The Corpus Christi caller. [volume] (Corpus Christi, Tex.) 1918-1987, 1920-04-23
April %, 1920.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?


Last Saturday, Frank Morrison.
Secretary OF the American fcdo
ration OF Labor. filed with she
House immigration Committee al
Washington protest aeaini the
importation of lahor from McXico
and Canada for employment m
agricultural pursuits Ills protest
was baed upon ninety eight telc-
grams received from secretaries of
central labor bodies in as many
cities % southwestern and western
states
u Telegram To- the hural Land
Owners Association. m response
ga It's inquiry for information, Mr.
Morrison stated that these tclc-
grams. without exception, ASSERT
ed that there was 700 shortage of
labor IN the localities reported
upon.
Tho report ON labor conditions
in Corpus Christi and vicinity was
made, according 20 Mr. Morrison.
by g. r Echols, secretary of the
central labor body of Corpus
Christi or vicinity
That is one side of the question,
Here's The other.
Wednesday about five hundred
cotton farmers from fifteen eoun-
ties in the vicinity of Corpus
Christi met in this city and inau-
guraied a splendid movement by
the organization OF the United
Cotton Growers Association
While in session they discussed
the labor siinaiion and Mr. Nor
rison's position Also Mr. Ech-
OILS report upon their needs Then
they took q canvas of the whole
matter. What was the result
Not a single mothers SON of them
had as imurh labor as hc needed
and not single one of them was
there who did not most positively
assert that he would need many
additional lahorors II he made and
gathered q cotton crop this year
Asked whore they expected to get
the additional labor, they replied
"from Mexico and along the hoc-
der as they had ALWAYS dome iu the
past. Asked what they would do
IL they should Doe deprived of McX-i
lean labor, they replied "noth-
ing" And, of course, they meant
what they said because they Will
literally lac able 10 do nothing ="
IL they can't get McNicm labor,
for there is no other availahleI
supply
Here is o wide "diifcreucc' oil
opinion, rs far apart MS the poles
aud as contradictory as Eyes
and ono.
Who's right7 Tho representa-
tives of the American Federation
Of Labor who undertakes 90 speak
for the farmers or the farmers
themselves
Probably II would be mfairl
and unjust 10 criticize Mr. Morri- |
son. In making his protest, wei
may assume he Ind confidence in
the sources of his information |
And II may be that some OF his re-
ports in respect to labor condil
tiOns IN some states were true and
correct but so far as this section
of Texas is concerned, II Is mat |
ter of common knowledge, which
anyone can ascertain by talking
with any farmer, that unless the
cotton farmers of South Texas can
be assured Of the same supply of
Mexican labor they have always
depended upon and have always
had, the cotton crop OF this see
tion, given normal weather condi-
tions, will not be twenty-five per
cent of normal on one-fourth what
il will be if the labor supply is
available
These are the cold, hard, indis-
putahle facts. And they present
n problem in which every man,
woman and child of South Texas
is vitality and directly aud person
ally Interested and concerned. Be
cause, after all, we are all, regard
less Of our immediate vocatibns,
upon the farmer, Whei
he succeeds, when he makes and
markets good crops at good prices
our cities and towns are prosper
Gus and business is good. When
he fails, when his crops arc poor
and prices low. depression fol.