Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-02-15
TO
PROPOSED BILL
ONFARM
Roy Miller Believes IL VIII
Pass and Solve Border
Labor Problem
URGES PEOPLE TO AID
Suggests They Write 10 Their
Representatives
To The Herald:

To The Herald:
In company With other representa-
tives Of various sections III Texas,
Arizona and New Mexico. we recent
~ appeared in Washington before
the immigration committees Of the
house and senate in support ~ join.
resolution introduced by Senator
Sheppard and Congressman nud8-
peth, providing for further snspen-
sion fer period w one year ol the
restrictions upon the importation *
labor from Mexico. The resolution
was not reported, but permanent
Amendments to the immigration law,
which we were advised has the Gp-
proval of the secretary of labor and
officials Of the immigration depart
ment, j. now in the hands W the sen
ate committee. with indications of f.
vorable consideration.
Meantime. due to the active inter
est Of Senator sheppard Congress
men Garner. Bee, Hudsne,h and 9th
ers, the secretary of labor haas agreed
to further suspension ~ the rrstric-
tions, pending congressional action
on the amendment referred tO, in or
der that the farmers o. Texas may
be assured of a sufficient supply of
labor to make this year crops.
The purpose Of this communication
is to direct the attention ~ the pso-
pie of Texas to the tremendous im-
portance of securing the early pass
age Of this amendment
\ Gravity OF Matter Not Realized.
1t j. quite probable that the gTav-
/ ity Of the farmsalabor problem has
not yet impressed itself upon the pe0-
pie of many sections of Texas, bat
in some localities il is % acute as To
presage disaster unless relief ~ az
sured. The inevitable tendency, in-
deed the tangible result OK short
hours and high wages of city labor,
| Il 10 denudc THE farms Of labor neces-
sary 10 produce our crops. All ~
South Texas has always depended al
most entirely upon MexiCan labor;
I its agricultural development has been
built up upon the availability OF that
class OF labor. That fact i5 partcu-
I larly true IN the case uf cotton ur1-
duction. which is tile chief farm r-cE
/ OF this section The cotton farm wii
not support the year-r0und all tf
labor it needs for "a few weeks earh
year fer chopping and picking 4f
It has proved highly advantageou
have near AT hand an ample supply
of labor I'd meet these abnormal rs
y quiremeHts.
Ill the past few years The negro
who has been the chief dependence
! or farmers IN Central TEXAS, has been
attracted to tie city and w each
y year the farmers NJ constantly in
craasing area of Tx Texas cotton
belt have found il necessary to send
\ 10 the border frr lubUlcf4 to chop
u and pick their cotton.
BolshevisIn Not Their Concern.
OF course the condition of unrsst
in Mexico has been uFod a1 WA argu-
ment by some ~ support ui me idea
4 of shutting out this class cf labor en-
the theory, II j. presumed inAt they
may prove disturbing factor in this
country Nothing could ha more
preposterous IN the view wv those who
have had experience with this class
of labor The real trouble MN Mexico
il merely q matter of "frilules and
tortiIlas. merely q question of food.
The class of lahorers Who come into
Texas To pick our cotton and do our
farm work are peaceablc, harmless
and docile. They arc neither carran-
zistas or Villstas. and probably for
the most part never heard ~ either.
They merely want work and food.
They know nothing and care nothing
about socialism, anarchy or holshe-
vism.
These statements arc based upc7
the experience Of hundreds Of South
Continued oR page four