, with the resultant changes in the economic and social condition of the laborers, have been discussed, and, lastly, the present economic position occupied by the various races has been set forth. It remains to consider questions primarily of social and political

interest.

Personal data were secured from 10,692 agricultural laborers. The table following shows the number for whom data were obtained, by sex and general nativity and race.

TABLE 9.-Number of employees for whom information was secured, by sex and general nativity and race.

TABLE 9.-Number of employees for whom information was secured, by ser and general nativity and race-Continued.

For fear of misapprehension, it should be pointed out that the racial distribution of the laborers for whom data were secured has no significance. The numerical importance of the different races as agricultural laborers has already been discussed. In collecting data. the communities and ranches which employed the largest percentage of immigrants were emphasized. Moreover, personal data were not obtained from many white teamsters and general laborers employed on ranches visited, because of the inconvenience involved in securing them.

As a basis for comparing the progress toward assimilation made by the various races, the differences in length of residence in the United States are important. The following table shows the number

of foreign-born male laborers who had been in the United States each specified number of years:

TABLE 10.-Number of foreign-born male employees in the United States each specified number of years, by race.

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. No deduction is made for time spent abroad.]

The differences which appear between the various races in this regard are marked. The Japanese were very largely recent immigrants. In fact, 56.5 per cent of the members of this race had entered this country within five years prior to the investigation and 33.9 per cent had resided here five but less than ten years. In other words, 90.4 per cent of the male Japanese had resided here less than ten years. Of the other oriental races, the East Indians and the Koreans were also recent immigrants. All of the East Indians had been in the United States less than five years, while 79.3 per cent of them had been here less than three years. Of the 120 Koreans, 81.7 per cent had resided in the United States less than five years, the remaining 22 having immigrated between five and nine years prior to the investigation. The Chinese, on the other hand, are largely old residents,

The

who immigrated before the passage of the Chinese-exclusion act of 1882. Of the 369 Chinese reporting data, 328, or 88.9 per cent of the total number, had been in this country twenty years or over. Mexicans are for the most part recent immigrants, reporting 55.7 per cent who had been here less than five years, and 26.3 per cent whose period of residence was from five to nine years, or 82 per cent who had immigrated less than ten years prior to the investigation. Turning to European immigration, we find that the Italians are, for the most part, recent immigrants. Of the North Italians, 63.5 per cent, and of the South Italians 39.9 per cent had immigrated within five years of the investigation, and 82.1 per cent of the former and 70.6 per cent of the latter had resided in this country less than ten years. On the other hand, 36.9 per cent of the Germans were residents of more than twenty years' standing, while 71.8 per cent of their number had lived in the United States five years or over. The Germans are in this regard typical of the other north European races, while the other south and east European races are very similar to the Italians in the length of residence in this country. An exception is to be noted, however, in the case of the Portuguese, the majority of whom had been in this country more than five years.

The data with regard to the period of residence of females are presented in the following table:

TABLE 11.-Number of foreign-born female employees in the United States each specified number of years, by race.

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. No deduction is made for time spent abroad.]

Like the Japanese men, the greater part of the Japanese women were recent immigrants, 79.5 per cent of them having migrated to this country less than five years prior to the investigation. However, most of the North and South Italian women had been in the United States five years or over, as had most of the Armenians and Mexicans.

On the other hand, somewhat more of the German females were residents of less than ten years' standing than of the males. That most of the Japanese women were recent immigrants is explained by the fact that only in the last few years has the tendency to send for their wives with the view of permanent settlement been exhibited by the men of this race. That a smaller proportion of the females of European races are recent immigrants indicates that the recently arrived agricultural laborers from those countries have not brought their families to this country with them.

The data for males and females with regard to length of residence in the United States are combined in the following table:

TABLE 12.-Number of foreign-born employees in the United States each specified number of years, by sex and race.

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. No deduction is made for time spent abroad.]

The progress of immigrants employed in agriculture in securing a speaking knowledge of English has been relatively rapid. The table following shows the number of males whose mother tongue is some