The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-10-13
MEXICAN PEONS
ARE BEING SOUGHT
ABOUT TWO HUNDRED ESCAPED
FROM EMPLOYERS IN SOUTH
IDAHO BEET FIELDS

Federal immigration officers anG
police, sheriffs and labor pnion mer
throughout the northwest are looking
| for about 200 Mexican poems who es-
capped from their employers in the
sugar belt of southern Idaho and are
believed to have been scattered
throughout the northwest. The tasl
of locating them is admittedly a diff
fioult one and after they are located
.he government will be. confronted
with the question of thei,' disposal
This is one of the results of the lab
or shortage during the war. The
shortage of laborers in the sugar belt
of southern Idaho and northern Utah
was so great that the industry was
threatened. Congressman and sena-
tors from northwestern states united
in plea to the government to sus-
pend the literary test, which would bar
Mexican poems from entering the Uni
ted States, in order that lot of lab
orers might be brought to relieve the
shortage. This was done and several
thousands of the poorer class of Mex
lean laborerS were brought to IDAHO,
Utah, Oregon and Washington, where
the Mormon church is heavily inter-
ested in sugar production. 1t was
agreed with the employers and the
federal government that these import
ed laborers should be paid the same
wages as had been paid for similar
work done by American citizens. 1t
was also agreed that the companies
these MeXicans should pay
their railorad fare to the place of en-
ployment and after this employment
had ended they were to be returned
to Mexico without expense to this
government. The original contracts
with these poems was for one year
G918) but the labor shortage continu-
ed and the congressman and senators
united in asking the immigration au-
thorities to permit them to remain
this year.
That the Mexicans were much disap-
pointed in conditions is certain. They
are said to have been ignorant, know
ing absolutely nothing of climatic or
other conditions here. They had lit
tie clothing. A government Inspector,
who visited their camps said: 'The
men had a pair of cotton breeches and
a cotton shirt That was all the cloth
ing they needed in the warm climate
what appeared to them to be enorm-
GUS wages, but did not realize that
they would not work more than about
half of the year. Many brought all of
their relatives, including even the
The railroad fare and
other expenses of these was paid by
the companies and it is doubtful if
the Mexicans with large families ever
got out of debt. A visit to their camps
last winter during the influenza epi-
demic showed pitiable conditions.
Families slept on bare floors or per-
haps had one blanket and some straw
under them. They had not been ac-
to cold weather and were
not prepared for it.
This fall the Mexicans were to be
sent home. About 200 of them de-
serted their employers and have scat
sered out. 1t is difficult to find them,
md just what will be done with them
when found is problematical. ItI
would be useless to send them back
% the companies by whom they had
oeen employed. If they deserted once
hey would desert again. If found
hey will probably be held for .deporta-
ion"
Letters have been sent broadcast
through the northwest in efforts to
ocate these Mexicans. Not only have
he immigration authorities appealed
o officers of the law, but to secre-
aries of the labor unions of the north