Towards the Rising Sun

The Forced Eastern Migration of the Japanese Canadian Evacuees

1941 – ????

by: J. R. Hind

   I should explain at the outset why it is that an over middle-aged, Anglo-Saxon is writing a story about the Japanese Canadian evacuees of the Second World War. Well it all begins at an auction in Ridgetown, Ontario a decade ago when my wife bought a box in which we found the diaries of one Harry Smith 1891-1927. 

   So how did a farmer at lot 11, on the 10^th concession of Howard township, in southwestern Ontario, who died twelve years before the start of World War Two, have anything to do with Japanese Canadians? He didn’t, however in 1907 he got a “boy from the home”, not just any home but through the Bernardo Homes in England. The boy, Victor George Pyne who, along with his older brother Howard had immigrated to Canada from the Reading workhouse in Great Britain. Victor lived on the Smith farm and Howard on a couple of farms in the area.

   It was during my search for Victor’s story that I discovered that Howard Pyne, was the owner of the Eatonville Road House on #3 Highway (Talbot Trail) in southwestern Ontario,  which in 1942-43 was used to house Japanese Canadians that had come to Kent county to work in the sugar beet crops. I had driven by this old building for years, long closed as a ‘road house’ it has now long been used to house migrants working the summer and fall in the various crops in the area.

   When I went to find out more about the Road House and the evacuees I was surprised at how little information was available, not just on the Eatonville camp but the other camps at Dresden, Dover Centre, Harwich and Valetta, which were all in Kent county. I thought there must be a story to be found I hope you will enjoy my discoveries.

 

1. H. Hind            

   

The Issei Cross the Pacific

 Who can say when the first Japanese reached the wave swept shores of Canada’s west coast? It is easy to imagine a Japanese ship, peacefully fishing the waters off the east coast of Nippon when a sudden Pacific storm whisks then out of their familiar sea, perhaps the steering was wrecked, the oars lost or the sail ‘gone by the board’. We know today that container cargoes, washed overboard in the Pacific, have found their way to British Columbia’s rocky shores, perhaps early sailors of fishermen from Japan also made the perilous crossing. Upon finding, or being found by the first nation’s peoples of the time, they might have been taken in or met a less friendly fate.  

The first recorded instance of a Japanese shipwreck off the west coast of what would become British Columbia, occurred in 1833. The two lucky men that were found on the coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands, by men working for the Hudson’s Bay Company who, like good HBC men, sent them on to England. Over the next several decades, many more unfortunates met the harsh rock of this foreign shore, some were returned to Japan, which might have proven harsher than the trip across the ocean, since the Tokugawa government forbid travel to foreign countries. There are reports that some settled into first nations settlements along the Canadian coast.

In 1842 Ranald MacDonald, the son of a first nation’s woman and a white man, traveled across the Pacific to Japan, searching for people who looked like himself after seeing Japanese castaways on the coast of British Columbia. He ended up staying in Japan, learned the language and became an English tutor. So contact between Japan and Canada’s west coast though accidental was becoming an establish link.

So, it was that in 1877 Nagano Manzo, a stowaway aboard a British ship coming from his homeport of Yokohama, abandons his ship in New Westminster and takes up permanent residence in Canada, as the first recognized ‘Issei’. Manzo had started his career as a carpenter’s apprentice in his hometown of Nagasaki, where he was born in 1855. At  the age of twenty two he became involved in refitting ships and it was around this time he decided he would go to Canada.

His first job in Canada was fishing salmon on the Fraser River. As time passed he went on to boss a Japanese-financed lumber mill, later ran an export gift shop, Japanese food store which made him a fortune in exporting pickled salmon to Japan and finally managed a hotel in Victoria. This energetic, entrepreneurial characteristic, so often found in immigrants, would soon be considered a threat by the white business class developing along the west coat of Canada. In later life he suffered from tuberculosis and lost all of his assets in a fire. He returned to Nagasaki a dejected old man, where he died at the age of 70. As is often the case with migration it begins as a trickle.

Large numbers of Japanese began to arrive in Canada between 1896 and 1900, a resource for the industrialists need for cheap labour. During this period some 12,000 immigrated to Canada, mostly staying in British Columbia, earning a living in the fishing, mining and lumber industries.       

 World War Comes Again: 1939 – 1941

After years of building up Germany’s military after the ravages of World War I and grabbing bits of land by bluff and bluster from Europe’s political leadership saying this was all that Germany wanted. The real German ambition stormed across the Polish frontier at 06:00hrs.on 1 September 1939, trumpeting the start of World War II.

By the end of September, Poland had collapsed, the “Phoney War” phase started and Europe began to prepare for the real war expected to start in the spring of 1940. The thunderclap fell on the 9^th of April, first on Norway and although the allied nations struggled valiantly to stem the German onslaught, defeat after defeat followed them. 

In May the German “Blitzkrieg” ripped through Belgium, Holland and France crushing all opposition put into the field to stop it. With remarkable speed, not repeating the mistakes they made in the “Great War”, the Germans were able to conclude this phase of the war by the 25^th of June with the fall of France.

1940 was a dismal year for the allied governments as more and more of Europe and Africa fell into German hands. The only bright spot was in the skies over England. Here the valiant ‘few’, pilots from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth with remnants from the fallen European countries met the Luftwaffe, and though they suffered grievous casualties the RAF stemmed the German ambitions of invading England.

Through all of this Canada was supporting the war effort with troops, airmen and sailors to bolster the allied effort. From coast to coast Canadian civilians were beginning to feel the effects of war rationing and government control in day to day matters brought about by restrictions. In general, though, life went on more or less as it did before the outbreak of hostilities for most people.

In the Pacific war had been going on in the Far East since 1931 when Japan aggressively engaged in expanding footholds it had made on the Asiatic mainland, at the expense of the Chinese. Generally the western world paid little attention to this, though the Japanese intervention was to the detriment of the United States and British interests in the sphere. This conflict continued into 1937 while the Japanese consolidated their control over a vast area.

Through the years 1938 to 1941 most of the attention to this came from the Americans who had been aiding the Chinese, without ‘officially’ being involved. This all came to an end on 7 December 1941, America’s first 9-11, when the Japanese attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbour bring the United States finally into W.W.II.

This short history of the start of World War II is necessary to set the stage for what would soon befall the Japanese-Canadians in British Columbia as 1941 came to an end.

The Search Begins

     I had to start this search somewhere, and for no other reason than a note in Yon Shimizu’s book “The Exiles” about the Federal government talking to the BC government in February of 1942, I picked 1 April, 1942 as the date to start. I figured it would take some time for talks between the various governments to conclude and for actions being taking place, even during wartime. 

     My thoughts on how to approach this search were to take the first headline that caught my eye on the front page of the Chatham Daily News of 1 April 1942. Then scan the pages for articles about sugar beets, this being the reason for the Japanese coming to Kent and in a broad sense, any articles to do with the Japanese moving to Kent and the attitude of the local people to this ‘importation’.

    It is my belief that small town, local papers, are a good barometer of local opinion. Unlike big town papers, almost everyone in small town Ontario knows the editor of their paper by face, and are seldom shy about taking them to task on the street over items they have printed. The smaller the town the more likely this is to happen.

 What follows is a synopsis of the articles.

Newspaper articles – Japanese-Canadian Evacuees In Kent County, Ontario.

and related subjects

Taken from the Chatham Daily News – Starting 1 April, 1942

Dresden (Weekly)Telegraph – Starting 16 April, 1942

Blenheim News Tribune, Ridgetown Dominion and Tilbury Times.

  The smoke had not completely settled over the wreck of the United States of America’s Seventh Fleet at Pearl Harbour after the attack of 7 December, 1941 before the Government of Canada began it’s ‘forced evacuation’ of Japanese Canadians from the coast of British Columbia. In today’s lexicon of terms what was to follow would now be called “ethnic cleansing”, a term that has become synonymous with hate and maltreatment of citizens due to their race, colour or religion. Something most Canadians if asked, would say was abhorrent to them.  

THE BEGINNING OF A MASS EXODUS

The first evacuation order was posted by an R.C.M.P. officer in February, 1942.                  

8/01/42                         “Former Tilbury Boy At Pearl Harbor” [TT]

    How small the world was even in 1942 that the small town of Tilbury would have a young man with some connection from there involved in the catastrophe that was the United States loss of it 7^th Fleet at the hands of the Empire of Japan. The, “anxiety of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Brown of Detroit was allayed on Monday last”, their son Durwood Brown a nephew of Miss Dola Kent of Tilbury reported home that he was safe. Durwood had attended school in Tilbury, he had joined the U.S.N in 1940. 

 The new war in the Pacific was starting to appear in Kent papers with personal connections to the area’s population. The effect to the Japanese-Canadians in British Columbia would be felt much more acutely.  

 

29/01/42                    “B.C.s Problem With Jap Fishers” [T.T]

                                   “1,800 Japanese Fishermen Have Been Cut Off From Regular Labor”. Though the Japanese fishing fleet was confiscated the day after the attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbour, December 7, 1941 the effect to the Japanese Canadians is just being reported.

   The article goes on to report that it is fortunate that the loss of their fishing licenses come after the close of the fishing season, “the salmon and herring, representing possibly $10,000,000 or more”. This gives some indication of just how big the west coast fishing industry was in 1941 and how large a piece of it the Japanese Canadian share was. There must have been great happiness for those of non-Japanese decent who would not have to worry about ‘foreign’ competition in the 1942 Salmon harvest.

   The article it points out as a positive that, “the Japanese fishermen have in most cases received the money that comprises the bulk of their year’s livelihood, so that their enforced unemployment will not result in a bread line or relief problem.” The article contends that though the fishermen generate a lot of economic impact for the community, it is in fact a small proportion of the, “24,000 persons of Japanese racial origin within the boundaries of the Province.” 

    “To intern the entire Japanese population as some well-intentioned spokesmen suggested; would entail tremendous cost” the writer goes on to say, that it would be, “a roundup of unprecedented proportions”. It is concluded that, “Obviously no such program is being seriously contemplated at this time.” On 24 February, 1942, Secret Order-In-Council P.C.1486 empowered the Government of Canada to remove all persons of Japanese origin from the 100-mile ‘protected area’, regardless of citizenship. Two days later the forced evacuation began.

 

29/01/42                     “Canada Will Use Jap Fishing Fleet” [T.T]

                                    In true Canadian fashion, the Government will be, “putting back into production the 1,100 vessels of the British Columbia Japanese fishing fleet.” Actually the number of ships impounded would be closer to 1,300. Since the Japanese fleet played such a big part in fish production, contributing “largely to the food supplies of the Empire”, (British Empire that is), the government, was not going to let a fleet valued at, “between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000” sit idle.     

   To make sure that only non-Japanese could make a living at west coast fishing the government also ruled that, “those of Japanese racial origin would be prohibited in all Canadian waters, and banning Japanese from serving on any fishing vessel”. It seems that those of German or Italian origin were not so restricted?

                     Impounded Boats, New Westminster

                                                  1,200 fishing boats were impounded.

 

26/02/42                        “Jap-Canadians May Be Used In Beet Fields” [T.T]

                                       It seems that the farmers and food producers in southwestern Ontario were thinking about the quickly diminishing labour resources in the district. Mr. Fred McGill of Middlesex, speaking at a mass meeting held in Chatham’s Harrison Hall, a members of the Sugar Beet Growers Association and Canada and Dominion Sugar Co. discussed the use of Japanese Canadian evacuees in this year’ sugar beet crop.

Alberta and Manitoba would be much quicker submitting requests to the federal government for this cheap supply of farm labour.

 

1/04/1942              “Japs Beat Captive Canadians” [CDN]

 

                                With the bombing of Pearl Harbour and the fall of Hong Kong, the Japanese military had been rolling up one victory after another. There was fear enough that the Japanese might strike the mainland of North America, although that was unlikely. Headlines such as this, true or not, fanned anti-Japanese sentiments in the general population, though that was not necessary in British Columbia where there was already a good deal of hostility towards them. The article on the front page, graphically described the treatment of captured Canadians, “The soldiers were stripped to their waist and forced to their knees. Ropes were tied around their heads with knots in their mouths. Their hands were tied behind their backs.” This was clearly not a good time to be Japanese in Canada. It was reported on page 6 of the second edition of this paper that the government in Ottawa was not aware of this report. My only reason for adding this article is that it is representative of what was being printed at the time and would influence the public’s opinion towards anyone of Japanese ancestry.                                   

 

1/04/1942            “Ontario Bound Japs Reach Winnipeg” [CDN]

                              Dated Winnipeg April 1:- A party of some 132 Japanese from the west coast were on their way to the ‘road camps’  around Schreiber, 15 miles east of Port Arthur (today’s Thunder Bay). While at this camp the young, single Canadian born Japanese would be involved in roadwork on the Trans-Canada highway. A Mr. T. Nishi Jima, from New Westminster BC, spokesman for the Japanese men said, “You must remember that we are Canadians. We were all born in Canada and we feel that our loyalties belong to this country.” Mr. Norman Watanabe, in reference to the RCMP who were guarding the men “They have been very nice to us.” Always wise to not ‘bad mouth’ the guards. It was also reported that Ontario Premier Hepburn recently announced as many as 3,000 Japanese might be moved to Ontario.   

 

2/04/1942             “Japs Arrive At Schreiber” [CDN]

                              The first of 132 Japanese from BC arrived at Schreiber, a railroad town 120 east of Port Arthur with two RCMP constables in charge of the men. Most of the Japanese men ranged in age from 21 to 30 years. In charge of the young men was 43 year old Mr. Frank Nagavo, a resident of Ocean Falls, BC for the past 30 years. A veteran of W.W.I serving with the Canadian Mounted Rifles. Mr Nagavo declared, ”We’re all for Canada in this war and we want to do our part.” He went on to say, We understand that later we may get jobs in mills at the prevailing wages. They told us we would get 25 cents an hour in the camps.” A KazoKato said he has a brother overseas with the Canadian Forestry Corp. Hiedo Kano said he had tried to enlist but was rejected. 

 

7/04/1942             “20, 000 Youths Are Needed for Farming” [CDN]

                              It was quickly becoming evident that there would be a serious shortage of manpower on the farms of Ontario in 1942 than earlier thought . In Toronto, Mr. A. MacLaren director of the Farm Service Force estimated that twenty thousand students, aged 12 and up, would be needed to bring in that years crop. It was planned that camps would also be set up for girls aged 16 – 19 who would be paid 22 ½ cents per hour. Boys would be paid $20 for the first month and $25 if they were experienced. Rates of pay for female worker were most often below males doing the same or similar work

   

7/04/1942           “Canadian Farm Working Force Reduced” [CDN]

                              The Selective Service branch of the federal government reported that the population working on farms had dropped from 38% to approximately 20% since the First World War. Officials estimated that up to 10% of all farm workers in Canada, had left the farm for better paying industrial jobs in 1941. The young farm boys were moving to the factory jobs left by men enlisting in the forces.  J. M. Armstrong, a technical advisor to the Agricultural Supplies Board indicated that an increase in the purchase of farm equipment had help to offset the loss in manpower. Tractor sales in 1938-39 were just over 13,000, in 1941 the figure had jumped to 20,968. The Second World War would bring mechanization to farming in an accelerated fashion during the war years.   

 

7/04/1942            “Dewan Appeals To Sugar beet Growers” [CDN]

                               Agriculture Minister P. M. Dewan, speaking to sugar beet growers of  southwestern Ontario, urging them to do their patriotic duty and increase their acreage of sugar beets up to 40,000 acres. With a normal yield of 10 tons per acre that would equal 400,000 tons which would yield 100,000,000 pounds of sugar.  The price set by the Prices and Trade Board for 1941 is $7.20 per ton for beets at 14% sugar content and $10.20 for beets at 20% sugar. 

 

9/04/42                           “Control Board Decides Sugar Beet Prices” [TT]

                                        The Farm Product Control Board, has decided on a price for the 1942 crop reported, the Hon. A. St.Clair-Gordon, M.L.A. for West Kent reported. A minimum guaranteed price of $7.20 a ton for beets testing 14% sugar, up to $10.20 for 20% sugar beets. G. F. Perkins, chairman of the Board said the prices will be submitted to the Wartime Prices and Trade Board, “immediately for it’s ratification.”

1. Harry Wilson, chairman of the Ontario Sugar Beet Glowers’ Marketing Board, commented that, “we must bear in mind that there is a war on and that the prices of all commodities are more or less controlled at the present time.” The prices submitted by the board were: 

14% beets – $7.20 per ton.

15%   “      – $7.70  “    “

16%   “      – $8.20  “    “

17%   “      – $9.20  “    “

19%   “      – $9.70   “   “

20%   “      – $10.20 “   “    

75 cents per ton less for beet delivered to weigh stations.

 

10/04/1942          “Japs Will Not Vote On Plebiscite” [CDN]

                              A Dominion plebiscite was scheduled for the 27^th of April that if voted for, would release the federal government, “from any obligations arising out of any commitments restricting the methods of raising men for military service.” In other words conscription could and would be used drafting men into service for the war. Jules Castonguay, Chief Plebiscite Officer stated that since “naturalized Japanese are denied the right to vote in British Columbia provincial elections they will be denied the right to vote in the forth coming plebiscite.” The only exception would be for some 40 Japanese veterans who served with the Canadian forces in W.W.I. They must have figure their vote wouldn’t tip the vote against conscription. 

