The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-05-01
MEXICAN LABORERs ARRIVE

arrived from Ell Paso, to work in
the beet fields. There were about
fifty of them, men, women and chill
dren, and they seemed little better
type of people than those that came
during the war.
One of them had a handful
printed in Spanish, which he indi-
Gated had been distributed among
the Mexicans to get them to as
semble for the trip to Idaho. 1t
read as follows: (The parts in
parenthesis are ours.)
Sc necestian 40 families.
| eve need 40 families.)
Salida especial Los Ranches Y
al Betabel.
(Send a special message among the
ranches raising sugar beets.)
| A Ell Estado De Idaho. E Trabajo
Esta listo va.
(Work is ready in the province Of
Idaho for you.)
Beunos Casas eslufa y Lima gratis
Good house, stove and fuel
free.)
Trabajo por dia $3.50 Por contra
$22 por acre. Y Bono De rs
centavos.
wages by the day $3.50, contract
all hand work per acre $22. (???
Something good at 70 cents.)
No Sc cobra chanza, La Comida en-
ell trens as gratis.
(No charge for transportation and
food on trains free.)
Salida ell Dia 26 Abril.
(Starting the morning of April 26.)
Page I'd a informarse personal
mente con ell Revisador.
Come and get further information
personally, or talk it over with the
bearer.)
Utah-Idaho Sugar company, 110l
Santa Fe Y Kemp Street Eel Paso,
Texas.
No obide ia direction junto al
Garage.
Don't forget our location is near
the Garage.)
That is as good as we can interpret
it for you Our Spanish is very
much rusted. The piston sticks and
the valves leak on the down stroke.
But you can probably get enough out
of it to know that it is a good thing |
anu IL you HulIy yOu hoy 6CI III va 1
it.
The Mexicans came thru smiling |
and not so very much wearied. They |
had some hand baggage, and some
were dressed rather thin, some in
cotton clothing, some in woolens.
Those that came during the war
were under contract to work in the
beet fields, and it was specified that
they could not draw all of their
wages in the summer, but part of it
must be withheld and paid to them
in the fall and winter, this so they
would not forget about the winter
and spend all the money in summer
and then be cold and hungry in
winter.
During the early summer some
shyster lawyer or agitator got
among them and learned how much
money was being held back for their
protection in winter, and he raised
stir by telling them they were being
cheated out of part of their money.
Under the laws of the province OF
Idaho, he said, they could make the
pay up every centavos as
they went along, and cOunselor's
fee besides, so thRy demanded all OF
their wages to be paid in cash into
their hands pronto, and 1t had to be
done. for under the law, an agree
ment that conflicts with the law Is
void. So the laborers had plenty OF
money in summer and they came to
town often to buy fine clothes, and
silk handkerchiefs, to see the movies
and to eat many watermelons. They
lived high, as did the grasshopper in
he old fable.
Then winter came and they were
,old. Silk handkerchiefs and the
movies were insufficient and last !
summers melons were of slight COM !
'ort. They lay in cold shanties with
,ut food or fuel and the county was |
called upon to send out first aid Tor
fortnight until E-Goxernor Nc
Jonnel could come over from Lewis
on and investigate for the depart
nent of labor. If we remember cor
'ectly, the sugar company had to
provide for them for the rest of the
winter and take it out of their wages
he next year II they worked. Some
Il them smashed store windows while
hey were short of means, and took
more suits and things than they
ould wear 1t was an unhappy sit
lation, but beet sugar had to be pro-
Iuced to win the war, and now
Kaiser Wilhelme acknowledges from
lis exile that America stepped in and
urned the tide of war; that Ger
many under estimated the POSSIBLE
ties of American achievement until
was too late and then they had to
70 the best they could. IN
a