Show Migrant Workers W orl ers Facilities Are Few Migrant workers some of I whom have been coming to Davis County annually for the summer since 1947 lead a life Ufe of hard work and minimum living stand stand- ards They are the forgotten people 11 living ving In this county while yet providing a necessary I contribution to our economy WERE IT NOT for their physIcal physical physical phys phys- ical labor In the fields In planting plantIng plant- plant Ing growing and harvesting seasons the sugar c company pickle company and a great number of private farmers would find help difficult to lo lo- lo cate Approximately 22 families with more than children are presently living in housing at the migrant camp on the location lo location location lo- lo cation of the old sugar factory in Layton Until this year toilet facilities were a few tew wooden outhouses This year in an effort to cooperate with the Davis County Sanitation Department De Department Department De- De the theU U U I I sugar company erected a large new steel building containing showers showers showers show show- ers and toilets for tor the use of the families living within the camp THERE IS YET an amount of work to be done The small one or two room shacks where the families live have no running water no refrigerators and no provision for gas for cooking or heating Furniture which remains in the camp after after af after af- af ter the migrants leave Is ex exceedingly exceedingly exceedingly ex- ex old and Inadequate There are some families of eight and ten in the household with a single small wooden kitchen table and only four tour chairs Where such families live Uve in a single large room sleeping facilities are merely bed rolls laid out on the floor at night There are only tour four old style tub and wringer roller-wringer washing machines FAl FAMILIES LIES presently living I In the camp are now working for forthe the pickle company of Layton which is in its harvesting sea sea- son The company has provided each home with butane stoves which makes it easier for the women to cook during the heat of ot summer than wood burning or charcoal burning stoves Gravely needed is a safe grassy playground for the chIldren children children chil chIl- dren where there is no danger of being run over by a backing motor vehicle which has oc occurred occurred occurred oc- oc and where they can es escape escape escape es- es cape the dry dust which is everywhere around the buildIngs buildings buildings build build- ings in warm weather and the mud which follows a day of rain THERE IS no grass flowers trees or bushes in the compound where the families live but inthe Inthe in inthe the windows of ot the one and two room houses some of the women cultivate flowering plant or growing ivy The neatness and cleanliness apparent in in Inthe the compound Is remarkable There is no trash thrown around no broken glass or strewn paper The children have no designated place to play and very little to play with Generally they congregate In ins s small mall groups In front of ot their houses and between the cars MOST OF THE migrants have come here from Texas Hourly wages in Texas they say av average average average av- av 50 cents where they are able to earn an average of 1150 1150 1150 1 here Those working Inthe fields now are harvesting cu cucumbers cucumbers cucumbers cu- cu cumbers at 60 an hour ac according according according ac- ac cording to one matriarch plus piecework j She said her family can pick i between 50 40 sacks of ot cucumbers cucumbers bers in a single nine hour day I I Piecework Is paid according to the number of sacks of cucumbers cucumbers bers and the sizes Average size I cucumbers bring 30 a sack MOST OF those who migrate to Davis County to work in the fields have little or no command of ot English It makes it doubly hard for them in cultivating outside outside out out- side Interests shopping or In improving their own economic position A great number of I them de depend pen d entirely upon I crew leaders who recruit I them in Texas bring them to Utah negotiate In their behalf with the farmers or companies they work for aid them in signIng signing sign sign- ing contracts and In general ad advise advise advise ad- ad vise them in all decisions alSee af- af See MIGRANT one page 2 r Mi Migrant rant Continued from front page feeling their Interests Most of the crew leaders act in the Interest of the Mexican families they represent A few I have been discovered to be profIting profiting profiting prof prof- at their expense One man was found to have been pocketing the money paid in by the mi migrant migrant ml- ml grant for social security bene bene- fits OTHERS HAVE underpaid the migrant for his work because the migrant was unable to read his own contract and learn the rate of payment Still others have charged families extra to tomake tomake tomake make the return trip to Texas after the harvest season although al although although al- al though the contract calls for round trip transportation Everywhere we went in Interviewing in interviewing interviewing In- In the migrant families families lies we asked If you had the opportunity to learn English through having a class provided for you here In your camp would you be interested Twentythree Twentythree Twentythree Twenty- Twenty three adults and many teenagers were queried Of all who were asked only one young mother I Isaid said no As her reason she said she Is too tired after working I nine hours in the field and then going home to prepare the evening evening evening eve eve- I ning meal She said she would I Inot not be able to think I SEVERAL SAID they would not be Interested In studying English if It they had to leave the camp after working all day but they would appreciate the opportunity opportunity opportunity op op- op- op if It the teacher would come to the camp Another que question s tI 0 n w which hie h brought unanimous answers was What do you need most The answer was refrigerators to keep milk and fresh fruits and vegetables and washing machines machines machines ma ma- chines to help the women keep their families' families clothing clean Next to that in need was a playground and grass WHEN RECRUITED in Texas families are told that they will have their own compound where they may live In a group their own houses for privacy that there are toilets showers and washing machines for their convenience convenience convenience con con- and that furniture is provided In essence this is all true But how true Through the offices of the Community Action Program in Davis County Director AnnaI Annabelle Annabelle Anna- Anna I belle Kagie says that anyone who wishes may contribute electrical electrical cal appliances furniture toys clothing grass seed or anything anything anything any any- thing else which could be used for the benefit of the migrant workers DURING THE early planting season this year when the county county county coun coun- ty suffered so much rain many migrant families were stranded without the means to either re return return return re- re turn to Texas or to go to Idaho I where some migrated Because they couldn't work in the fields I to earn a weeks week's wages they received no money I One of the CAP caseworkers I out recruiting children for DavIs Davis Davis Dav Dav- is County's Head Start Program Program Program Pro Pro- gram accidentally learned that fl five ve families of migrants were starving One family had had nothing to eat for three days and no means of getting anything At that time the Community Ac Action Action Ac- Ac tion office the St. St Rose of Ll Lima ma Church f in fn n Layton and two organizations contributed ed funds and supplies to aid the distraught families lk Ik I |