If there were to be a need for evacuees in Kent, the farmers would have to increase their acreage of sugar beets contracted to the Canada Dominion Sugar Beet Co. The only way to encourage them to grow more they would have to make more money on the crop they plant. Despite the war the price negotiated in 1941 for the 1942 crop would not be enough to entice the growers to plant more. If the price for sugar beets went up, then the farmers would plant more and then there would be a need for more evacuees from British Columbia. In the end that is what the Federal government was looking for.    

 

13/04/1942            “Sugar Beet Men Plead For Higher Acreage” [CDN]

                                Mr. George Perry, member of the Ontario Sugar Beet Marketing Board Negotiating Committee,(he would later become a long sitting MPP)was urging an increase in production of sugar beets to “beat the sugar shortage”. He was encouraging local growers to plant maximum acreage, as their “patriotic duty”.

  Growers and producers had failed to reach agreement a week before so the Farm Products Control Board had decided the matter and the Wartime Prices and Trade Board had given the “Go sign”. 

  It was felt that it would be difficult to reach the full acreage not because of the terms of the contracts but due to the lack of labour require to raise and harvest a crop such as sugar beets.      

 

13/04/1942            “No Japanese To Be Sent to Kent Area” [CDN]

1. A. Garner,Kent County Agricultural Representative and member of Wartime Agricultural Committee stated that there was no indication “at the present time” that Japanese workers from British Columbia would be working in the crops in this area.   

  Mr. Garner said that he believe all “enemy aliens” would be sent to Northern Ontario to do roadwork and thus relieve other worker to do crop work. Premier Hepburn is also on record as stating that all of the “Nipponese” will be removed after the war. The article went on to say that, “some men have expressed themselves as being in favor of bringing the yellow workers in while others have condemned the plan.”

 

13/04/1942            “Japs Will Not remain In Ontario” [CDN]

                              The issue of what will happen to the Japanese-Canadians continues in a CP story from Toronto. From this article it appears that the provincial governments of BC and Ontario are going to agree to make some 3000 Japanese-Canadian internees ‘landless- people’ at the end of the war. Ontario want assurances that they will not stay in Ontario and BC’s Hon. Ian MacKenzie in a speech to an Vancouver audience said “the Japanese may never return here”.

  Mr. William Duckworth MPP Toronto Dovercourt, read a newspaper report in the legislature of Mr. MacKenzie’s speech, in which he stated “The (Japanese) came to Canada, drove the English from market gardens through cheap labor. They can live on $350 a year. That the reason the Japs have control of the industries on the west coast. Now they are bringing them to Ontario for one reason cheap labor it is a move under a cloak.”       

  There was some doubt according to Premier Hepburn that Mr. MacKenzie had the authority to make such comments and further more he said, “the Japanese would have to be paid the prevailing rate of wages.” 

 

15/04/1942             “ Beet Sugar Refiners Ask For Support” [CDN]

                                “Sugar Beets vs submarines” might be the title of the appeal being made by the Canada and Dominion Sugar Company in their efforts to have the acreage increased for the 1942 crop year. They pointed out that every acre of sugar beets harvested, “helped defeat the U-boat menace”.

  This effort is directed at the Federal and provincial governments to strike a new deal on acreage a price for this crop year.  

  In another article, the plan presented would see as much as 40,000 acres planted and a price of $8.20 per ton of 16% sugar beets delivered to the processing plant. This would be an increase of $1.30 from the 1941 price. It easy to see that this is a big money issue for both the farmers and the C&D Sugar Co. 

 

 16/04/1942             “Growers Act To Obtain Workers” [CDN]

1. H. Wilson, chairman of the Ontario Sugar Beet Glowers Associationrevealed that the C&D Sugar Co. had voluntarily agreed to cancel all previously signed contracts with growers. These would be replaced with revised contracts acceptable to the growers. This revision would require all possible action to ensure an outside labour force for the increased harvest.

  The Federal government had realized the value to the war effort “if sufficient sugar can be produced to serve our needs and thereby release shipping for other war necessities.”

 

16/04/42                    “Sugar Beet Growers Pass Resolution” [DT]

                                 The Sugar Beet Growers Association at their meeting in Chatham on Monday the 12^th the following resolution. 

“Whereas the Canada and Dominion Sugar Company Limited, are now soliciting contracts for the production of sugar beets in 1942 in accordance with the provisions of a recent order of the Farm Products Control Board, the directors of the Ontario Sugar Beet producers Association as a Patriotic duty to produce as great an acreage of sugar beets as it is possible for them in order that the sugar beet refineries may operate at maximum capacity in 1942.”

   It goes on to encourage farmers that have not signed contracts to do so and that the Association will present this to the Farm Products Control Board.

 

16/04/42            “Six Japanese on Way To Premier Hepburn’s Farm” [TT]

 

                                      Six young Japanese Canadians from Vancouver are on the way to Ontario Premier Mitchel Hepburn’s private experimental farm near St. Thomas, Ontario. The men, one a university graduate in arts, another a commerce graduate, a first year applied science student, two professional gardeners and a cook. They will work as gardeners on the farm.

    From the Blake Heathcote book “Testaments of Honour” a collection of personal stories of Canadian World War Two veterans come some reference to the Japanese- Canadians at the Hepburn farm. Dick Corbett, of Toronto recalls that shortly after enlisting in the RCAF in 1941 he did some boot camp at the insane asylum in St. Thomas, Ontario. “They told us the Japanese workers from the local onion farm that belonged to Ontario Premier Hepburn might attack us at any time.”  This indicates the level of misinformation at was prevalent, what they might attack with isn’t mentioned, onions perhaps? Corbett goes on to say that there was a surge in “ethnic discrimination” at the time and that it was also directed towards the German and Italians, as well as, the Japanese. He goes on to reminisce that it, “really bothered me. I thought it was terrible, even at that time. These people were being lifted out of their lives. Even though some joined the Canadian army, they weren’t welcome. It was terrible.”      

   It’s not had to imagine that in the paranoia of the times and the disasters of the early months of the war with Japan that as Mr. Corbett goes on the say, “you tended to become oblivious to a lot of this stuff.”  

 

16/04/42                         “No Japs To Be Sent To Kent Area” [TT]

                                        Similar to the article in the Chatham Daily News of April 13^th except for Premier Hepburn’s reference to the, “three thousand Nipponese will come here this year and that, it is now definite that all of them will be removed after the war.” This might not have been mentioned to the six men in the article on the other side of the page. The other difference concerns the comments of Mr. J. A. Garner, Agricultural representative for Kent who in this article said, “at the present time it is believed that the enemy aliens will be sent into Northern Ontario to do road work.”

 

23/04/42                  “District Beet Growers Are Assured Of  Labor” [TT]

                                        The Ontario government has given assurances that adequate labour will be found for southwestern Ontario’s beet growers. It is felt with this guarantee, “has removed the last impediment to farmers contracting for a maximum acreage of sugar beets in 1942.”

   The Canada and Dominion Sugar Co. hopes to be able to operate it’s plants at Chatham and Wallaceburg which can process the beets from acreage of 40,000 to 45,000 in a single season.  

 

2/05/1942             “Growing Of Sugar Beets Is a patriotic Duty” [CDN]

                                  The financial implications of the renegotiated contracts between growers and refiners were given some dollars and cents. S. R. Noble, sugar administrator of the Wartime Price and Trade Board said in reference to the new contracts. “Assuming normal yields, a ton of beets in the present season will be worth about $8.25 at the factory, which with average tonnage would give a cash yield of $85.00 to $100.00 per acre.” Since sugar beet production did not lend itself to mechanization a very large amount of hand labour would be required, thus the absolute need for the Japanese-Canadians from BC. “Every ton of sugar produced in the factories of Chathaam and Wallaceburg means that much less will have to be brought from overseas at the risk of vital tonnage.”   

 

2/05/1942    “Report B.C. Japs May Be Taken to Dresden Section” [CDN]

                               Now that the finances and patriotic connection has been established between sugar beets and the war effort, ‘unconfirmed reports’ start to come. This is the first to be reported in the Chatham Daily News. “The report has been circulated that 85 Japs had already arrived and were quartered in the Camden-Dresden agricultural society’s building at the fair grounds.” Though no one had actually ‘seen’ any of these men, there were those who didn’t want them or didn’t care.

 

4/05/1942               “Growers Fear Decrease In Production” [CDN]

                                A meeting of growers and representatives of C&D Sugar Co. was held due to “fear that the sugar beet acreage in this district would fall below last years 28,000 acres.’ It was important that a decision be made in the next ten days if there would be sufficient manpower to make the increased production viable. G. H. Wilson, chaiaman of the Growers Association reminded growers, “If no other labor is available it will be Japanese from British Columbia.”

 

5/05/1942               “Jap labor Idea Disliked By City Council” [CDN]

 

                               What a surprise, the City of Chatham didn’t want the Japanese in their back yard. The farmers might need them and it might be patriotic but not anywhere close to Chatham. Though the city alderman did not want to go on record as opposed to the plan they did state they preferred to, “put up with the Nipponese” rather than having them confined to a particular district in the county where they might be a serious detriment to the war-effort. Whatever that might mean? 

  One Alderman a Mr. Goodman (perhaps at one time) put forward a motion, “that the federal and provincial governments be informed that Chatham wanted no part in the settling of the British Columbia Japs.” The motion failed to be seconded.  

  This article does show the racist attitude that prevailed in Canada at the time. Alderman Goodman seems to be the champion of this opinion with comments such as,” we can get by all right without these sons of the Rising Sun.”  And the hate spreading, “If a Jap meets you on the street in the dark, he would just as soon stab you in the back as look at you.”

  Alderman Humphrey tried to moderate this opinion when he rose to counter these remarks, “A lot of these Japanese are good naturalized Canadian citizens.” Only to be rebuffed by  Mayor Hubbell’s  interruption with, “Do you mean that the Japs are our friends?”

Though political correctness might stop this being said in print today, I believe the undercurrent of racist thought, is not so far below the surface in today’s  world, we learn little over time.

 

6/05/1942         “Japanese Laborers Will Arrive Here May 24^th” [CDN]

                                Alex MacLaren, Director of the Farm Services Force is reported as saying that by the 24^th of May, 400 – 500 Japanese will arrive in Kent county for the beet blocking season. He said that the Japanese would be, “split up into groups of fifty or sixty.” As for the disposition of these men he said that the group coming to Chatham, “will be probably established on the property of the Canada and Dominion Sugar Company.” As for the others, he said camps would be established at Essex, Wallaceburg, Dresden, Glencoe and Petrolia.”     

 

7/05/1942          “Canadian Japs Are Analyzed By D. S. Aiken” [CDN]

                               This is an interesting article, if for no other reason, it shows the prevailing attitude held by a large number of English Canadians at the time. It is my opinion that the newspapers of the day were a fair representation of their readers opinions, this is especially true, in smaller communities such as provincial Chatham during the Second World War. 

  This article, printed in some length, concerns an address given to the Chatham Rotary Club by Mr. D. Stuart Aitken, manager of the Chatham plant of Canadian Industries Limited (CIL). It appears that Mr. Aitken does some business in BC and this has provided him with insight into the problem of the Japanese-Canadians, “this small but efficient group of 24,000 celestials from the Land of the Rising Sun”  and the other residents of that province, was the subject of his talk.  

  According to the speaker, “For the past 20 years, Japs have been making inroads into almost every business, partically controlling the fishing industry even owning their own canneries – taking control of the Fraser Valley small fruit production, operating a cooperative jam factory, cold storage plants, and processing all strawberries exported to England.” Imagine even to England!

  And it gets worse. “In Vancouver the Japs gots (as printed) into everything, importing, exporting (those strawberries no doubt) operating their own banks, whole sailing groceries, operating hotels, drug stores and other numerous retail trades.” Imagine that, their own banks, could it be that the ‘other banks’ didn’t want Japanese business?

  In reference to the Japanese, Aitken up holds the standard racist view with comments such as “They are great workers, cold-blooded in doing business” and “I would not take the word of a Jap on anything”. He went on to say how they have schools, churches and social clubs of their own, well who could blame them if the speaker is any indication of the non-Japanese community. Of course to paint the sinister picture, he goes on to say, that these were only fronts, to obtain information which was passed on to, “the Jap Consulate” so they would know the activites of, “ the little people of the Rising Sun.”    

  In regards to the recent internment of the Japanese-Canadians Mr. Aitken offers this observation of his brother who wrote to him of the expulsion, “the Japs are going smilingly into concentration camps and confidently hope to be back on the western coast very soon.” 

 

7/05/42                          “Growing Sugar Beets Is A Patriotic Duty” [T.T]

1. R. Noble, Sugar administrator of the Wartime Prices and Trades Board, points out that, “it seems very doubtful that the slowness of beet sugar farmers in southwestern Ontario in contracting for a maximum supply of beets is the result of price control.” Farmers need to know that regardless of the contracted price for any commodity they have to have the labour to plant, raise and harvest the crop.

   “Never before has any section of a farming community in Canada had a greater responsibility placed upon them” says Mr. Noble.

   

8/05/1942               “Cities Have Rights to Rule on Jap Matter” [CDN]

                               Toronto May 8. – The Hon. Humphrey Mitchell, Minister of Labor advised the Mayor of Toronto that “Japanese-Canadians were being moved from the west coast for their own protection.” He went on to say that the federal government had authorized the provincial government to enter into agreements with any province the relocation of these people to another province. 

  The Mayor of Toronto had been approached by a n official of the United Church of Canada to consider the possiblity of bringing,”25 – 30 Christian Japanese from British Columbia to Toronto to take paositions as domestics.”  

   According to the news report, “A conference of patriotic, business and labor organization representatives was held with the Board of Control and it was unanimously agreed that these applications should be rejected.” So much for Toronto the good. 

 

8/05/1942          “Citizens Object to Japanese Labor Site In City” [CDN]

                               Now here is an article that will ring true with anyone who has had anything to do with having a group home, woman shelter or half-way house located in an urban setting. The “not in my backyard” mentality and near to the ‘well-to-do’ condemned this one.   

   In this article the citizens of King Street West, one of the more affluent areas in the City of Chatham. They are up in arms that the C&D Sugar Co., are planning to have the ‘Chatham camp’, located in the “Farm House” on their property that would be behind King Street West homes.  

  According to the article, “The intense antipathy entertained towards anything Japanese as a result of the atrocities committed by native Japs in the war.” There was talk of a petition to the City Council and the C&D Sugar Co. to prevent this move from going through. The recent construction of new and beautiful homes has made this area one of the select areas in the city. The citizens of the area, “take great pride in their most attractive street, and the fine class of citizens who have made their homes their.”    

   Mr. H. J. Payette, whose home is only two doors from the lane leading to the “Farm House”, raised his objection to this site, “you know how kiddies become terrified of the stories of the ‘Big Bad Work’; and in this war Japanese as almost in the same category as the wolves.” Never hurts to throw “kiddies” being frightened into your argument.

  If “kiddies” are not enough Mr. Payette bumped the bar up when he added old people and women. “older people would not be free from this fear, and my own wife declares she will not rest a minute if this camp is established.” And finally, “at this particular point, it will lower the value of our property”.  

  Henry Stokes, Agricultural Representative for the C&D Sugar Co. confirmed that the  company, was in fact looking at this location to locate about twenty Japanese workers. Mr. Stoles went on to say that, “They are all Canadian Japanese, who have taken out citizenship papers in this country and many of those that come to Kent were born in this country.” 

   Mr. Cecil Leeder , another concerned property owner suggested that, “they consider housing these Japs over by the river, where they housed the Mexicans when they were brought here during the last war.”  

 

9/05/1942               “Jap Labor Camp At Dresden” [CDN]

                                 The camp for the Japanese workers will be established on the fair grounds at Dresden but only for the summer months when they will vacate the property for the fall Dresden agricultural fair. So much for the patriotic work the evacuees might be doing in the area!!!

 

9/05/1942           “Farmers Defend Jap Importation Scheme” [CDN]

                                It is reported by the Chatham News, that according to Mr. Alex MacLaren, director of the Provincial Farm Labor Force, the Ontario government has “no intention” of bringing Japanese laborers to Chatham if the people are opposed to the scheme. MacLaren went on to say that, the entire plan is only to help Kent through the worst labor shortage in it’s history. I wonder if the other communities would have the right to veto? 

  Reeve Eugene King, speaking at a dinner meeting held in the Bluebird Tearoom, of the Wartime Agricultural Committee made his opinion very clear. “People of Kent County who object to the importation of Japanese farm labour are merely crying out in the wilderness in a false effort to make people think they are patriotic.” He went on to say that the crops of Kent, “would rot in the fields unless outside labor gangs are able to harvest them.”

  Reeve King reminded the assembled that during the last war Mexican were brought to Canada to help and they did an excellent job. “From what I have heard”, the Reeve went on to say, “the Japanese that are coming are former truck farmers. They could certainly do the heavy work that has to be done.”

   J.A. Garner, Kent County Agricultural Representative said it was expected that from 500-600 Japanese would be sent to western Ontario and would be put up in four camps in Kent at, Tilbury, Wallaceburg, Chatham and Dresden. From these camps they would be sent out in small groups under the custody of the farmers. He went on to say that as many as 3,000 of the BC Japanese would be brought to Ontario. This he said would be mostly workers and their families in residence in the Prairie Provinces. Those with family will be required to assign a portion of their pay for their support. That’s right the Japanese in the camps had to pay for their stay there.

