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Show Jap Question Is Again Discussed Milford people apparently did the smart thing at the meeting held March 23 at the Town office to discuss the proposed influx of Japs into the South Milford farming farm-ing area. The meeting, after lengthy discussion went on record against the Japs coming into this area except by command of army authorities and under army guard and supervision. Attending that meeting and purportedly representing repre-senting the Roberts Public Markets Mar-kets of Los Angeles and vicinity was Ira A. Daniels, commission buyer, who made some flowery promises of what would be done in the way of restriction, supervision, super-vision, financing, setting up of schools and, what was most important, im-portant, the prompt withdrawal immediately after the war or as soon as the current crop was harvested. Saturday afternoon the matter was reopened, this time with two high officials of the Roberts people peo-ple in attendance. Paul A. Thomas, vice president and general manager, man-ager, with his executive office in Venice, California, and K. J. Pingree, another vice president, were present Saturday but had a quite different project to present. Also present were C. D. Penniston of Salt Lake City, general manager man-ager of the Duluth Land company and the Rocky Ford Irrigation company; and W. J. Oppenheimer of Delta, resident manager; to. gether with Beaver county's three commissioners, E. G. Joseph of Beavetf, Truman Biradfield of Minersville and Ivan McKnight of Milford. Contrary to the impression given by Mr. .Daniels at the Monday Mon-day meeting, Mr. Pingree stated that purchase of the farm; land in South Milford was not; contemplated, but that the pro- j posed lease would carry an option ' to purchase. The help given the ' Japs by the company would be confined to the furnishing of seed, fertilizer, water and rental, re- muneration going to the company in the form of a share of the crops, while it would be up to the 1 Japs to take care of the matter of housing and medical and dental care. As to the promised removal of the Japs from this area after the war, Mr. Pingree stated that to do so would be a matter of consent on the part of the individual indi-vidual Jap farmer, and was a ; phase of the matter which had not been given consideration. j Mr. Daniels also stated that the; closing of markets in California and threatened closing of others because of the lack of produce supplies was the prime cause for getting new areas into production, but Mr. Pingree stated that only a very small part of the produce raised locally would go to California, Califor-nia, the major part going east, with local farming activities being devoted mostly to potatoes, carrots, car-rots, spinach, peas and sugar beets. Plans called for only 75 to 150 families to be located on the 2000 acres involved, according to Mr. Pingree. - There was a minimum of discussion discus-sion at Saturday's meeting, following fol-lowing Mr. Pingree's presentation of the matter. But, from the pointed questions asked at various times, he was made fully aware of the reluctance of local people to j have the Japs come into the val-I val-I ley except by direction of the j military authorities; and he and Mr. Thomas accepted the. feeling graciously, thanking those present for their fairness and the opportunity oppor-tunity of presenting the matter. |