New Britain herald., 1921-10-27
LOCAL SPANIARDS
 AGAIN OUT OF LUCK
Powerful Influences Fail to Get
 Them Work in California

 siding in New Britain are meeting with series of .disappointments in their effort to obtain work somewhere continuation of the work on the to- bacco fields.
 Rev. Father Altri, Spanish priest, who has been appealing to Americani- Zation Director James E. O'Brien for help. Is becoming discouraged Amer 'canization directors are the first per sons usually to extend the glad hand of welcome to the newcomer of any na- ticnality and foreign born residents al- ways feel that the director of Ameri- canization is their best personal friend. It is for this reason men of many races in this city take their troubles to MT. OrBrien, and it is for this reason that Rev. Altri has gone to the latter with his troubles, revers- ing the order and making the layman {. sort of convenient father confessor IT d advisor to the priest.
 Looks To California.
 Since early in the summer, when tI.e city refused to employ Spaniards cn municipal jobs, by order of Mayor O. F. Curtis, upon the latter's ruling that they were not citizens of New Biitain or here long enough to entitle hem to preference over long time res | ldents, the priest has been trying to 3ct his people away from this part of | le country. He has had as his ob- jective the sunny slopes of California, tSe climate there resembling to con- siderable extent that of his natice land. l Some time ago Jose Riera, local 1 Spaniard, received a letter from the J Miguel Ripodas company, an export ing and importing firm in southern California, stating that there was plenty of work in the fields and on 1 arms, the kind of work Spaniards are | amiliar with. If the employers out there could be prevailed upon to pro- | yide transportation the local Spanish colony voted to pick up bag and bag gage and depart. | A committee of three was selected 1 o investigate the matter more fully. I The committee was sent to California with instructions to look over the f1el1, make what arrangements where neces- sary, stand sponsors for the others and arrange for transportation if pos T ibIe The committee found conditions T favorable, there was plenty of work nd scarcity of men, but the em- : ployers could not be prevailed upon i ao provide transportation. and the , project fell through from lack oi Z unds. The proposition made by the : ocal Spaniards was to work the 7, arms on a commission basis, two l hirds of the prodrce going to the la : norer and one third to the owner, nc , actual cash being paid. It is under stood that this is familiar custom +
 nat state.
 , \ Much Work, No Money
 It was at this point that Rev. Al
 tri, disappointed over the failure q
 his committee, appealed to MT OBrien. There was only one thinl ' he latter could do and he did it. H | immediately wrote to Chicago an
 Northwestern Railway officials an
 the matter was taken up by Railwa
 Agent c. w. Gray who sent investi gators to California to look into tn > situation. The report by the railwa : investigators corroborated the repor y by the committee of Spaniards, tn 3 work was there but there was n money for transportation.
 Then Rev. Altri thought he migh
 
 California by finding them work in tn II farms in the middle west, and agaf MT. O'Brien at the request of tn {, priest, communicated with MT. Gray ], MT. Gray's Letter
 i+ On October 16, MT. Gray wrote tn f o1lowi?g letter:
 T notice in tonight's paper wher = 1000 corn huskers are wanted
 Nebraska, which usually last thre
 and a half months, clippings enclose
 for your observation.
 Having come from that part of th
 country the idea struck me at ont
 that you might interest the Spaniard e as it appears to me that is just tf a kind of work that would appeal
 them.
 'I imagine after a couple of day y try-out they could earn about $4 to le per day and their board include of which means 6 to dollars per da
 The fare to Omaha, Neb., V m Springfield B. & A.-N. Y. C-C. l !, w. is approximately $57,00 and aftt 2, they would work for at least a mont G u they would have ample finances " carry them on to California whe
 they would find living much easi CT than in east even though they didr at find steady employment.
 Is 1T would suggest that you wi