  There was also a strongly worded resolution asking the government to set up a high school boys farm labor camp, in the Blenheim area. 

  

9/05/1942               “Mayor has Received No Complaints” [CDN]

                            Chatham Mayor Hubbell stated that he has received no direct complaints about the proposal to bring Japanese laborers to a camp in the west end of the city. He went on to say that “This city is anxious to do everything which is reasonably possible to assist the farmers.” He did point out that the Japanese were for the most part second and even third generation Canadians. That being said he was quick to add that, “these Japanese will be here for a limited time and that there is no intention of making them permanent residents of this community.” 

 

11/05/1942             “B.C. Japanese Chopping highway through Rockies” 

                             (Photo)  [CDN]

     Three photos of Japanese Canadians in the road camps in BC.                                 

 

 

 12/05/1942             “Legion Men Refuse to Bar Japs” [CDN]

                                The Chatham Branch of the Canadian Legion was setting for a lengthy debate over a “terse resolution” that if passed would have urged the Federal and Provincial governments to halt at once the importation of Japanese labor into Kent county. This motion was made by Berthune Bingo and seconded by William Emans, last week a similar motion failed for want of being seconded.

  Emans asserted that farmers had told him, “they would sharpen their pitch-forks if the Japs come.” Mr. Bingo declared that, “it was undoubted that the British Columbia Japs, harbored a feeling of loyalty to their home country.” Another member, Mr. Percy Miller also an employee of the C&D Sugar Co. said he supported the scheme to import the Japanese laborers, he also raised the assurance given by both levels of government that, “the Japanese will be removed from the districts soon as their tasks are completed.”

   Emans question if in fact the Japanese were needed at all. The fact he said was that, “the farmers of Kent County are short of labor because all of the farm boys have gone into factories to make big money.” He went on to say that if there was an effective Selective Services System in place they would have the men needed on the farm put there. 

  Ferguson Davidson was of the opinion that “If they (Japanese) like it here, there is no doubt they will find a way to stay.”      

    

12/05/1942             “Japs Not Wanted At Port Colbourne” [CDN] 

                               It was not just Chatham that voiced opposition towards Japanese workers. The Canadian Press reported a similar opinion was raise by the Port Colborne and Humberstone branches of the Canadian Legions in ON. In this article it was reported that due to the opposition of these branches, the Canadian Corp and Welland council, as well as, other organizations, the Depyt-Minister of Labor Mr. McNamara had refuses the application of Erie Peat Ltd for Japanese workers.

     

14/05/1942         “Japanese Riot At Vancouver Soon Quelled” [CDN]

                                Canadian Press article from Vancouver, reported on the first outbreak of violence demonstrated by Japanese housed, in big three-story house on Burred Street. According to Austin C. Taylor, chairman of the British Columbia Security Commission the disturbance was, “more playful than anything else.”

   The Burred Street house located only two blocks from the CPR station was being used to house Japanese-Canadians before they were moved to the ‘road camp’ in the interior of BC. It seems that the men were protesting a recent change in the rules that now “barred them from having any close-quarter conversations” with those outside the building. Up till this they could communicate with family and friends through the building’s big iron-barred windows.    

   Though Taylor asserts the ‘disturbance’ was more playful than serious, the military guards used high-pressure fire hoses to quell the ‘disturbance. It is reported that some damage was done to the building, broken glass and the iron-barred window was torn loose and thrown to the street. There was not report of injury.      

 

14/05/42                     “50 Japs Quartered At Fair Grounds” [DT]

                                     Mr. J. A. Garner and Alex McLaren of the Ontario government met with the local Fair Board and have reached an agreement wherein the government will rent the grounds, “for the housing of fifty Japanese from the West coast of Canada.”

   The plan is to place the Japanese as close to the sugar beet fields of Kent as possible. “No set time has been made as to how long the building is rented but it is possible it will be for the duration of the war.” While the men are at the Fair Grounds, “A Veteran guard will be on duty every night.” The Japanese will be under the supervision of the RCMP. 

   Though their prime responsibility will be to the beet crop the men will be allowed when time is available, to work on other area crops and will be paid, “the prevailing rate of wages for sugar beet work.” 

   The article goes on into a bit of an editorial: “Lately we have heard much talk regarding the bringing of these Canadian born Japanese into our community and nearly all the talk has been bad.” Referencing the articles in the Chatham daily News no doubt.

The writer goes on to say, “we should all look at this undertaking from a broad viewpoint.” “We suggest we give the present plan a chance to work itself out and then if it does not come up to our expectations it will be time to take action to have it changed.” Too bad the political firebrands in Chatham were not this level headed.

   Finally the Fair Board has made sure, “At Fair time the building will be vacated for the week of the fair.”         

 

15/05/1942           “Plans For Jap labor Camp Taking Shape” [CDN]

                                  A three day conference between many levels and department in government and business representative were busy putting together plans to bring 400 – 500 Japanese workers to southwester Ontario, before 30 May, to work in the sugar beet crop in the spring of 1942. Those present were A. Garner, Kent County Agriculture Representative, Alex MacLaren, director of the Farm Labor Force and  W.R. Reek, Ontario Deputy Minister of Agriculture and representative of C&D Sugar Co. 

   It is planned to have camps at Centralia, Glencoe, Dresden, Wallaceburg, Dover Centre and Valetta. 

   When asked if there was any other plan to get labor for the crops Mr. Reek replied that, “We don’t know where to get any other type.”  

 

16/05/1942              “Jap Labor Camp to Be Built In Harwich” [CDN]

                                 “Harold English Farm Will Be Location Of Nipponese  

                                 Barracks”. This was the sub-headline leading into the story that the ‘Chatham’ camp would now be in Harwich township instead of on the C&D Sugar Co. property off King Street West as reported only eight days ago. It would seem that perhaps money came to bear and the decision on the location of the camp was modified. Two and a half miles outside of Chatham now seems to be the spot. It was also reported that as many as 350 workers had arrived in Schreiber, Ontario. This might be correct, if you take the 188 working on the roads and 162 destined for the beet camps, as reported 9 June, 1942, by Humprey Mitchel then Minister of Labor to Louis St. Laurent the Minister of Justice.

   The number of camps seems to be still up in the air Alex MacLaren, from the Farm Labor Force said that preparations “Have been drawn up for nine camps”. In charge of the arrangement for the Chatham/Harwich would be a Miss Cruikshank and R.E. McPherson, they expect the camp will be ready within a week.

   United Church Rev. L. S. Albright was in Chatham to begin the task of gaining public support for the labor scheme. Rev. Albright said “I have a big and important job ahead of me.” That might be an understatement based on what has been recently reported. The good Reverend reported that the Japanese coming to Chatham are second generation and “thoroughly patriotic”.

   When questioned about the recent ‘riot’ in Vancouver Albright commented that, they were “Just Canadians who got stirred up because they were being kept from their friends”. Maybe loosing their homes and being sent off to work camps might have upset them too.

   Other camps “definitely decided on for the Japs are at the farm of Frances Oulette in Dover township, at the “Old Oaken Bucket” tourist camp near the town of Essex, at the old refinery owne by the Consolidated Lumber Company in Wallaceburg, at the municipal grounds near Valetta, at the fair grounds in Petrolia, Glencoe and Dresden and at a farm two miles from Centralia.”

 

19/05/1942               “Harwich Men Stand By Jap Labor Scheme”

                            Seventy men of the Kent Farmers Club refused to go on record as being opposed to the worker importation scheme after three hours of debate. Mr. Jack Leatherdale a prominent Harwich farmer called the meeting to determine the felling of the groups as a whole.

   With the proposal in process to use the farm of Harold English to receive some twenty Japanese farm laborers calls from some rate-payers raising concerns that violence might break out between the Japanese and the soldiers at Number 12 basis Training Base might result. Capt. T. E. Crittle, chief of military intelligence for the district, speaking ‘unofficially’ stated that the situation had been discussed and dismissed. He stated that, ”Our Canadian boys in service are excellent young men and will realize the gravity of this problem.”

   Col. E. M. Ansell and Col. W. Grant Thomson confirmed that the ‘labour camps’ had they had assured the military that there was no reason to anticipate any problems. Speaking on behalf of the C&D Sugar Co. Dr. Harold Brown said, “We either have to put these Japanese in concentration camps and feed them or bring them here and let them work as servants of our war effort.” It was there war too.

1. A. Garner, Kent County Agricultural Representativepointed out that “Mr. English is trying to do all he can to help in this fight for freedom.” That opinion was supported by many in attendance. 

   Mr. Leatherdale, who called the meeting said that it, “was not called to boycott the Jap importation plan.” He has a son going into the army and he wants nothing to do with, “these yellowmen.” That opinion was supported by George Wilson.

   Mr. Garner reported that since september (1941) approximately 130 men had left Harwich to join the forces. An a report Harwich farmers in a survey reported they would need 88 yearly workers and 200 seasonal workers. To clarify the matter of salaries Garner said the workers would receive $22 per acre out of which, 75 cents per day would for each days board and keep. $28 dollars per moth would also be deducted for the support of their dependents.

   Dr. Brown said that Japanese laborers would allow another 4,000 acres to be planted and that, “This addition to the amount being grown is the equivalent of 100,000 pounds of refined sugar.” He said the a trip to Vancouver last year could not find any Chinese to help with the crop or Mexicans, as had been used in W.W.I, they were all being used by the USA. 

 

19/05/1942               “City Council Concerned Over Japs”

                             Chatham Alderman Garnet Newkirk, (later to be a Mayor of Chatham) expressed concern at the city council meeting regarding the rears that there will be an” infiltration” of Japanese into Kent county after the war. (No doubt due to the warm welcome they received during the war.) This opinion was shared by Aldermen James Harlick and A.E. Goodman. (Mr. Goodman’s opinion was so well put at the Legion meeting of 12 May).

   This all came from a brief discussion of the councils actions not to have the camp located within the city. (The good citizens on King Street West must have been happy at that.) Mr. Newkirk, still not satisfied that the camp will be located in Harwich township reminded the council that, “It should be remembered that these me are citizens of Canada, and when the war is over, it will be a difficult matter to get rid of them. (Oh right, they might have the liberties of other Canadian citizens then.) 

   Both Aldermen Harlick and Goodman spoke in support of Newkirk’s opinion. Goodman in particular showed his opinion when he recalled, “30 years ago, there was an agitation to keep Japanese out of the country. Had such action been taken, there would not be the Jap problem there is today.” “Once a Jap, always a Jap.” He commented.

   Alderman Groombridge reminded council that, “While our boys are there, it is up to us to treat these Japs as human beings.” (What happens after the war?) In conclusion Mayor Hubbel, in regards to the councils protest stated “We have done all we can so far as we are concerned.”  

       

 19/05/1942               “500 Japanese To Work Farms In West Ontario”

                            Canadian Press Toronto: Alex MacLaren of the Provincial Farm Placement Service said more than 500 Japanese Canadians will be arriving in western Ontario between 25 May and 2 June. 

   Camps will be established at Chatham(Harwich), Petrolia, Dresden, Valetta, Centrallia, Glencoe, Dover Centre, Wallaceburg and Essex.

21/05/42                      “W. M. S. Urged To Be Friendly to Canadian Japs”

                                      Miss Mary Mansfield of Watford Missionary Home from Smokey Lake, Alberta encouraged the ladies of the Dresden United Church to, “show Christian love and friendship to the Canadian Japanese.”

 

21/05/42                         “Ask Local Legion Aid Recruiting For Veteran’s 

                                  Guard”

                                        A letter from Colonel W. H. Kippen, Department of National Defence, writing to the president of the Canadian Legion branch 206 in Tilbury regarding the decline of recruits for the Veteran’s Guard. The Guard is made up of men up to “50 years of age and down to medical category ‘C2’ are eligible.”

With more and more facilities requiring guarding the DND is falling short to fulfil it duties. Veteran Guards will shortly be required for the Japanese Canadian beet camps in the soutest.

 

 22/05/1942               “Resentment Over Japanese At Dresden”

                                 It is reported that resentment is mounting in Dresden for the “50 Jap laborers that will be housed in the Camden-Dresden Agricultural Society buildings on the outskirts of the town. Most of the concern seems to be over, “ what the Japs will do after the war is over.” 

   Another concern was about the fall fair. It was confirmed that the Japanese would not interfere with the holding of the Dresden Fair. A representative of the Dresden-Camden Agricultural Society was quick to point out that one advantage will come from having the Japanese there,“will be the installation of water in the fair grounds.”  

                             According to J. A. Garner, the Harwich township camp will be ready for occupation by the Japanese workers in 3 – 4 days. Miss Cruikshank, head of MacDonald Hall in Guelph has been in Chatham buying “special kitchen and barracks supplies and equipment” for the camp. Garner also pointed out that the RCMP would, “take up guard duty at the various camps as soon as the workers arrived.”

   The Japanese who will be used at the camps in Kent will be from the ‘road-camps’ in Northern Ontario at Schreiber. Once the work is completed in the sugar beets, the men will be used in other agricultural work in the area, were there is a shortage of manpower.

   A group of small boys in Glencoe, showed their opposition to the establishment of a camp there, by smashing all of the windows in the kitchen and dormitories for the Japanes workers.  

 

23/05/1942                “Will Conduct Survey Of Japanese Camps”

                              Toronto: Miss Emma Kaufman of the YWCA will be conducting a survey of Japanese women and children sent to internment camps in British Columbia. The survey will take two months, with  the objective of seeking some educational programs for the Japanese women and girls while in the camps.   

 

26/05/1942                “New Edict Calls For A Third Cut Of Sugar Ration”

                                  Donald Gordon, chairman of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board announced the rationing regulation changes as: 

Sugar: Half a pound of sugar per person per week.

Tea: Individual consumption cut by one half.

Coffee: Individual consumption cut by one quarter.

Violation of these regulations will be prosecuted.   

 

27/05/1942                “Farm Work Camp Is Proposed At Blenheim”

                             Local farmers in Blenheim are also seeking to obtain farm workers. A committee consisting of Henry C. Nichols, T. Howard James, E. A. Eastman, V. G. Guigan and W. Davison will be looking into the matter.

1. Carter, assistant to Alex MacLarentold of camps in Harrow with 32 students and Leamington with 39 students. The welfare of the boys is in the hands of the YMCA. The boys earn 25 cents per hour. A girls camp may be established at Cottam supervised by the YWCA.

 

28/05/1942                “Legion Urges Deportation Of All Japanese Nationals At Close OF War

                                   Canadian Press, Winnipeg, May 27: The subject of Japanese nationals came up at the came up at the ninth biennial convention of the Canadian Legion being held in Winnipeg. The resolution urges the Dominion government to send all Japanese nationals in Canada at the cessation of hostilities back to Japan. J. J. MacKinnon of Mission BC stated “no town and hamlet of British Columbia and no province wants the Japanese. The Japanese nationals are squeezing our people out of the Fraser Valley.” Not to stop at the Japanese Dr. E.W. Banks of Victoria moved that the convention demand “immediate evacuation of German and other enemy aliens from British Columbia defence areas.” (British Columbia for the British!)

 

28/05/42                       “Japanese To Arrive in Dresden to-Day”

                                     Alterations to the Fair Ground building have been completed by the firm of Bresett & Tew, the building has been partitioned into kitchen, mess room and sleeping quarters, as well, water has been piped in, shower baths have been installed and everything is, “in readiness to receive the fifty Canadian-born Japanese.”  

   RCMP will be stationed at the Grounds, as well, George Rice and Jack McKernan, “veterans of the last war will be guards.”

 

29/05/1942                “Jap Workers Arrive Today At Dresden”

                                   Members of the RCMP took up guard duty at the Dresden Fair Grounds, in anticipation of the arrival of the Japanese laborers. Miss Olive Cruickshank has completed outfitting the kitchen and barracks, Alex MacLaren of the Ontario Farm Labor Force has all of the arrangements completed for the importation of the workers.

   Local farmers, who fear that the 1942 harvest is in jeopardy, are waiting for the much needed labour force. 

   Under the present arrangements the “Japs are prohibited from leaving the camp. No one will be permitted to enter or leave the campsite.” It is expected that the workers will go to the field at the start of the week. As soon as the farm work has ceased they will be removed from the district. 

    

30/05/1942                 “Scores Of Jap Laborers Arrive In Kent”     

                                   Friday the 29^th of May 1942, 60 Japanese arrived at the camps in Glencoe and Dresden. It is expected that 100 will arrive today to move to Dover Centre and the Harold English farm in Harwich. They will be “toiling” in the sugar beet fields, haying, threshing and hoeing and plowing in southwestern Ontario.

   The men destined for Dresden were brought to Thamesville by train and taken from there to Dresden.

   It was reported that the men found the climate here much more like home than that of northern Ontario. The camps at Valetta, Centralia, Petrolia and Wallaceburg will soon be in readiness for the arrival of the next group.

 

1/06/1942                   “Three R.C.M.P Constables Who Will Supervise Japs

                               With the ‘Burg Detachment”

                               The arrival of 96 Japanese in Kent county also brought three RCMP constables. Constable Chapman is posted to Dresden with 55 Japanese; Constable McCabe at the English Farm were 21 Japanese arrived and Constable McLeod at Dover Centre with 20 workers. Another constable will arrive with the next group. 

