Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1933-10-14
ARBITRATION
MAY Be USED
IN WAGE WAR
Governor Names Board To Act
In Dispute Should Such Move
Be Necessary.
SITUATION CRITICAL
Strikers Angered By Jury YER
dict In Shooting OF Two OF
Their Number.
BY EDWARD J. HEILMAN
Unied Press Staff Correspondent

BY EDWARD J. HEILMAN
Unied Press Staff Correspondent
FRESNO, Oct. IA. Immediate
arbitration of the cotton pickers'
strike in the San Joaquin valley
appeared likely today through an
nouncement of federal conciliator
that ranchers were willing to ac-
cept mediation under the Arizona
plan"
A board named by Governor
Rolph may be USED as the medium
for settling the bitter wage dis
pute. This board included Arch
bishop E. j. Hanna, San Francisco;
Prof. o. K. McMurray, University
of California; and DR.. Tully Kno-
les, College of Pacific, Stockton.
1t was indicated additions or
charges were to be made in the
governors committee.
Edward Fitzgerald, federal con-
ciliator, called on strikers to re-
turn to work after reporting that
the ranch owners had stopped OPP
position to outside mediation. Fitz-
gerald said the settlement plan
found effective in Arizona would
be recommended here.
Under this plan the wage was
based on 60 cents per hundred
weight but provisions was made
for growers and pickers to share
in increases in the price of cot
ton.
The announcement of a prob
! able truce came just as strikers
leaders led their men toward Tulare
county demonstration.
The funerals of two slain cot
ton pickers, whose deaths may
cause international inducements,
gave labor leaders an opportunity
to infuse new life into their strike
movement that appeared supine.
Demonstrations were arranged
to coincide with the burial Of
Delfino Davila, Mexican consular
agent, and Dolores Hernandez, who
were killed in bitter rioting be-
tween striking pickers and farmer
vigilantes at Pixley.
Verdict Anglers Strikers
Although "eye witnesses" of the
fatal melee were almost unanimous
! in blaming the farmers for not
only starting the riot but also do
ing the only shooting in the mix
up, coroner's jury returned an
open verdict that angered the
strikers. The witnesses blamed men
now under arrest.
The jury reported that Davila
and Hernandez came to their
deaths las the result of gunshot
wounds inflicted by person or
persons not know to this jury"
AL Smith, gigantic Negro whose
hair was turning white, gave
a version of the Pixley affair with
which the striking workmen agreed.
He told of meeting addressed by
Pat Chambers, now held on crimi-
nal syndicalism charges. During
the gathering farmers entered the
town in automobiles and announce
ed they were out to get Chambers"
Then those farmers pointed their
guns at us and heard bum, bum,
bum, bum," Smith testified in an
effort to describe the sound Of
shooting. Il ran. Everybody ran.
Everybody but two. They were kill
ed.
The open verdict was accepted
by the strike leaders as giving
strength to their charge that "the
prosecuting officials of Tulare coun-
ty have a program to whitewash
the murders"
An appeal to Governor Rolph
for appointment of a special PROS
ecutor brought a refusal from
the executive to interfere with
county authorities.
Protest against the verdict also
was expressed by Enrique Bravo.
Mexican consul at Monterey, who
was Davila's superior. Bravo told
the United Press he planned to
report on the Sayings to his gov
eminent.
The Mexican consular repre-
sentative asked for police protec-
ton, claiming he had been threat
ened by communists" after he in
| formed Rolph IS per cent of the
Istrikers were Mexicans ready to go
| back to work If assured of fair