The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-17
Mr.. Thomas and His Auto
Store in Fresno, Cal.

changes which occurred in the pas
! few years"
What are you going TO Use them
for?"
For a book, I repeated YEARLY.
That sort Of information wouldn't
do the country any good. Red
agitators would seize on it to cause
more trouble"
Are conditions in Fresno and
this county or the Valley so bad
that red agitators could use them
for propaganda
mo, sir" he exclaimed indig.
nantly But things ere pretty
ticklish here. How do I know but
that you're Communist? You'd
be surprised what sort of people srs
Communists now or at least syln-
pathetic to them-clean cut. hun
dred per cent Americans. college
men, writer's. God You don't
know where you find them! For all
II know you may be Communist
getting information so the reds can
come in here and organize the
migratory workers. We've had a lot
Of trouble with reds. IN Tulsre and
Kern counties the Communists or
gained strikes that pretty near
wrecked the farmers. You know. n
cotton isn't picked when its ready
or fruit or vegetables, there's nd
crop and the farmer is ruined.
There's nothing for him to do bIt
become a migratory worker himself.
Several OF them were kiIled-the
migratory workers - during the
trouble with the reds.
Now these Communists are or
ganizing here in Fresno County and
were trying to take every possible
step to prevent it. Some Of the
farmers are getting their shotqlIns
ready, the American Legion is or
ganizing a vigilante committees
we don't want any facts or fgures
made public which will give these
reds ammunition.
This is the first Chamber Of
Commerce I visited which is afraid
10 give me any information. Your
wages and working conditions must
be appalling that you fear they will
make red propaganda"
It's the Communists. If We didnY
have those damned Communists
here We wouldn't mind telling Vol
how bad things have been"
We talked for several hours OF
actual figures. if he knew them
land I am not so sure he did for
most Chambers of Commerce which
l visited, are really ignorant Of what
was going on in their own cities)
he gave me little; but 7 gathered
some interesting broad statements.
EVERY farmer in the county
~ needed government aid, but
during the past year they're selling
better than they did year ago.
The height of San Joaquin VALLEY
prosperity was apparently reached
in 1921 when Fresno County alone
produced $40, 900 900 worth of cranes
and rsisins, which g the countv's
chief agricultural product. TODAY
they are fortunate if they have
$4,000, 600 crop.
The trouble has been too much
production" Mr.57ho1iss SAID. you
know how it is. A farmer gets
good price for his grapes Sc. his next
door neighbor starts growing them.
too. Prices were too high 81 II
brought on overproduction which in
turn brought prices down 50 thew
were insufficient to maintain the
farm.
How many farms were lost since
the depression?"
Lots of them. I haven't tba
slightest idea of how many. ONLY
the banks could tell"
q made inquiries at the banks
but they too, suffering from the red
filters, refused to give out any fg-
ures)
Are foreign workers still i'm
SOM"
Il guess so. You better ask the
Agricultural Labor Bureau. That
handles labor and sets wages for the
migratory workers. 1t acts as a SORT
OF clearance house for the farmers
tMeMcans are still imported
across the border to work for star
Vation wages and at the end of the
season, are deported back to Mex-
llco' The Agricultural Labor Bureau.
too. would not give out any agures)
How many farmers have mort
cages on their property?"
Damned near every one" he
laughed.
Ito he continued