   Constable S. Green, in charge of the local detachment said each camp will have two ‘special constables’ and the workers will elect their own foreman. When asked about the ‘heavy guard’ that was expected, Green wondered where that impression came from. He said, “only one RCMP constable brought 115 down here from the camp in northern Ontario.” He went on to say, “strictly speaking they are not under guard. It is more of a precautionary measure than anything else.”    

 

2/06/1942                    “Action to Insure Kent an Excellent Crop”

                                 The article concerns the 21 Japanese men at the farm of Harold English as they prepare to start work in the field of Harwich township. One of the men the cook of the camp a man they call “Popeye” talks about his first impressions of life in a camp in Kent county. The rain has delayed them getting into the fields.

   He talks about holding no prejudice towards the those of the community, that have discriminated against them, prior to their arrival. The men were touched by the reception they received from the church members, the lunch baskets and the service conducted by Rev. Hugh Stewart.

   They expect another thirty men will arrive soon at Harwich from the camp in Shreiber.

 

3/06/1942                     “ Japanese Well Pleased With Quarters “

                                 The Fair Grounds at Dresden is home for “55 Canadian-born

Japanese until this fall”. The first farmer to hire any of the men was Ray McKim, he hired four to help plant his corn. 

   Norm Watanabe said that he “liked it better here than Schrieber. The country so much prettier than it was there.” With the temperature at 90F.,“Is this normal weather for Dresden?” one young Japanese asked.

   The are anxious to get to work since they have expenses in the camp. While working on the highway they were paid 25 cents per hour and room and board cost 75 cents per day. Besides that they are expected to pay for cloths, cigarettes and all other purchases. The young men range in age from late teens to middle twenties, all but two or three are single.  

     

4/06/1942                      “ Japanese Go To Work Today In Beet Fields”

                                   In the heat of southwestern Ontario the Japanese laborers stationed at Dover Centre, Harwich, Dresden and other camps started work on the sugar beet crop. The only problem to those in charge of the scheme in the past few days “has been finding qualified cooks to take over kitchen duties at the camps.”      

 

4/06/1942                      “ Coming Of Japanese Is a Christian Challenge

                                    Says rev. l. S. Albright”

                                  For the first time since I began the search for the story of the Japanese-Canadians coming to Kent County, an article covering a talk given by Rev. L. S. Albright, United Church missionary to Japan, tries to explain the plight of these people find themselves in. 

   Speaking to the Chatham Rotary Club, “The coming of these people to Kent County is a challenge to this community.” he said in his opening remarks. “If the Brotherhood of man is just idle talk, then we might as well give it up. If the Federation of the World is merely a pipe dream, why bother about it?” 

    Rev. Albright made a strong case to show that the duty of this community is to give these men a “fair break” while they work the farms of Kent. He went on to explain some of the history of the Japanese. The 1908 Lemieux Agreement that limited the number of Japanese to 400 a year, including wives and family. How this was reduced to 150 in 1923. The 1925 American Exclusion Act that all but stopped immigration to that country and this brought about a change in Canadian policy that reduced the number by counting students.

    Albright said that there are approximately 25,000 Japanese in Canada in 1942, of which, 23,428 were living in BC prior to Pearl Harbour. But the Japanese had come under scrutiny prior to that; in 1940 a committee was set up to advise on the ‘Japanese problem”. The Japanese were exempted from military service and they were compelled to register with the RCMP. 

   He talked at length about the War Measure Act that imposed dusk to dawn curfew for Japanese and established the British Columbia Security Commission. He went on to talk about the forced evacuation of the Japanese-Canadians to camps in the interior of BC and the putting them to road on road projects there.

   He pointed out that Japanese men had been working in the fields of Alberta and Manitoba without there families and lately the groups that had been sent to Schrieber to do road work for 25 cent an hour.

   The Reverend explained that how the Japanese-Canadian had lost their civil liberties, they are not considered enemy aliens; they are not prisoners of war; and they are not internees. The majority of then, 75% at least are native born Canadians, who were educated here, speak little Japanese and act and react like any other Canadian would.

   There were many questions asked by Rotarians,”Would they fight the Japanese if they invaded Canada” . Albright said he was unable to give a definite answer to that question. Other questions on the possibility of ‘fifth columnist’, the size of the Japanese run fishing fleet, the Japanese control of the canning and fruit industry (those strawberries going to England again) and the segregation of the races. 

   He thanked the club and was thanked by president Walter Watts.

 

4/06/42                          “Around The Old Home Town”         

                                     I watched the paper for ‘Voice of the People’ type articles to see if the general public might have a different view from the articles printed, when I came across this. The column, a sort of ‘regular feature’, written by Jack McKernan Sr. (See above) is written “For The Boys Overseas” this being Vol. 2, to keep the boy up on the news from home and is printed in the Dresden Times. Since it is written by a veteran of W.W.I, to men in service, I think it bears repeating.

 

“The government has set up camps of Canadian born Japanese throughout Kent and Middlesex counties to work in the sugar beet fields, one of these camps being situated here at the local Fair Grounds.

   Your humble servant, also our mutual friend and comrade George rice have been assigned to duty with one of the regular members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a camp guard. This work helps your correspondent to feel as though one is doing a little something worth while in the present war effort. The 55 boys out at the camp are very fine chaps who appear to take their present lot with a very good grace and give us full cooperation in the supervision of the local camp. Although week-end would-be visitors to the race track were numerous, due to a natural curiosity to see the newly arrived Canadian Japanese, regulations forbade their being admitted unless on camp business.”

 

4/06/42                     “Japs In New Home”

                                  A photo of five Japanese Canadians at an unidentified road camp in the interior of BC. The last sentence of the caption in reference to the men laughing says, “Judging by the expressions on their faces they’ve suffered few hardships.” How could they not be happy after loosing their homes, businesses, property, being taken from their families and sent to the interior of BC to work for 25 cents an hour?

  

6/06/1942                  “ Jap Workers Are Encamped Near Tilbury “

                             Thirty one Japanese national from Schreiber and Jackfish Ontario arrived yesterday. Met by officials of C&D Sugar Co. they were taken to the camp on property adjacent to the Tilbury East township hall.

   Mr. Kunio Shimizu, former general secretary of the Japanese- Canadian Citizens League, warned that many of the men in this group are ‘city slickers’, not experienced farm workers and that they might be slow at first. He went on to say that of course they would do their best.     

   

8/06/1942                    “ Japanese Workers Sent To Dover And Petrolia” 

                              Another group arrived from Northern Ontario camp at Jackfish, this group of 44 Japanese, by Constable Brown RCMP. 17 men were taken to Petrolia, supervised by RCMP Constable Pratt. Constable McLeod took the remaining 27 men to the Dover Centre camp. “The Wallaceburg camp for the Japs is not ready as yet, to receive tem but work is being rushed.” 

 

9/06/1942                   “ Urgent Message Dispatched To Schreiber Camp”

                                    Mayor W. C. Hubbell of Chatham, pointed out in a telegram to Murray Pipher, BCSC representative at the Schreiber camp that a “suitable welcome awaits them (Japanese Canadians), if they decide to accept work in the beet fields of this district.” Whatever that might mean?  

The Mayor pointed out that the saving of the sugar beet crop is essential to “maintaining the production of sugar for the country”. It is Mayor Hubbell’s opinion that at least two hundred Japanese Canadian workers would be required. Hubbell was leaving no stone unturned and sent telegrams off to the Rt. Hon. W. L. MacKenzie King PM of Canada, the Hon. Humphrey Mitchell, Federal Minister of Labour and F. S. Noble, Sugar Controller pointing out the acute nature of Kent’s labour problems. He said he pointed out the Prime Minister, “that this is a national emergency, and that he should make a move to supply proper labor to look after the beet crop.”   

   Some of the mayor’s suggestions included:

• Men who formally worked in beet crops that are now working on the railways should  be encourged to quit and return to the fields.
• Soldiers currently in training at Number 12 Training Centre at Chatham be assigned to fields for this emergency.
• The original plan to have 500 Japanese come to Kent has been only half filled and the others should be ‘encouraged’ to come. 

   Rev. L. S. Albright, UC missionary said the problem will be convince that men at Schreiber, “that prejudice against them in this district has been dissipated”, if that could be done there is the possibility of 200 more workers. The Reverend went on to say, “There was little time to conduct an educational campaign among the people here, to convince the general public that the Japanese Canadians we intended to bring here are truly Canadian in their habits and thoughts”. Perhaps keeping Aldermen, Newkirk, Goodman and other out of the news might help the situation. 

   Not to mention what has been making the newspapers from the remarks of some elected officials, but stories had been getting back to the camps, about the men being “under heavy guard” and that the camps were surrounded by “barbed wire”, was not helping to make Kent County, a place you might want to come to.

Over the next few days most of the articles in the Chatham Daily News were concerned with the state of the beet crop and the lack of manpower. There were a number of issues that had caused this problem:

The labour situation was number one problem. The greatest drain on the Kent farmer’s labour supply was the Canadian Army. The second was boys leaving the farm to take factory jobs vacated when men joined the armed services. The third was the beet workers taking jobs as railway gangs on the Canadian National and Michigan Central railways. The forth was that the number of Japanese Canadians coming to the beet camps was lower than the 500 that had been expected.

As is often the case in farming the world over the weather was a factor in the problems with the 1942 sugar beet crop. “The situation has become critical”, said an official of the C&D Sugar Co. “Only about 25 per cent of the crop has been thinned. One heavy rain followed another, time after time, during May. The late beets caught up with the early planted ones and suddenly half the entire crop had reached the thinning stage.”   

There is no control over the weather and so it seems little over the need for manpower. The Hon. J. L. Ralston, Minister of Defence was first to break the bad news on the tenth of June, “there is no hope of securing the services of the men of Number 12 Basic Training Camp of this city.” 

A Patriotic appeal was now the last resort. The plan, put forward by V. G. McGuigan of Blenheim, was to get the citizens of Chatham and Kent County to give up their Sunday to spend it  in the beet fields. The Hon. P. M. Dewan, Minister of Agriculture put out the challenge, “Two thousand workers are wanted for one day to a million pounds of sugar for Canada.” To reinforce the patriotic zeal “Each man who volunteers for this work will be paid for his day’s labor.” Though the Japanese Canadians were working the beet fields for 25 cents and hour or $2.00 a day the rate for the good volunteer citizens was $10 per acre.  

Summary of articles from Chatham Daily News 9/06/42 – 11/06/42

 

11/06/42                     “Jap Nationals Arrive At Valetta Farm Centre 

                                    The arrival of 31 Japanese-Canadians from the road camp at Schreiber, Thursday, 4 June 1942, makes the fifth camp in the district. The men arrived by train at the Tilbury, Canadian Pacific Railway station and were trucked to the camp. “About a score of residents of the neighborhood were on hand.”

   The camp, “on the premises of Tilbury East Township hall and adjoining the hall.” Will be their home for the season. RCMP Staff Sergeant Anderson from Windsor supervised the transfer from train to camp. The men were taken to the “Valetta Presbyterian Church where the ladies of the Church Help Society had prepared a full meal in the basement of the church.” Reverend W. A. Williams gave the blessing, many of the men being of the Christian faith.  

   After a “30-hour unbroken train journey”, the men did not want to go directly to the beet fields. Imagine not want to exercise after 30 hours of sitting on a train? Kunio Shimizu, former general secretary of the Japanese Canadian Citizens League warned that the “Japanese are not experienced farm workers and might be slow at first.” Recreation for the men will mainly be softball, “and the baseball diamond on the property will be used by them.”

 

12/06/1942                 “ The Japanese-Canadians Are Received Favourably”

                                   An unnamed RCMP constable in Chatham, reports that the Japanese-Canadians have been making, “a splendid impression upon those who have come in contact with them”.  The article goes on to report that merchants in Petrolia who have been doing business with the men in the camp there are now requesting that the be allowed to come into the town. 

  In Glencoe men are allowed into the town to view movies, church services, at first with a Mountie but now that restriction has been dropped. Dover Centre and Dresden are also coming into a better understanding of these men and are warming up to them. In Valetta the Reeve of Tilbury, Mr. Hubbard has offered to arrange transportation to the lake so they can swim and fish.  

   The Reverend Mr. Albright, in response to the likelihood of more men coming to Kent remarked, “ if conditions could be made more agreeable and acceptable, it is quite possible that more Japanese-Canadians could be induced to come to this district.”   

 

13/06/1942                         “ Volunteer Laborers Showing results In Kent 

                                     Beet Fields “

                                            It is reported that an excellent response from the citizens of Kent to the “farm crusade” has, “driven a salient” into saving the sugar beet crop. W. Davidson, Secretary of the Kent Federation of Agriculture expects to see another 2000 worker in the fields the next Sunday.

   Canadian Industries Ltd. closed the plant in Chatham and had their 23 employees working on the 10 acre field of sugar beets on the farm of H. Pole in Harwich township. It is reported that they were doing a fine job. 

 

15/06/1942                     “ The Farmers Asking For Japanese “

                                   South Howard township finds itself in a labour shortage as farmers meet in the New Scotland UC. They told Douglas M. Campbell, MLA for East Kent that at least 25 labourers, “capable of doing heavy farm work” would be required through the summer. The farmers suggested, “that Japanese workers similar to those supplied to other areas in Kent would be preferable.”  

   “Excellent housing facilities are already in existence, Mr. Campbell pointed out, the hotel at Eatonville being immediately available.” 

 

   16/06/1942                “ More Japanese Arrive Here For Beet Work “

                                Fifty-four Japanese Canadians arrived from the Schreiber camp and will be posted to the camps at Valetta, Essex, Harwich and Dover Centre. The men will go to the fields immediately to aid in the thinning and blocking operations alredy in process.

   It was also reported that Graham Pipher, BCSC and Ontario Labour representative at Schreiber will be sent to Kent and remain with the Japanese Canadians until they return to Schreiber in the fall.

   The men who arrived today it was reported had donated an hours pay to the Red Cross. Not bad when you consider that after the 75 cents for room & board from their $2.00 a day pay. It seems that there is a need for Japanese girls to act as cooks in the St. Thomas area.

 

17/06/42                         “ Appeals for Assistance Of City Men “

                                      A meeting in Blenheim of the Rotary Club, had W. Davison, who was working for the War Committee and the Federation of Agriculture was guest speaker.  Davison speaking about the severe labour shortage said, “that a survey was made last spring (1941) and it was planned to have 500 Japs come to help in the sugar beet work.” 

   Interestingly Davison blamed the Japanese Canadians that, “have not co-operated as fast as we figured they would.” Perhaps the racist opinions put forward by elected representatives had something to do with the men not wanting to come to Kent County?

   It was Davison’s opinion that Kent’s labour shortage could be resolved by utilizing the spare time of able body labourers. According to him, “the thought came to us that if each town could in some way work out it’s own salvation it would relieve the situation a great deal.”    

 

17/06/1942                     “ Jap Valise Not As Bad As Labelled “

                                 This is more humourous than sinister It seems that when a group of Japanese Canadians arrived on the 16^th for the beet camps there was three large truckloads of baggage taken from the C.P.R. to the camps. It seems one of the bags was marked in black paint T.N.T., the bag belonging to one of the Japanese Canadians whose middle name was Nishijimol, and had nothing to due with the explosive.

 

18/06/42                 “Help Need To Save The Crops”

                            As was reported often in the Chatham News of the time the shortage of labour and the late start due to poor weather had put the beet crop in jeopardy. W. R. Reek, Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Ontario had issued an appeal to all able bodied urban dwellers to assist the farmers in saving the crop. It was his opinion that only a concerted effort of this “Farm Commando” would save the harvest.

 

19/06/1942                    “ Applications Already Made To Agriculture 

                                 Representative Here “     

                                        BCSC announced an agreement to “ bring 2,000 Japs in families into this province.”  J. A. Garner, Kent County Agriculture Representative stated that they are receiving applications from local farmers who wish to have “Japanese families to assist in cultivating and harvesting crops.”    

Major Howard Mellor of the BCSC announced that the “Province of Ontario has agreed to accept Japanese men with families evacuated from the coast.” It is expected that this will help overcome one of the biggest difficulties in getting Japanese men to move. Arthur McNamera, deputy minister of labor, said “Ontario now is prepared to receive 2,000 men, women and children.”

 

26/06/1942                     “U. S. sugar Beet Troubles – By Peter Edson”

                                       This was the second article to appear in the Chatham Daily News, the first on 10^th of June “BEET WORKERS ARE SCARCE IN THE U.S.”. According to the articles sugar beet growers in the southwest are short between 20,000 to 100, 000 “Mexican peons to take off this years crop.”

   It seems that the Mexican government is reluctant to permit it’s citizens to cross the border to take ‘war jobs’ in the USA. They don’t want a repeat of what happened after W.W.I when thousands of Mexicans were stranded in the USA and forced to go on welfare and live in rural slums.

 

30/06/1942                    “ Jap Families Not Wanted By Council “

                                 That their regular Monday Chatham city council raised their objection to Japanese-Canadian families coming to Kent from BC. A resolution put forward by Ald. Steele and Groombridge stated, “That this council go on record as expressing its willingness to have Japanese labor in Kent county during the continuation of the present war, but that it requests the proper authorities to take necessary steps to see that families of Japanese origin be not quartered here at any time and that no Japanese are permitted to settle in Kent permanently or remain in the county after the termination of the war.”

