Imperial Valley press., 1934-01-12
POLICE AGAIN
USE TEAR GAS
ON STRIKERS
Raid Staged On Headquarters
At Brawley This Morning By
Authorities.
SEVERAL ARRESTS MADE

Legionnaires Assist Officers
Who Declare Militia Will Not
Be Required.
SACRAMENTO, Jan. IL. W,P)
e. Raymond Cato, chief of the
state highway patrol, was or
dered by Governor Rolph to
leave here today for Imperial
valley to investigate strike con-
ditiOns.
w. A. Smith, secretary to the
governor, received a telegram
from Sheriff George L. Camp
bell saying the situation may get
beyond the control of local Of
ficials. Campbell requested that
the governor be ready 70 send
help in the form of the national
guard if 1t is requested.
Smith talked with Rolph who
was i'm San Francisco and ROlph
ordered Cato and Timothy
Reardon, of the department of
industrial relations, into the
trouble area.
Under the direction Of Lon Gro
mer, Brawley chief of police, about
SO special deputies raided the head
quarters of the Cannery and Agri-
cultural Workers Industrial Union
in Brawley this morning where a
strike meeting was then in session.
When the strikers, numbering about
1900 refused to disperse at the re-
quest of Cromer, tear gas bombs
were used to break up the meeting
When officers threw bombs into
the meeting room they closed the
doors. Within few seconds gasp
ing crowd composed chiefly of Mex
leans began breaking the glass on
the windows of the room and burst
through the doors seeking fresh air.
Six of the strikers were arrested
in the first raid and carried to the
Brawley Jail while officers kept the
constantly increasing crowd on the
outside of the building on the move.
The strikers appeared in i'll humor
throughout the proceedings and it
was the expressed opinion of officers
.on the ground that more trouble
can be expected before the day is
over. It was difficult for the Off
GERS to keep the crowd, both of SYM
pathizers and mere onloOkerS from
congregating again and they milled
about a vacant lot across from the
union headquarters. For a few mo-
ments it appeared that the strik-
ers might attack the officers but
deputies armed with shotguns and
tear gas guns prevented any intend
ed hostile demonstration Vaking
place.
After the meeting hall had been
cleared typewriters and literature
belonging to the strikers weer con-
fiscated. The regular deputies, traffic
officers and police from Ell Centro
taking part nthis raid were reen-
forced by members of the Brawley
American Legion deputized to aid
in keeping order.
Strikers Arrested
Yesterdays developments in the
strike situation gave clear indica-
ton of what was to be expected to-
day. Eight men and IL women strik-
ers were arrested near Brawley for
picketing fields and attempting to
prevent non-strikers from working.
They were brought to the county
Jail.
Those arrested were: Flavio Bus
tamente, 80, Refugio Salazar, 81, Da-
vid Martinez, 81, Guadalupe Are
nivar, "a, M. Silva, q, M. Figueroa,
81, Jesus Valencia, 81, Salvador Mi
randa, 20, Marcella Guerrero, So,
Josefina Perez, II, Francisco Rivi-
era, 81, Maria Gutierrez, 38, Nieves
Cappas, At, Merceda Ramierez, 49,
Josefina Garcia, 33, Lolita Riviera,
49,. Amalia De Mancillas, "a, and
Carlotta Polanco, IA.
Sheriff Campbell yesterday sent
message to Governor Rolph ask
ing that the militia be tetailed to
the county to aid in the present cri-
sis. Indications are, however, that
the Governor will not take such a
step, leaving it to the county Off
cial to settle the difficulty with the
forces now on hand. Other officials
here have expressed the opinion
that the intervention of state troops
is not at all necessary and that the
county is very we'll prepared to cope
with the situation without any more
outside aid.
The American Legion in BraWley
has answered the emergency call
and is prepared to back up county
peace officers in maintaining quie:
in their district. 1t is understood
that other Legion posts in the coun-
ty are prepared to mobilize immed-
lately should the necessity for any
such action arise during progress
of this strike among the workers IN
the lettuce fields.