   Ald. Garnet Newkirk, who was responsible for raising the issue of Japanese labour being brought to this district and sparked the resolution, wanted to amend the motion to include, “no further infiltration of people of Japanese origin”. The motion failed to obtain a seconder.  

   Voting FOR the motion: Aldermen Steel, Harlick, Groombridge, Humphrey and Mayor Hubbell. AGAINST the motion: Alderman Newkirk and Myers. ABSENT: Alderman Goodman

   There was more discussion on the pros and cons of bringing families to Kent by Ald. Newkirk and Steel. The fact that there was an acute labour shortage being the main reason for allowing families to come to support the war effort.

 

30/06/1942                  “ Asks Co-operation Of the Farmers In Labor Plan” 

1. Davison, manager of the Farm Volunteer Bureaureported that there are a number of workers available and farmers seem lax in calling up to explain their needs. It was his opinion that, “the labor situation could be solved as soon as farmer co-operation was received.” 

   Japanese workers at the local camps are available for field-work now, other than sugar beets. This was confirmed by J. A. Garner, the Kent County Agriculture rep. Who said that though some Japanese might still be working in the beet fields many are, “hoeing corn, working in the pea vines and assisting in haying operations.” 

 

2/07/42                     “Chatham Council Objects To Japanese Families”

                                  This is in reference to the Chatham City Council meeting of the 30^th of June and the resolution of Alderman Steele and Groombridge. The motion was carried with five for the motion, two against and one absent.

 

3/07/1942                    “ Farm Service Camp Operates At Eatonville “

                                    This is the first report of the Eatonville Hotel being used under the Ontario Farm Services program. There are some 17 boys presently at the camp and they are working daily for the past “two to three weeks” on various crops in the area. Another 15 boys are “on call” for days of heavy demand.

   Roy D. Allen is in charge of the camp and has advised the local farmers with the harvest time “close at hand” they should make their needs known to him. Transportation can be arranged but Allen suggests that the farmers should plan to provide transportation. “A hot dinner awaits the youths on their return in the evenings.”    

 

6/07/42                    “Sugar Beet Harvester Is Introduced”

                                 The Essex-Kent Corn Growers is hoping that a combine beet harvester that they soon will bring to the district will help impact the positively on the labour shortage. “It harvests at a rate of six tons an hour.” “The revolutionary type of farm equipment it is said, would divide the time spent in harvesting the beet crop into a fraction of the time taken for the wearisome task.”

 

8/07/1942                   “ Association to Make Early Move To Keep Both

                              Sugar Refineries Operating During 1943 Season “

                                   Though not directly connected to the issue of Japanese Canadians in Kent county I add this article since it seems odd that with sugar such an important commodity in the ‘ war effort’. The question is why would the C&D Sugar CO. be making such a pronouncement before the 1942 crop is in. Setting the stage for the 1943 negotiations perhaps?  

Members of the Ontario Sugar Beet Growers Marketing Board and the Ontario Sugar Beet Growers Association met in the Board rooms of the Department of Agriculture with chairman of the board G. H. Wilson. 

   Mr. Wilson commented on the possibility that the Wallaceburg sugar refinery might be closed in 1943, “That is a catastrophe to the farm war effort.” He said that, “one of the major problems that will be confronted with is the labor situation and we are going to fins some solution to that at once.” The instillation of new “unloading equipment” at the Chatham and Wallaceburg plants would have a positive impact.

   The report is that the 1942 sugar beet crop looks excellent, “a pity that we did not have a larger acreage” Wilson said.    

   A report in the 14^th of July Chatham Daily News that, “W. J. McGregor, president of Canada & Dominion Sugar Co. announced that the large Wallaceburg beet sugar plant of the company would not operate this season.” McGregor went on to say that, “With a capacity acreage of over 40,000 it is obvious that we should be short 2,000 to 2,500 beet workers” was a major factor in the company’s decision.

 

13/07/1942                 “ B. C. Japs and Kent County Boys in Impromptu

                              International Tilt “

                                    Despite war-time tensions a meeting at Erie Beach between a group of young men from Blenheim and Cedar Springs and Japanese-Canadians from the Harwich camp on the Harold English farm developed into nothing more sinister than a spirited softball game. 

   Keith Lumley was responsible for organizing the ‘International’ game when he noticed the young Japanese-Canadians strolling the beach at the popular summer spot. The closely contested game ended in a 11 – 9 win by the Kent boys and positive remarks such as “Gee, they’re not bad fellows and they are good ball players” from those in attendance.

The Kent county boys were: Leo Moore, Murray Downie, Pug Smyth, Vern Lee, Keith Lumley, Jack Huddman, Beryle Cummings, Chuck Snobelen and Ross Huffman.

Playing on the Japanese-Canadian team were: A. Idenouye, N. Idenouye (brothers), R. Handa, K. Shimizu, A. Nishizuki, P. Ichikawa, W. Takaoka and his brother H. Takaoka     

 The day at the beach was brought to a close by a “sumptuous lunch”.     

 

14/07/1942                    “ Says Japs Are Well Behaved”

1. A. Garner, Kent County Agriculturalrep, who is responsible for the 375 Japanese Canadians presently stationed at the nine camps throughout SW Ontario reports them as “generally well-behaved”.  He pointed out that there are occasional, “rumblings of discontent about this and that” but nothing out of the ordinary.

   The prevailing rate of pay is now, “30 cents per hour” as is the case with other farm workers, some are worth more and some less.  It was suggested that the matter of paying some workers as much as 40 cents an hour while only pay some others 25 was discussed with an unnamed Japanese Canadian spokesman. Garner said the spokesman said that, “the idea of the Japanese was to share and share alike and therefore preferred to keep to the general 30 cent rate.”

   It is not thought that the Japanese will be kept in Kent over the winter, the housing that they are now in is not suitable for winter living.   

 

16/07/42                  “Interne Japs Who Refuse to Work”

                                  Japanese Canadians at Geikie and Decoigne road camps near Jasper Alberta have refused to work. The work strikes are in protest, “against the separation of Japanese men from their families and delays in receiving pay cheques.”

The arrests total some 29 including the 13 “ringleaders” are “en route to internment at the Canadian Immigration detention sheds in Vancouver under guard.” 

   It goes on to say these will join some 16 others also interned at Vancouver for, “what appears to be an organized break out.”

 

Re article Dresden Times – 16 July 1942 

“At Gosnell, Geikie and Descoigne, road camps in the Jasper area, several protest demonstrations were held because the men were separated from their families, their annoyance compounded by long delays in issuing the meager pay cheques. Although RCMP called these outbreaks “minor” * the men simply dropped their tools and refused to work, they arrested 29 “ringleaders”, shipped them to immigration detention sheds in Vancouver and then still under guard, to internment camps in Ontario.”

 

*Vancouver Province June 25, 30, 1942

 It is likely the went to the camp at Angler in northwestern Ontario  

 

16/07/42                    “Interne Japs Who Refuse To Work”

                                   Japanese Canadian workers at two road camps in the Jasper area, Geikie and Decoigue refused to work according to a spokesman of the BCSC. 13 ‘ringleader’ have been arrested as result of the stoppage and were sent for internment at the immigration detention sheds in Vancouver. This brings to 29 now being held. Approximately 7,500 Japanese remain in Vancouver awaiting removal.  

   The BCSC says it is handicapped in the removal of Japanese from the BC ‘defence area’, “owing to the reluctance of citizens in proposed settlement areas to accept evacuees.” See the position of Chatham on this issue above.

 

22 /07/1942                     “ Japs Moved To B. C. Town” 

                                   Kelso B.C. July 14: The evacuation of Japanese Canadians continues in B.C. with the arrival of “1,000 Japanese from the coastal defence zone.” In the little city nestled among the hills of Lake Kootenay, 34 miles north of Nelson. The population before the evacuees was approximately 500. 

   According to the BCSC, “the Japanese have made a good impression on officials and residents by their industry and willingness to cooperate in every way possible.”  

                                            

22/07/1942                       “ Camp Boys Given Threat By Kiwanians”

                                    It was ‘Boy’s Night’ at the Blenheim Kiwanis Club meeting at the Blenheim Hotel. Their special guests were the two superintendents and the 24 boys from the farm work camp at Eatonville. 

   The boys come from various locations, Windsor, London, Ridgetown, Blenheim, Granby Quebec, and even Brumford England. The boys efforts was praised in a letter from Mr. V. G. McGuigan who has had a number of the boys working on hi large farm at Cedar Springs.

 

25/07/1942                        “ Japanese Canadians Are Lauded on Work”

1. E. McPherson, superintendent of the campswhich house the Japanese Canadians praised the efforts of the men on the Kent farms. According to McPherson, “The scheme was largely experimental but it has proven successful.” He states that due to the efforts of these young men they made a major contribution in saving this years sugar beet crop.

   So far no Japanese families have been brought to Kent but McPherson reported that the department has received applications from local farmers to do so.   

 

30/07/1942                      “ BC Members Demand Removal of Japanese”

                                         Ottawa: Howard Green (Con. Vancouver South) member of Parliament from BC interrupted the tax business of the House of Commons demanding that, “swifter action by the government in moving Japanese from British Columbia’s protected areas.” Minister of Labour Mitchell defended the BCSC reporting that to date 16,000 of the 25,000 Japanese Canadians have been moved from the area.

1. G. Turgeon(Lib. Caraboo) spoke saying that regardless of where the Japanese were moved in BC that area was likely to be declared, “a protected area.” Mitchel said it was not the governments policy to place the Japanese in an “internment camp”, though 465 Japanese males had been interned as a result of their strike at a road camp.

   Of the remaining 8,927 still in the ‘protected area’, 3,000 are in camp at Hastings Park, Vancouver of the remainder, most are reported to be “women and children”.

1. G. Ross(Con. Toronto St. Paul’s)said, “Ontario would take Japanese from British Columbia as it would do anything to win the war.”  

 

12/08/1942                    “ Farm Helpers Are Entertained By Rotary Club” 

                                     The Blenheim Rotary Club entertained 60 Ontario secondary schoolboys who are staying at the formerly empty Park hotel at Eatonville. The boys were entertained by Blenheim’s famous Scotish singer Charlie McPherson and Dr. A. L. Story who showed his amateur movies. The club presented the boys with several sets of horse shoes for games of “barnyard golf.”    

 

14/08/1942                   “Kent Report indicates Excellent Harvests Are 

                                 Anticipated Here”

                                        A special bulletin from the Department of Agriculture indicates, “the best beet yield in years is expected.” Although the blocking and thinning of the beets was done under “very adverse weather conditions”, it is expected now that the crop will be above average in condition. Despite the “wide diversity of workers and their inexperience in singling beets at thinning time”, nearly all of the acreage has now had a second hoeing.   

 

2/09/1942                    “Big demand for Labor For 1943”

                               As bad as the labour problem was in 1943 the sugar beet growers were forecasting even a bigger problem for the 1943 growing season in which they expected a shortfall “of approximately 2500 skilled workers”. The shortage would also effect other crops, “The problem is becoming increasingly worse from month to month” stated G. W. Wilson, chairman of the Sugar Beet Growers Marketing Board. “This area produces many other crops besides sugar beet which are not successfully grown in other parts of the province.” Wilson pointed out.  

 

4/09/1942                   “Large Japanese Migrations To Interior Settlements”

                               Vancouver: Sept. 3 – The BC interior towns of Kaslo, Sandon, Greenwood and Slocan had been selected by the BCSC as sites for “housing and rehabilitation of Japanese” from the coastal defence area. Slocan had received 700 of the 7,000 planned evacuees, Greenwood and Kaslo currently have 1,000 and more are planned as accommodations become available. The BCSC have some 1000 tents borrowed from the US Army as temporary shelters.

   “Japanese being sent to the interior must have sufficient means to maintain their families and the units are being made self-supporting as far as possible.” The BCSC estimates that all Japanese will be moved from the coastal defence area by 15 November, 1942. 

   “The men who have been sent to the interior are chiefly elderly or unfit to work. Physically-fit male Japanese are engaged in road work upon the Hope-Princeton-Revelstoke-Sicamous and Blue River-Yellowhead highway projects.” The article goes on to say that roughly 13,000 have been moved to either interior settlements, road camps or “sugar beet plantations in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.” Some 9,000 who hold deferment permits are still living in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver; 3,000 of these, mostly women and children are being held in Vancouver’s Hastings Park.   

 

9/09/1942                    “Japs Are Free to Chose Jobs Mayor Reveals”

                                     This issue, raised in the Chatham City council, was to prove to be the start of what, by the end of the month, became a contentious issue between the City and County councils, local farmers and agricultural manufacturers.  

   Alderman A. T. Groombridge, at the regular meeting of the city council asked Mayor W. C. Hubbell “if it is true that a certain factory has been employing Japanese labor brought into Kent County?” the mayor replied that, “this was the first time I have ever heard of the rumor”. Ald. Newkirk then asked the mayor if he had any information on how useful the Japanese labor had been in this district. The mayor replied, “I understand some have been good and some not so good.”

   Newkirk remarked that he had seen some of these men “wandering about the city streets in the afternoon.” It was Alderman Myers that asked the mayor if the Japanese can chose the jobs they do. “if they like the job, they do it.” he said. “If they don’t they don’t accept it.” The mayor replied that he understood that they are free to work when and where they want. This led to Ald. Harlick asking if the Japanese received some subsistence from the government, to which, the mayor answered in the negative. “they work for their wages” he said “and pay for their subsistence at the camps.”    

 

10/09/42                     “Next Week Is Fair Week In Dresden Will Be Held

                               Sept. 15^th – 16^th and 17^th”

                                     I put this in only as a ‘benchmark’ and a bit of a mystery. According to the Chatham Daily News the men at Dresden were moved on the 17^th to Eatonville, where did they stay on the 15^th and 16^th if the fair was on in Dresden? There is no mention in the Dresden Times of the men moving at all?

 

14/09/1942                      “Japanese labor Problem”

                                       What follows is from the section of the Chatham Daily News called The Voice of the People. This is the first such article that I noticed on the Japanese Canadians from a citizen. Many of the opinions of Bert Joyce have been expressed in past articles and by city officials.

   It is Mr. Burt Joyce’s opinion that something “should be done to keep these people where they belong.” I take it that is any place but Chatham, Ontario. Joyce is upset that the Japanese men seem, “whatever time of the day or night on walks on King Street you can see Japanese around.” He objects to the fact that, “they have the run of the city in the shows, bowling alleys etc. as late as 11 p.m.” This is particularly bothersome since the “Canadian boys in His Majesty’s uniform have to be in by 10:00p.m.” 

   In light of the institution of the Selective Service law he cannot understand why these, “Japanese have the privilege to take or refuse a job.”  And if they are not subject to Selective service, “why are they not receiving Military Service?”

   According to Joyce, “If they cannot be trusted on the coast, and they are not wanted in the army, why let them roam the streets of Chatham?” If these men were in the “King’s uniform” he would be the first to congratulate them but since they are not he hopes they will, “be shipped North in the fall”. If nothing else, he is of the opinion that the Japanese should be formed into, “ labor groups” be put under “Military supervision with army pay and regulations.”   

   I’m not surprised that Joyce’s opinion, as is often the case of opinions, is supported by little fact.

    

15/09/1942                     “More Control of Japanese Is Suggested”

                                       A Letter from D. H. Rawlings, the Secretary Treasurer of Branch 28 Canadian Legion B.E.S.L, to the Editor of the Chatham Daily News concerning the Legion’s meeting held 14 September. At this meeting issue was raised concerning the Japanese from the farm camp being on the streets of Chatham, “both day and night without supervision.”

   Their opinion was expressed in a resolution that appeared in the paper. “It is therefore resolved that the action of the authorities charged with the supervision of the Japanese in allowing them to roam our streets both day and night and all day without supervision be deplored, and also a letter appearing you paper signed by Bert Joyce be endorsed as expressing the sentiment of this branch of this question.”  

 

Just who is Bert Joyce? Is he a member of Branch 28? How does a Letter to the Editor result in a Legion resolution, and as will be seen on the 22^nd of the month, a resolution of the City Council of Chatham?

 

23/11/1942                 “Bert Joyce A Candidate For Alderman”

                                   According to this Chatham Daily News article, Bert Joyce is the manager of Godfree’s clothing store on Queen Street”, Chatham, ON. The article goes on to say, “For several years Mr. Joyce has been in the public eye in connection with several municipal movements.” He is a member of the Moose Lodge where he is the secretary and a member of the War Chest Committee. A veteran of WWI having served with the West Yorkshire regiment of England, he is a member of the Canadian Legion.   

 

17/09/1942                    “ Japs Transferred”

                                 Japanese farm laborers who have been quartered at the Dresden fair Grounds during the summer are now stationed at the Eatonville Farm Labor Force Camp where school students were billeted during the summer months. The transfer was made in order to allow the fair buildings to be used for this year’s agriculture exhibition in that town.

   There were 55 Japanese Canadians at the Dresden camp, which would tally with Ralph Pyne’s recollection of the number of men at the hotel his father owned at Eatonville.

 

17/09/42                  “Should Bar Japs From Universities” – From the editorial page.

                                “Premier Hepburn has openly voiced the disapproval of Japanese being allowed to take University courses while native Canadians of similar age are required to serve in the defence of their country – and rightfully so.” according to the writer. It would seem that the Premier has forgotten that the federal government on January the 7^th 1941 denied Japanese Canadians the right to serve in the armed services. 

   The writer might just be revealing his personal prejudice with the following. “Just why any University in Canada should allow any of these yellow-skinned Sons of the Devil to embark upon ANY course is beyond our wildest imagination.” 

   The writers grasp of the treatment of the Japanese must be negligible when he goes on to say, “If they have been treated as well in other parts of the Dominion as they have been in Kent County, they have no kick coming.” Chatham is specifically noted in many books on the Japanese evacuation as a place that Japanese do want to come to.  

   The situation the Japanese find themselves in should not be complained about, “They are clothed, fed and paid for the work they do – is that not sufficient?” They are paid 25 cents an hour for their work, must pay 75 cents a day room and board, $1.00 a month medical. For whatever money is left they pay for their smokes, clothing and other items. This after many of them had to leave university, good paying jobs and lost homes and property. They just might have something to ‘kick’ about

 

22/09/1942                      “Council Scores System of Handling Japanese; 

                                   Families Not Wanted”  

The Bert Joyce of the Legion, Letter to the Editor on the 14^th is responsible for bringing the following to the Chatham City Council, appearing as a “one-man delegation”, how did he get on the agenda so quickly?    

   Capturing the highlights of Bert Joyce’s prsentation:

• Though the rural areas may be welcoming the Japanese many in the city object to their presence.
• He raised the issue of BC not wanting the Japanese back to the coast after the war. “If they are such good citizens why do British Columbia officials not want them back.”
• He said he was not “down on the Japs. If some were in khaki he would have no critisism.”
• They should not be roaming the streets in town day and night.
• They should be under military supervision.
• They should be subject to selective service.

Ald. Goodman, (also president of Branch 28 Legion) objected to the Japanese being able to roam the streets of the city. “If the soldiers at the training centre have to be in camp by 10 p.m. so should the Japs.”

Ald. Humphrey, felt “let down in regard to the supervision of these men”.

Ald. Newkirk, being opposed from the beginning to allowing the Japanese into Kent for any reason went on to object, “There is a desire in some quarters to have more Jap laborers especially families here”. It was his stated opinion that, ”We don’t want to abuse them but they should be treated as prisoners of war.”    

Ald. Steele, reminded the council that there were reasons in bringing the Japanese to Kent. In the first place they were needed for the farm labor and in the second they wanted to remove them from the west coast. He thought that, “it is a small task to harbor them”. “As to the post-war period, we are on record they are to get out and stay out.”

Ald. Groombridge, said the situation is a delicate one. The Japanese are holding Canadians as POW’s and we should be setting a good example. He narrated a conversation he had with a young Japanese man at Dresden. He heard how he had been a successful fisherman. He was told that the Japanese had been brought here on the understanding work would be found for them and that they were not supposed to hunt for jobs. He also said that when asked “the man loved Canada as much as Japan,” “I am sorry to say” said the young man, “that in his heart and soul there is still a love for the country of his forefathers.” Something every Scot would also agree with.   

Mayor Hubbell, Discussed the issue of the Japanese coming to the city unsupervised. He raised his objection with the RCMP and at the police commission meeting. He felt the men had been brought here under false pretences, “They were supposed to have their freedom, steady jobs and plenty of money.” He went on to say that some of the married men “wanted to bring their families and go on farms as hired help.”

Ald. Myers said there is something wrong when, “when these men are not working” while farmers are, “ up to their eyes in it.”

   I am struck by the similar position’s taken by members of the city council to the concerns raised in Burt Joyce’s letter of the 14^th to the editor of the News.

   As a result of Mr. Joyces Letter to the Editor and his ‘one-man delegation’ presentation to the council and the enlightened debate of the council, Ald. R. D. Steel moved the following resolution be approved by the council and sent to the federal government.

The resolutions states:

(1)  That the Japanese Canadians were brought here to perform necessary farm labor.

(2)  That they could be removed from the coast and kept under supervision.

(3)  That only single Japanese were to come here.

(4)  That all Japanese should leave when the war is over.

(5)  That all Japanese all Japanese be removed from the locality during the winter season.

The resolution went on to say that, “the purpose of the Japanese here be fulfilled by requiring them to work and keep out of town during labor hours, or be confined to camp at all times under detention.

 

The motion of the resolution was carried by a vote.  

24/09/1942                “COUNCIL REFUSES TO RECALL JAP LETTER”

                                  “Tremendous Loss Predicted If Japanese Labor

                              Force Is Removed From County”

                                   The Bert Joyce Letter to the Editor and the subsequent resolution from the councilors of the City of Chatham brought a swift response from the county farmers, arm organizations and agricultural manufacturers.

   Grave concerns were expressed at a ‘special’ evening council meeting resulting from, “a possible move from this area of Japanese farm workers brought here in the early part of the summer to alleviate a shortage of manpower in agriculture.” 

   A resolution sponsored by W. E. Reid of the Tomato Growers and seconded by A. W. McIntyre of the Canada and Dominion Sugar Co. The resolution, that the council, “move at once to correct press reports of a Monday night council session and that they retract a resolution suggesting that the Japanese be confined to their barracks while not at work.”

   Ald. Garnet Newkirk stated, “In fact I thought they were exceptionaly well handled.” To which Mr. Reid remarked, “Then there should be more censorship.” Others in attendance felt that hundreds of county farms would not be tilled this year if the Japanese left the county. And millions of dollars would be lost if the Chatham sugar refinery were closed due to lack of product to process. All of this would be proven if the Japanese carried out their threat to leave the district an “action taken after they were informed of severe council criticism registered last Monday evening.”

    Whereas the full council was in attendance for the meeting Monday, only Mayor Hubbell with Aldermen Steele, Newkirk and Myers were present for this meeting. 

   Mr. A. W. McIntyre, representing the C.&D. Sugar Co. said there had been a “lot of talk” in Chatham, but “ few facts have been considered”. The Sugar Co. had in fact approached Canada House to try and obtain Italian POW’s but this had proven impossible. A reduction in the 1942 acreage has resulted in the closing of the Wallaceburg refinery. If the Chatham plant were closed that would mean a loss of $3,600,000 including the $200,000 paid annually to the staff at the Chatham head office.

   Ralph E. Richards, speaking for Libby McNeil and Libby of Canada Ltd. estimated a heavy decrease in the production of many foodstuffs such as peas and tomatoes. “We have found that the Japanese are willing to work under conditions that our boys are not. I have nothing but praise for them.” He went on to say that the council, “consider the situation before making any utterances of further action that might prejudice these boys against us.” 

   Mr. Reid expressed an indignant opinion that, “council created the Jap problem.”  He can’t understand how they were all right in the last war and without their help he stands to loose up to 1000 bushels of tomatoes. “They have worked side by side with the daughters of good Chatham citizens and I have never heard any complaints.”

   This opinion was reinforced by Bruce Bradley, speaking on behalf of the Onion Growers. “I have a son on the West Coast with the Kent regiment and I am trying to do the best I can at home. I have been surprised and very much pleased with the deportment of the Japanese boys.” “No one seems to object to the Germans in this district and many of them fought against us in the last war. Yet we hate the Japs.” 

Ald. Newkirk said that although, “We have learned a great deal at this meeting tonight.” He was still of the opinion that the best way to keep the Japanese away from criticism, “is to keep them out of sight.” “With the existing labor shortage there might be an immediate gain, but they may form a permanent part of the community and that outweighs their present value.” This is the situation in BC, Newkirk pointed out, “they have become masters of everything they have undertaken. It is inevitable that the same thing would happen here.”

   Ald Steele stated that, “I wish to stress there was no suggestion of evicting them from the country”. The problem according to Ald. Steele is that the citizens of Chatham are objecting to seeing them on the streets of Chatham. 

1. A. Garner,provincial agricultural representative for Kent, blamed the situation on, “the fact that various citizens have not availed themselves of existing facts.” He pointed out the following:

• The BCSC had to remove the Japanese from the west coast defence area.
• The Japanese-Canadians had voluntarily come to Kent for what thet thought was a vital task in the war effort.
• All but 19 were citizens and they have naturalization papers.
• The Ontario government recognizes a serious labour shortage. 
• The RCMP have done a wonderful job handling the camps.
• Contrary to rumor these men have not been on city streets at midnight, they must be in camp by 11 p.m.
• They earn only what they make from work at the current wages paid by the farmers from which seventy-five cents s day is deducted for board and $1 a month for medical care.
• All reports he has seen say the men are orderly and mannerly.
• Men seen on the streets are seen on days of bad weather or resulting from a misunderstanding on the part of their employer.
• They were certainly willing to enter the army, but due to their racial origin they were not acceptable.

   Garner then went on to explain that the city council resolution had prompted, “ a delegation (of Japanese Canadians) approached me asking that they be removed from this district at once.” Garner refused to release them he said, they were willing to go any place where their services are wanted.   

1. Harry Wilson, chairman of the Sugar Beet Growers Marketing Boardsaid it was his opinion that, “that the councillors either lacked understanding of the situation or that they were indifferent toward the production of food stuffs.” It was his opinion that the only practical answer to Kent’s labour problem was Japanese Canadians.
2. G. McGuigan,chairman of the Federation of Agriculture predicted a vital shortage in foodstuffs left to rot in the fields if the Japanese were moved from the district including beef shortages. Farmers he said are “fed up already” he stated “and are not going to try another year. The Selective Service officials have been advised of farmers leaving their jobs and they have done nothing about it.” 

Mayor W. C. Hubbell said that due to the number of complaints he had received, “with criticisms of the council’s action Monday night” he was compelled to call this meeting. He said that, “some of the complaints may be justified and then again perhaps we do not have a full understanding of the industrial and farm problems in the county.”

He wanted the press to be at the meeting to clarify the actions of the group in their reports.    

 

24/09/1942                   “Tempers Flare As Solons Refuse Request Of Farm

                                Leaders And Industries”

                                 This is a continuation of the article above, which was to spark even more discord between the city council and the county and local agricultural businesses in Kent over the Japanese-Canadians. Solon : Sage, Senator, a wise lawmaker. I’m not sure why the reporter began to use this term in reporting this part of the story, perhaps the mayor’s remarks about having the newspaper at the meeting touched a nerve? 

   In an “explosive” City council meeting that lasted an hour and a half allegations that Mayor W. C. Hubbell was “pussy-footing” and efforts were being made to control free of the councilors, caused tempers to flare. The mayor pointed out that the Japanese were the only reservoir of labour and as such was Kent’s only hope of maintaining the production of foodstuff. “We are howling for industries in Kent, yet we are doing our best to drive them out. As a gesture of goodwill” the mayor suggested, “I believe that we should withdraw the letter – at least until after the beets have been harvested.”

   “That is pussy-footing” replied Ald. Garnet Newkirk. He went on to say “If we get Jap families here we’ll never get rid of them.” Newkirk reminded the council he had been against this “entire scheme” and now that the Japanese were here this was the “thin edge of the wedge” with greater “infiltration” after the war. 

   Ald. R. J. Myers did not agree with Newkirk saying, “If they see fit to bring Japanese Canadian families to kent county to alleviate this labor shortage – then I am prepared to welcome them.”

At this point Ald. Bert Groombridge was on his feet, pacing the room and stating, “Your going to have trouble.” Ald. Ralph Steele pointed out that nothing could be done to “retract the statements” made at the Monday night meeting, “Those statements were private opinions and we can’t attempt to control free speech.”  He went on to point out that the National Selective Service regulations, were applied to Japanese Canadians “They wouldn’t be a privileged class then.”  

   Ald. Harlick wanted a definite clarification of the supervision of these men. Harlick went on to say , “The root of the trouble is the fact that the farm boys are going to the factories for better pay and we have to get foreiyn labor to take their place.”  

In the end the Chatham City Council refused the request of the Kent county industrialist and the farm organizations that the letter to Ottawa concerning the Japanese farm workers in Kent be recalled.

 

25/09/1942                    “HINT JAPS USED AS POLITICAL 

                                   SCAPEGOATS”

                                   “Kent Chamber Chastises Chatham City 

                                    Council For Attitude on Japs”

                                          Every member of the Kent Federation of Agriculture raised resentment towards the Chatham City Council at the County meeting last night. the opinion was that the Japanese farm workers were being used as “political scapegoats”. They insisted that nothing in the last decade has done more to widen the gap between the city and rural people as the outbursts at yesterday and Monday’s meeting had done.

   The Japanese workers had sent a delegation to the Department of Agriculture offices in Chatham Wednesday, asking that they be moved to another community. Many of the men failed to return to their jobs Wednesday awaiting the Departments decision. STRIKE!

   The council meeting of the 24^th were in they refused to recall the letter, “failed to smooth over the problem”. However, the men did return to work when they learned that tons of foodstuff would spoil if they did not.

1. G. McGuigan, chairman of the Federation of Agriculture, told the assembled that it was time for action, “It seems to me, that the city council has been using the Japanese issue as a political platform for the December elections.” He thought it was unfortunate that farmers and agricultural officials had to come to the “defencive”for these workers. “They have done no harm and they have done thousands of dollars worth of good.”   

The Resolution: Moved by E. A. Richardson, Bean Glowers Association, sconded by G. H. Wilson, chairman Ontario Sugar Beet Glowers Marketing Board. 

   “This body resents the attitude of the Chatham City Council at their meeting on the night of Monday, September 21 at which time it took it upon itself an unsympathetic attitude to the Japanese now working in Kent county without first ascertaining from those responsible for the Japanese whether their basis of resentment was properly grounded.”

   “Furthermore, after meeting with responsible agriculturists and representatives of the industries in the city concerned with agricultural production, who represented to the council the good behavior and usefulness of the Japanese at this time when labor is of such important, maintained their attitude of hostility.”

   “The repercussions of this attitude and the publicity it has received have had a very adverse effect on the Japanese themselves who have not deserved it, and have placed those responsible for the administration of the Japanese camps in a very unfair and disagreeable position. This body is aware of the immense amount of difficulty involved in administering Japanese camps and is also aware of the value of the labor performed by the men in these camps who are all Canadian citizens and volunteers for the work.”

   “We feel that it is extremely unfortunate that this course should be introduced into a situation already frought with difficulty. We would like to point out that there has been considerable direct financial benefit directed to the city of Chatham through the purchase of supplies for the camps, as well as money spent by the Japanese themselves, not to mention the purchasing power of the crop saved. We feel that it is possible that the outburst of resentment has a connection with the approach of municipal elections. Whether this is the case or not, the results have been singularly unfortunate.” 

This seems to be a fair representation of the difference of opinion between the county and the city’s positions relative to the Japanese Canadians, employed in the farm labour camps in Kent during 1942.  

The resolution was passed.

 

25/09/1942                     “Daughter of Late British Premier Inspects Jap

                                  Camp in Harwich”

                                         Shelia MacDonald, daughter of the late Ramsey MacDonald the first Labour premier of England was in Chatham to speak to the Woman’s Canadian Club. She is on a Canadian speaking tour acting as official hostess for her brother the Hon. Malcom MacDonald, minister from Britain to Canada. 

Mrs. Harold English, president of the Woman’s Canadian Club took her on a tour of the nearby rural districts and the Japanese Canadian farm camp on her husband’s farm.  

 

26/09/1942                    “THE JAPANESE LABOUR PROBLEM IS 

                                   CLARIFIED”

                                  “Discussion Removes Misconceptions In Minds

                                   Of The Public”

                                           This is a long article and in the main covers the issues raised at the meetings beginning with the City council of Monday night the 22^nd of September.

The Board of Trade arranged an open meeting to examine the issues of the Japanese Canadians in the Kent area working on various agricultural activities. “That as there have been rumors and reports from various quarters derogatory to the character, industry and capabilities of the Japanese-Canadian farm workers quartered in camps in the townships adjacent to Chatham.”  

Present at the meeting:

• Directors of the Board of Trade
• Chatham City Council
• Kent County Federation of Agriculture
• Ontario Beet producers Association
• Burley Tobacco Growers Association
• Kent County Fruit Growers Association
• Ontario Department of Agriculture
• Canada and Dominion Sugar Co. Ltd.
• Libby, McNeill and libby of Canada
• Royal Canadian mounted Police

After a great deal of discussion on the various topics A. W. McIntyre moved, seconded by Walter Watts the following resolution:

 “Now therefore, this Board of Trade of the City of Chatham hereby records regret at the injustice done these Japanese-Canadian workers through statements, rumors and reports derogatory to their characters, industry, or capabilities, and desires to make public its earnest commendation of the valuable services rendered by them in aid of Canada’s food production and hence of Canada’s war effort; and directs that a copy ot the resolution be sent to the prime Minister of Ontario and of the Dominion Minister of Agriculture and to the daily papers of Chatham, Windsor, London and Sarnia.

Dated at Chatham, Ontario, this 25^th day of September, 1942.”     

Present at this meeting:

Messrs S. Aitken, Vern Proctor, C. A. Glock, Walter Watts, Wilfred Davidson, Pat Reid, C. A. Norsworthy, J. C. Stewart K. C., Virgil mcGuigan, P. G. Piggott, Ross Carrick, Norman Cummins, C. Baxter, Howard English, E. Trinnear, M. McCade, George Dunkley, A. E. Stringer, C. Green, D. E. A. Rispin, Lou Veale, James Garner, A. W. McIntyre, John Keil, Martin Drew, Mayor Hubbell, and Aldermen Groombridge, Myers, Newkirk, Humphrey, Goodman and others.      

 

27/09/1942                     “Claims Japs Do Good Work On The Farms”

1. Ernest Trueman, placement officer for the BCSCin an interview with the Chatham Daily News, “expressed his desire to further clarify the situation which has arisen in southwestern Ontario with respect to Japanese-Canadian labor on the farms.”

   Mr. Trueman wanted to make it clear that the Japanese worker are “Canadian citizens” and that they are performing a vital service and “doing a good job for Canada” by assisting in the production of necessary foodstuff. He pointed out that according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police there has been, “no case of sabotage, or attempted sabotage of Japanese-Canadian origin.” Though it appears that this public sentiment came from rumor that, “the Japanese in Hawaii had engaged in acts of sabotage during the Japanese invasion there. These reports have since been cleared up completely; and it has been made known that there was no sabotage.”

   Statistics show that over 22,700 persons have left the farms to join the armed services as well, many young farmers have left the farms to take vacant factory jobs. For this reason the decision was made to, “endeavor to place the Japanese-Canadians on the farms of the country to increase agricultural production and help the Canadian war effort.”    

   It is interesting that the Chatham Daily News and the Chatham City Council were conspicuously quiet after the scolding from the Board of Trade on the 27^th. I paid particular attention to the editorial page to see if the paper might make some issue with what was being touted as an infringement on ‘freedom of speech by some councilors.  

 

1/10/42                       “Good Yield Expected By Kent Beet Men”

                                    It is expected that some 220,000 tons of sugar beets will be harvested in 1942, this would indicate a yield of about 10 ½ tons to the acre. With the Wallaceburg plant shut down, all of the crop will be processed at the Chatham plant. The installation of new unloaders at “nearly $60,000” will enable farmers, ”to unload heavy shipments in two minutes” many farmers have already modified their wagons so they will be more serviceable.

 

5/10/1942                    “The Voice of the People – C.I.O Chatham

                               Council predicted” Letter from R. Ball

                                     The focus of Mr. Ball’s letter is in reference to the municipal election scheduled for December of 1942. Mr. Ball writing in reference to a speech made by an unidentified person or persons, “city’s most zealous and efficient church worker in company with a city employee” declared that, “The C.I.O. (Canadian Industrial Organization) is going to rule Chatham after the December election.” Ball goes on to say, “Obviously that C.I.O. council, is to be a strictly anti-Jap council.” 

 

9/10/1942                    “The Voice of the People – Without the Japs” Letter 

                                       from Bert Joyce.

                                      The letter dated 7 October, 1942 has attached an article from the Vancouver Sun and republished in the Ottawa Journal the 16^th of September, 1942. Mr. Joyce feels it “well worth bringing to the attention of the people of Kent County for future reference”. The article reports on the harvesting of Sockeye salmon on British Columbia’s west coast. The catch and canning of the salmon all done, “without benefit of the Japanese.”

   The article gives credit to the BCSC, “eliminating Nippon from the fishing industry of this coast.” Except for a “sprinkling” of “Chinese and Fillipinos” the “whites” in “cannery jobs but here again the inside work formerly dominated by Japanese girls and woman was proceeding smoothly”. According to the Sun article, “More than 40 years ago the Japanese stole the sockeye fisheries from the whites.”

   Fishing on the west coast is a huge business and the article suggests that this years harvest will be a record and it is no surprise that the white fishermen are, “heartily glad that the Japanese are out.” And as the article goes on to say, “And they” (the white fishermen) “earnestly hope that the tricky yellow men are out for good. They certainly are not indispensable.”    

   The article goes on from the business aspect of the fishing industry without the Japanese, to a more sinister aspect. “During the last few years the good old Fraser sockeye has furnished important cash contributions to help Japan in her war against China.” Referring to the 1941 fishing season, completed only months before the attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbour, the article alleges that, “millions” of dollars “were transmitted from Stevenson to Tokyo during the last half of 1941. It make the connection that, “It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that some sinister intention was being pursued”. 

   The article concludes expressing the obvious opinion, “We have gotten rid of the Japanese after lengthy tolerance. We don’t want them back, on any conditions, at any time.”     

 

It is clear from Mr. Joyce’s earlier article in the Chatham Daily News, “Voice of the People” article, on the 14^th of September and his, ‘one-man delegation’ speech to the Chatham City council on the 22^nd of September; he is no fan of the Japanese Canadian population at Kent county farm camps or anywhere else in Canada. It should be noted that Mr. Joyce was a candidate in the up coming municipal election where he was elected as an alderman. He was reelected in the 1944.    

 

15/10/42                        “110 Million Pounds Sugar From Alberta”

                                  Though Kent county’s sugar crop was fraught with difficulties the rest of the country fared much better according to the Lethbridge Herald. It is expected that from the 350,000 tons of harvested beets 110,000,000 pounds of sugar is expected. 

   Based on, “the sugar ration of half a pound per person per week”, 800,000 Albertans will consume 21,000,000 pounds in a year. Saskatchewan requires about 25,000,000 pounds and Manitoba 10,000,000. This will leave 54,000,000 pounds, “left to supply general requirements and to ship to the people of Ontario where we are shipping the surplus of last years crop.”

 

17/10/1942                  “Jap Is Fined For Breach Of The L.C.A”

                               Poor Mr. George F. Mochiguki found himself before Magistrate Craig in Police Court on the charge of, “having liquor in other than a private residence.” Crown Attorney A. D. Bell who commented that this was the first time a Japanese, sent here from BC, had come before the court. He questioned Mr. Mochiguki about where he might have gotten the liquor? Through an interpreter, he said he, “got it from a friend on a promise that he would not reveal his identity”. 

   Bell expressed sympathy with the poor fellow, “I can understand the unfortunate position this boy has been put in” he went on to suggest, the friend is likely a “Canadian”. The CA pointed out that, the Japanese, “are under strict orders of the Liquor Control Act in that they may not have liquor”.

  Bell went on to say that it was unlikely that a group of Anglo-Saxon boys together “under similar circumstances and restrictions, would go as long as these Japanese without breaking the law.”

   After reviewing the evidence Magistrate Craig imposed the minimum fine of $10 plus costs, in all $31.64.   

When you take into account that the Japanese Canadians working in the farms camps were only paid 25 cents per hour or $12.00 a week, out of which $5.25 was taken for room and board. In the approximately 20 weeks they had been here George would have only earned a maximum of $135.00 minus $1.00 per month or $5.00 for the five months they had been in Kent. The fine of $31.64 would represent about 25% of is maximum earnings, a pretty stiff fine.       

 

22/10/1942                  “Trade Board Discusses the Farm Labor Problem”

1943. S. Aiken,chairman of the rural Relations section of the Board of Trade suggested that the Dominion Government, be made aware of the necessity for considering early, the question of labour on area farms, so that production may be maintained to capacity in 1943.

 

28/10/1942                  “Federation Will Propose Higher Prices For Sugar

1. G. McGuigan Tells Club”
2. G. McGuigan,chairman of the Kent Federation of Agriculture, speaking to the Chatham Kiwanians, asserted that only the Canada and Dominion Sugar Co. “makes any profit on the crop.” Though McGuigan did not elaborate on the plans for better pricing in 1943, he did refer at length, on the problems that farmers were facing with a shortage of labour. He remarked on how the Volunteer Farm Labor Bureau, “had flourished to the advantage of agriculture last summer.

 

30/10/1942                   “Growers Say Labor Trouble Is Reason”

                                Kent County Tomato Growers are fearful that there will be insufficient labour available in the area for the 1943 crop. The growers feel that the tomato business, is in a precarious position with no guarantee that there will be labour available to plant, cultivate and harvest the 43 crop. As a result, “It is expected that the 6,000 acres grown in 1942 will be cut to about 4,000”. Price increases will be, “among the first demands made by the growers.”

I put these three articles in order to show how the farming community, after the problems relative to labour shortages in the 1942 season have affecting their views towards the 1943 crop season. It could be expected, that the negative position of the Chatham City Council towards the Japanese, would have a barring on whether or not the Japanese Canadians would ‘volunteer’ to return to Kent in the spring of 1943.     

 

29/10/1942                    “RETURN OF THE JAPS TO KENT IS NOT

                                 ASSURED” – “District Camps Close in November” 

1. A. Garner, Kent agriculture representative said, “the 361 Japanese located in Western Ontario at the present time – approximately 200 of these at camps in Dresden, Wallaceburg, Chatham, Valetta and Dover Centre.”Would be evacuated from the area in the next month, between the 1^st and the 10th. 

   The London office responsible for this ‘farm emergency force’, “do not know” whether or not the workers “will be brought back to Kent next summer”. This has caused, “anxiety in farm circles”. A half dozen workers have agreed to remain on farm in the county over the winter months.

   The evacuees who have been working on the area farms will be given the choice of going to road building camps or lumber camps in Northern Ontario for the winter. Closing the camps will not affect the Japanese Canadian who are at present “employed on private farms and are living at farmers’ homes. They will be allowed to continue their present work.” Officials also said that, “farmers who wish to hire men from the camps before they are closed up may do so.”    

Putting myself in their shoes, Kent would not be my first choice of places I would want to return to. The attitude of the Chatham city councilors might come to haunt the farmers of the county of Kent.     

 

3/11/42                            “Jap Tribute Charge Probed At Vancouver”

                                   Vancouver Nov. 3: This was the first article I noticed on the subject of the Black Dragon Society. Another article appeared in the paper of the 5^th of the month identifying a Etsuji Morii, head of a Japanese liaison committee working with the BCSC as receiving “$20” as ‘tribute’ money from other Japanese. 

 

4/11/42                            “Request Japs Be Retained At Eatonville”

                                   Town councils of Blenheim and Ridgetown have both approved of keeping at least 25 – 30 Japanese Canadians at the Eatonville Farm Services Camp over the winter months. It is hope that by keeping the men working through the winter they will stay in the district for the 1943 crop season.

   The men will be kept under the supervision and regulations of the Provincial Police, “for the purposes of doing necessary work in cutting wood, building operations and farm work in the vicinity.” One of the important jobs to be undertaken by the “Japs” will be, “the cutting of firewood in the Rondeau Park forests.” Due to the acute shortage of labour in the district, “the firewood being very necessary in view of the shortage of other fuels.” 

 

18/11/42                         “Jap-Canadians Are Entertained”

                                   “Twelve Japanese Canadian youth who are employed in this district and stayed at the Eatonville camp” were entertained by the Men’s Brotherhood of the Blenheim united Church.”

 

It would appear that the ‘wish’ to keep 25 – 30 Japanese Canadians at Eatonville was not fulfilled. In conversation with Yon Shimizu an evacuee at Glencoe in 1942, few of the men in Kent cared to stay, due mostly to the bad feelings the Chatham city council directed at the Japanese Canadians. According to Yon many of the men went back to Schreiber to do roadwork or Kapuskasing to cut wood.

 

14/11/1942                   “CROP CONTROL MAY BE ADOPTED IN 

                                CANADA – Elimination Of Sugar Beet Crops 

                                 Considered Unlikely In This Area”

                                     The severe labour shortage of 1942 was not expected to improve in 43, in fact it should be worse as more men and women go into military service. The Ontario government officials were intimating that the federal government, “to conserve manpower and at the same time produce the maximum of farm products, essential to the welfare of the country in wartime.” would institute crop control. 

   Crop experts believe that, “that sugar beets are definitely out for 1943 because of the labor problems.” Reference was made to the problems that arose in southwestern Ontario, “with respect to Japanese labor this year and it was intimated that the Japanese would not return next year.”

   Canada & Dominion Sugar Co. officials in Chatham said “We do not regard the sugar beet crop next year as being out.” The company believed that the labour shortage, though a problem, “can and will be solved as far as sugar beets – and other crops also – are concerned.” The first source of action relative to labour would be through the Selective Service Board. The second would possibly be securing Japanese labour and finally, Italian POW’s.   

1. A. Garner, District Agricultural Representative for Kent, expressed his concern that, “many Japanese laborers who were here this summer expressed themselves as well pleased with the treatment they received and also indicated a desire to return next year if they were given the opportunity.”  It was said that in general the Japanese Canadians were good workers and local farmers were “realistic enough to know that the work had to be done and that the Japanese would do it.”

   One Department of Agriculture spokesman said: “The towns made it so tough for them (Japanese Canadians) that the majority have gone back to Schreiber work camps determined not to return to field work in Southwestern Ontario.”

   It would seem that the Japanese Canadians were being polite when asked about returning to Kent, the truth is, they would rather spend a winter working in Schreiber and Kapuskasing than stay in Kent county. That says a lot!    

 

26/11/1942                     “Orientals Spread Over Ontario”

                                  The last of the “350 Japanese Canadians” from British Columbia, who have been working in southwestern Ontario’s farm crops from the “nine camps”, this past summer, have gone back to road and lumber camps in Northern Ontario for the winter. J. A. Garner, local representative of the Department of Agriculture announced that, “Generally speaking, their work was satisfactory and there has been few complaints.”

   Garner did report that some 28 of the Japanese have gone to Port Credit to work on the fruit and mushroom farms, 20 will be working in the basket factories in Grimsby and Beamsville. A group of 28 have gone to the camp at the Eatonville Hotel, “where they are employed at wood cutting a rough carpentry.” Another 10 are employed on farms in the southwestern part of Ontario and 14 are in the Cottam area.    

   In total 100 stayed in the southwest.

 

28/11/1942                     “Fuel Wood Shortage Is Prospect”

                                       Ottawa, Nov. 28: The Prices Board foresees a shortage in fuel wood over the winter of 1943 – 44. “The basic trouble is manpower shortage… normally, the wood produced for use during the winter of 1943-44 should be cut this winter.” With the shortage of coal fuel wood is very important in particular, “In smaller towns and villages and in the poorer sections of the larger cities, masses of people depend entirely on wood fuel.”  

 

30/11/1942                  “School News Of Ridgetown”

                                   A small article in the local section of the Chatham Daily News reports that Mr. McLarin who heads the Farm Services Bureau sent a letter to the Ridgetown High Schools student thanking them for their valuable service during the past summer. “In making the final count it appears that 88 girls and 66 boys worked on home farms or were registered with one of the FSB camps.” “Ten of the boys were at the camp at Eatonville, one boy was at Leamington and two girls were at Cottam.”  

7/12/1942                   “Soldiers Fire On Rioters In Jap Camp”    

                                    Manzanar California, 7 Dec.: One Japanese American is reported a killed and nine wounded as a result of the internees confrontation with US soldiers at the camp. Project director of the Manzanar camp, Ralph P. Merritt blamed the incident on pro-Axis individuals among the internees holding “a celebration of the Pearl Harbor attack”. 

   Merritt ordered soldiers with fixed bayonet’s and mounted machine guns to enter the ‘relocation camp’ and restore order. The shooting occurred as angry member in the crowd began hurling stones and rushing the line of soldiers.  

 

8/12/1942                 “Substantial Majority Is Given Mayor-Elect Newkirk

                             Heads Polls”

                                  Municipal elections held Monday, 8 December, 1942 resulted in Lorne Goddard elected as Mayor and Garnet Newkirk, Reginald Myers, Bert Joyce and Douglas Clark being elected as Aldermen.

 

9/12/1942                  “ Large Combined Meeting Of Growers, Processors Say Shortage is Acute” 

                                  Over 50 representatives of agricultural processing industries and processors, farmers and agricultural interest groups, met with J. A. Garner local agriculture representative at a meting chaired by J. Duff Brien, secretary of the Ontario, Corn Growers Marketing Board.   

   The general feeling was that an acute labour shortage on the farm and in the agriculture industry was putting the 1943 crop in jeopardy. It was generally felt that the situation “could be remedied by obtaining Japanese or Italian prisoners of war to work for the duration.” A clarification of the policy of military deferment also had to be confirmed.

   It was the opinion of the meeting that the district and the Dominion had been “drained dry with the exception of Japanese and Italian POW’s”. There was agreement that they “had considerable trouble in the past over such a project, the Japanese gave a good account of themselves in behavior” Either the labour problems was resolved or “the public will go short foodstuffs as well as our fighting forces.”

   It might be possible to have the Italian POW’s quartered at the same camps that the Japanese were housed in the past summer but under the supervision of the Veteran’s Guard of Canada. The possibility of moving whole Japanese families to the farm areas was voiced as the preferred arrangement. Housing problems could be “overcome by building ‘labor homes’ under the joint sponsorship of the Federal and Provincial Governments.”

   It may be that the ‘labour homes’ were built at Rondeau by the Japanese Canadians housed at Eatonville during the winter of 1942 – 43. 

 

17/12/1942                   “Farmer Suggests Student Camps be Organized To

                                Provide Labor For Farms”

                                      After the problems with the 1942 crop Kent farmers and their associations are beginning to plan for the likelihood that a similar situation will exist for the 1943 crop season a want to start planing early. It’s interesting that this article never reveals the name of the farmer, only the description, “A Kent County farmer, who ordinarily till 400 acres of land”. 

   “Unless something is done”, the farmer states to the reporter, “to relieve the shortage of labor, I will have to allow much of my land to go idle this year.” He goes on to talk about the problems with the 1942 crop, “This year, when I did get labor (likely the JC’s) the canning factory was short of labor, and so I lost out.” He is not confident this years labour will be anymore plentiful than last years.

   “It doesn’t look as if we will have much Japanese labor here next year – although I am wrong in this prediction.” If not the Japanese perhaps Italian POW’s might come to the rescue. The farmer goes on to say that he has had some experience hiring Italians and he was pleased with their work. I expect he is talking about immigrants since do Italian POW’s were available up to this date. 

   “Then there is the idea of establishing student camps” something done with the Farm Services Camps in 1942 but he would like to see, “camps should be established by May 15”. This would clearly shorten the school year. 

   He concludes his remarks with the following observation, “The point is that we need the labor; and now is the time to provide for that need, so that we will be well organized when the time comes to go to work in the fields.”  

 

17/12/1942                   “Kent Farmer-processors Delegation Confers With

                                Ottawa Administrators; Early Action on Labor 

                                 Shortage Urged”

                                      Ottawa, Dec. 17 – A five point plan to address the shortage of labour in Western Ontario was presented to Arthur MacNamara, director of National

Selective Service and J. G. Taggart, foods administrator by a delegation from Kent County. The delegates included: C. Earl Desmond, M.P.; V. G. McGuigan, president Kent Federation of Agriculture; Ralph Richards, Libby, McNeil & Libby – Chatham; G. Harry Wilson, Charing Cross member of the advisory committee to the bacon board; A. W. McIntyre, V. P of Canada & Dominion Sugar Company – Chatham; Gordon Knight, cattle drover and shipper from Blenheim.

The five points presented by the delegation:

1)    A clarification of the policy of postponements for military service for essential farm workers is required.

2)    A freezing of farm labour on farms to prevent drift to other lines of work.

3)    Returning to the land former agricultural workers now engaged in other work.

4)    Establish of Japanese-Canadian families on farms.

5)    Placement of Italian POW’s in labour camps.

   The delegation pointed out that a large amount of “hand work”, is required from early spring to late fall to tend the crops of the area. The crops in specific are tomato, tobacco, sugar beets, peas, hybrid seed corn, and fruits. The delegation estimated that sugar beets alone requires between 3,000 to 5,000 skilled workers. It was felt that there was a 2,000 shortfall for the 1942 crop. 

   It was pointed out that, “The only replacements was the force of young Japanese-Canadians brought from B.C. and established in labor camps in the county and adjacent areas. This force proved helpful and saved many hundreds of area of valuable crops.”

It appears clear that the local farmers do not expect the return of the JC young men after the problems that came up in 1942, problems created by local politicians. 

   Some time was spent talking about the decline in agricultural production due to the shortage of labour. Hog production had dropped from 173,775 head in 1940 to 148,331 in 1941 and it is expected the 1942 production will not exceed 120,000. Sugar beet acreage also has declined from 40,500 in 1940 to 32,200 in 1941 and 23,000 in 1942 a 43% decline from 1940. The effect to crops such as wheat and tomato crops would be about the same. It was estimated that processing plants were only operating at 60 – 75% of their rated capacity.

   “In addition to the farm labor requirements, processing plants require 1,700 seasonal workers (900 men and 800 women)” just to process the county’s tomato crop. After a long discussion of labor needs MacNamara and Taggart promised to reply to the presentations as soon as possible.    

 

31/12/42                           “We Can Get Along Without Japanese”

                                         This is similar to the letter in the “Voice of the People” printed in the Chatham Daily News 9/10/42 from Bert Joyce. I guess it takes some time for news to make it to the rural towns. “The Japs in British Columbia had about 1,500 fishing ships when Japan declared war states the Simcoe Reformer” 

   The article goes on to say that without the Japanese or, “without other foreigners for that matter” a bumper harvest of Sockeye was taken by ‘white fishermen’ and 597,242 cases have been canned on the Pacific coast.

   The article closes with, “We still believe that as soon as possible the Canadian Japs should be sent home.”

 

Sure it’s easy to have a bumper harvest when there is no competition, you can pick up a fishing fleet, gear and canneries for a song, sure it’s easy then.

 

31/12/42                       “Kent Appoints Man To Seek Bermuda Workers”

                                       Virgil G. Mcguigan of Cedar Springs and president of the Kent Federation of Agriculture along with a representative of the National Selective Service Commission were studying the possibility of bringing West Indian labour to Canada to assist in solving the lack of labour on district farms.

   It is estimated that, “a pool of between 3,000 and 5,000 colored West Indians, mostly from Jamaica, was available for work in Canadian agriculture.” Kent might be looking for 1,000 as an “experimental move.”

 

 

–       1943 –

1942 Sugar Beet Crop – Results

13/01/43   Reported by Walter Atkin, Secretary of the Western Ontario Sugar Beet Growers Association.

23,035 acres contracted

21,996    “     planted

20,747    “     harvested = 244,000 ton delivered to processors

yield = 11.76 tons per acre.

Average sugar content = 15.5%

Average payment to producers $7.90 per ton = $1,927,600 for the 1942 crop.     

 

26/01/43 Reported by Philip Baker, president Alberta, Manitoba & Ontario Beet Growers Association on the 1942 crop results.

 

Alberta grew 349,000 tons

Ontario    “    200,000 tons from 17,000 acres in 1941 40,000 acres planted.

Manitoba  “   125,000 tons

Quebec     “     12,000 tons – shipped to Ontario for processing.

 

The concerns of 1942 continued to be the theme in the agriculturalist’s thoughts as the new year begins. Mr. W. R. Reek, deputy Minister of Agriculture was making many suggestions and local farmers were looking for realistic plans to address the acute labour shortage in the district as they consider what crops they should plant in 1943.

Some of Reek’s ideas would see, “farmers living in low producing areas be utilized to meet the labour shortages in heavy production areas.” 

 

Harry Wilson a Harwich farmer, pointed out in a Chatham Daily News article of January 8^th “It is pretty hard to tell a man who is working for himself and has a home of his own to leave it and go to work for someone else.” He went on to say, “that is quite likely what would happen if the situation was one which Hitler had to meet.” The ex-reeve of Chatham Township, F. R. Stewart suggested that, “a good many farmers had already left the low producing areas for jobs in munitions and other war industries.”     

Reek had still more suggestions in the same article more possible sources of needed labour. “The Japanese and Italian prisoners of war would be appreciated and they would be of far more use to farmers than west Indians.” A splendid plan, the idea of using Italian POW’s had been suggested in the previous year. The majority of Italians had been taken prisoner by the English in the North African campaign and many were located in the United Kingdom. This was still the case in 1943 and like every other country Britain had an extreme shortage of available and able bodied labourers for farm work, they would be loath to give up to one of the ‘colonies’.   

There were those on the council of the City of Chatham who had voiced an opinion that they would prefer Japanese POW’s than the evacuees from British Columbia. The rational of the Chatham councilors was that with the POW’s they could be ‘properly controlled’, unlike the evacuees had proven to be in the previous year. The POW’s would be under armed guard and confined to barbed wire enclosed camps when not working the districts fields. There was a problem however with this potential labour resource, few were under control of Commonwealth troops.

The production of food was a significant problem in the United States (Chatham Daily News 11/01/43 pg. 7), “President Asks Record Output of Farm Produce”. Based on that alone it would be unlikely that the Americans would give up a potential labour source, whether or not they wanted to use them. As early as the 29^th of January, it was reported that the US Army was in the process of putting together a combat unit of ‘loyal’ Japanese-Americans.  

The people closer to the practical side of the problem such as V. G. McGuigan, president of the Kent Federation of Labour, J. A. Garner, District Agricultural Representative and even Chatham Alderman Ralph D. Steele, were looking for much more stable and immediate solutions to resolve the districts labour problems. Time was again an issue with spring contracts and planting only a few months away.

As was the case in 1942, Canada & Dominion Sugar Co. were looking for increased production and as with the 1942 crop were looking for the federal governments support to ‘sweeten’ the pot to be paid producers and encourage farmers to plant more sugar beets than they did last year. Labour shortages, negotiated prices between producer and processor, wartime control over both, along with the fickleness of ‘mother nature’, all went into the formula to confound the agricultural areas of Kent and other crop producing areas of Ontario.       

10/01/43                         “Minimum price raised Fifty Cents Per Ton; Seek   

                                  Further Increase”     

                                        The Ontario Sugar Beet Association, organized in 1942, had been granted authority by the Ministry of Agriculture, “to negotiate minimum price under the Farm Products Control Act.” Despite an increase paid for sugar beets in 1942 the sugar factory in Wallaceburg was closed and it was expected the labour shortage in 1943, regardless of the increase of prices paid to producers, would see a further decline in acreage devoted to beet production in the district. The Dominion Selective Service freeze on farm labour brought into effect in March 1942, had done little to relieve the labour shortage problem on Ontario’s family farms.

 Arthur MacNamara, chief of Selective Services, who issued new orders restricting the drafting into the armed services, “farm workers of military age”, confirmed this exemption on The 4th of February. This would virtually exempt these workers short of volunteering for the armed services.  

 

14/01/43                        “Old Soldier Back In Military Service Again”

                                       George Rice, former guard at the Dresden camp and still in the Veterans Guard of Canada is reported to be back in service and expects to “be sent out of the country very soon” a destination is not mentioned. According to Ralph Pyne, son of Howard, who owned the Eatonville Road House, which had been leased by the federal government to house the Japanese-Canadians from the Dresden camp, was still ‘guarded by Mr. rice. The twenty-eight men where still there through the winter of 1942 –43 working at Rondeau.  

  

22/01/43                        “To Request Volunteers For Farms”

                                         Alex McLaren, director of Farm Training, Ontario Department of Agriculture, speaking to the Ontario Fruit Growers Association suggested that, “members of the civil service, students, adult vacationers, interned members of Axis prisoners and imported labor from Bermuda,” would add “100,000 additional harvest workers” for Ontario’s harvest pool. It is interesting that no mention has yet to be made of Japanese-Canadians returning to the district. 

Sugar was becoming very short and to maintain the present ration, “sugar beet growers of the Dominion will try to plant another 90,000 acres”, so said Philip Baker, president of Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba Beet Growers Association speaking in Winnipeg on the 26^th of January. Baker blamed much of the problem on Ontario, where only 17,000 acres were in beet production the past year, compared to some 40,000 planted in 1941. Going on to site, “prejudice against Japanese labor” as the main reason for the labor woes in that province. Alberta had produced some 349,000 tons of beets in 1942, compared to 125,000 in Manitoba, both using a large number of Japanese Canadians compared to 20,000 in Ontario and 12,000 in Quebec. The racial prejudice in southwestern Ontario was hurting the countries war effort as well as the producers and processors bottom line.      

As January comes to an end, the politicians continue to wrestle with the labour problem and seem to be confident that some solution in Ontario will be found that is more palatable politically, than suggesting that the Japanese-Canadian evacuees be returned to the district.

      

30/01/43                      “Beet Growers Confident Refineries At Chatham,   

                                 Wallaceburg Will Operate” [CDN]

10. M. Dewan, Ontario Agriculture Ministerreported that, “sugar beets testing 16% would bring $10.00 per ton this year.” George Perry a member again of the negotiating committee could, “ see no reason now why both refineries could not be operated.” The only problem now he stated, “would be labor” but pointed out that, “every possibility of alleviating the situation”, was being looked into.

 Deputy Minister of Agriculture W. R. Reek addressed the labour issue again, on The 2nd of February. Reek put forward a suggestion that’ “the voluntary pooling of labor and machinery must be organized at once so that it may be put into force in the spring.” This he said would be better than, “unskilled labor from the city, which was unsatisfactory.”

Local farmers were not shy to wade into the fray with their own suggestions on how to overcome the shortage of workers to deal with crops in Kent County.

 

3/02/43                       “Farm Labor Problem” – Letter to the Editor

                                     [CDN]   

1. Kerr, a farmer of Harwich township, pointed out, “experienced farm laborers, now working in city factories, to return to farms for the spring, summer and autumn months” would be very helpful to local farmers. Mr. Kerr went on to point out that the government could encourage the workers to return, “offering some sort of weekly or daily recompense”. How to get around those who stayed on the farms from not feeling discriminated was not explained by Mr. Kerr.    

An idea put forward on the 22^nd of January by Alex MacLaren to import laborers from the West Indies was reported postponed on the 9^th of February by V. G. McGuigan. The president of the Kent Federation of Agriculture, disappointed that, “receipts of protest from farmers” on the importation of black workers along with the Immigration Departments lack of support quashed the idea. Without access to POW’s, this leaves only, “volunteer labor from the cities and industry” McGuigan pointed out.

This expression of disappointment was reinforced by Agriculture Minister Dewan speaking at the 43 Annual Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies meeting in Toronto. He sited, “color prejudice on the part of Ontario farmers” as frustrating the Provincial Governments efforts to bring Bermudan workers here to elevate the manpower shortages on Ontario’s farms.     

The Minister expressed concerns that Ontario was not going to meet the high demand for food from the United Kingdom in the up coming season. It was expected that the demand would be 20% higher than last years with the growing number of troops now being stationed there. Some of 1942 needs were 675,000,000 pounds of bacon, 135,000,000 pounds of cheese and 1,250,000 dozen eggs.

The United States government, facing similar labour problems was quick to seize the most practical solution. An article dated Washington 18 February, reported, “Will Use Japs For Farm Work” [CDN]. The Americans had recognized that they would have to use Japanese-Americans internees to meet the nation’s farm labour shortage.  

 

19/02/43                        “Plans Are Laid To Move Six Hundred Families Of 

                                   Japanese-Canadians” [CDN]

                                         It seems to have taken only one day to put into effect the only practical response to Ontario’s shortage of labour after the American announced what they intend to do. You have to wonder how it was that Mr. McPherson and Easton were able to get out to British Columbia so fast to start the interviewing of potential evacuees unless the plan to move families had been in the mill for some time.  

“Plans to move 600 families from British Columbia to beet fields in Southern Ontario and the Prairie Provinces has been given the approval of the Federal government.” The move will be on a voluntary basis and R. E. McPherson, who supervised the 300 Japanese-Canadian men who came here in 1942, along with Beverly E. Easton, C&D Sugar representative, had been sent to BC to interview families.

Alberta has said they would require at least 300, more if possible. Although there was no problems with the youth in 1942, though there was “some opposition last year to the importation of the Japanese-Canadian youth.” The importation of these families is seen as a, “possible solution to the labour problem in this district.” It was reported that “request for the families are being received already”, though it is not known when they will actually arrive.    

An incentive not to leave BC might have been provided by the Federal government when it announced on the 25^th of February when  it overruled the Province in allowing, “employment of Japanese loggers on provincial Crown land. This overturned a BC position that Japanese-Canadians could not be employed.    

 

26/02/43                        “Jap Labour Desires To Return to The West When 

                                   The War Is Over” [CDN]

                                          It would seem that the potential evacuation of the Japanese-Canadians from BC had bee ‘fast tracked’ based on how quickly things were happening to facilitate the move.

“Jap deputation paying visit to Kent County farms”  The families want assurances from the Dominion government, “they will be allowed to return to their homes in British Columbia after the war”. Heads of families arrived in the county to, “assertain if they can make sufficient money doing this work and other farm work to maintain their families and also learn the attitude of the people toward them.”

Mr. Easton and McPherson thought their trip to the west-coast had met with “considerable success”. Local farmers appear to believe that this plan is the only one that seems to be able to provide a “source of labor for the crops this year”. It is imperative that the families arrive soon for this years planting. There was  approximately 50 of last years Japanese-Canadian young men still in the district. Area farmers had in general been “satisfied with the results.”        

 

1/03/43                      “Beet Labor Prices Are Increased” [CDN]

                                       The directors of the Ontario Sugar Beet Producers’ Association struck new rates for the 1943 crop. The new rate would be $28.00 per acre an increase of $6.00 over last years price. Broken down the per acre rates are $13.00 for blocking & thinning, $3.00 for second hoeing and $12.00 for harvesting. More and more growers were also paying a premium “over regular labor rates for extra good tonnage.” 

All of this would figure into the Japanese-Canadians decision to relocate here and be able to make a living.      

 

3/03/43                          “City Council Hears Report On Jap Labor” [CDN]

                                       Once again, the ‘good’ city fathers of Chatham, Ontario show their racist colours as they attack the Japanese-Canadians migration to Kent county. 

The city council of Chatham in quick response to the announcement that Japanese-Canadian families would be coming to Kent met to put what control in place they could at a ‘special meeting’. 

 

  

1/04/43                          “Plan For Meeting Farm Labor Need” [DT]

                                       One plan the government has for meeting the shortage of labour in 1943 is to encourage people to move from “poor farms where they are making a bare living to more productive districts.” It is estimated that there are, according to the 1941 census 734,736 farms in Canada and 100,337 were classed as “pioneer farms”.

 

8/04/43   “At Least One Sugar Beet Plant To Operate In Western

              Ontario” [DT]                    

                                 Chatham April 6 – The total contracted acreage for sugar beets for the 1943 season has only reached 13,500 acres. The Canada & Dominion Sugar Co. has agreed to pay 75 cents “above the weigh station price for beets delivered to the plant in an effort to get more farmers signed up.

   The company needs 20,000 acres for the economical operation of just one plant. Only three years ago there were 40,500 acres under contract with 6,000 beet growers, only