Imperial Valley press., 1936-02-16
nv MARGUERITF BROOKS

No one owns the independent
camps occupied by migratory field
workers along the ditch banks. by
roads and irrigation canals in the
desert areas in Imperial Valley. No
one is responsible for them; no one
sponsors them. In fact, no one es-
tablishes them. They Just grow.
A migratory family in search of
employment in vegetable fields. stops
near a canal and begins housekeep-
ing. Other families stop. unload
their meagre belongings and soon
six, 10 or dozens Of families are lv-
ing in little city which has no gov
eminent. no lighting system. no
water system and no sanitation.
Men. women and many of the
children want to work in the fields
harvesting crops. They come from
other sections, following the change
of seasons. There are too many
workers for the employment available
but they keep coming. They exc
out a pitiful existence, hoping to be
able to work a day or two even if
they cannot become members of a
regular crew on one of the ranches.
There are camps sponsored by
growers were the individual grower
provides camp sites. water and SAN
itation facilities for the families he
employees to harvest his crops. In
comparison to the independent
camps, the grower sponsored camps
are marvels Of comfort and order
Those not employed on the regular
crews. however, must live elsewhere.
Hence the independent camps; the
camps which are declared to be a
menace to the health OF the valley;
the camps where living conditions
are beyond the belief of many valley
residents; the camps which consti-
tute indeScribably wretched homes
for hundreds of persons.
X
A squatters camp huddles along
a canal bank in a desert area in the
north end of the valley. Wind swirls
the sand toward the frowning Choc-
olate mountain range. Black clouds
pile up on the horizon and white
ones scuttle across the sky.
In a shelter made of tattered can
vas fastened to crooked sticks. live
a man, a woman and their two
children. The shelter has no floor
ing. One side is open to the weather.
The covered space is not much larger
than an ordinary bed A heap Of
dried grass scattered on the floor
serves as a mattress. A pitifully
small number of ragged quilts hang
on a nearby bush. A small pan OF
beans is cooking in a battered pail
on rusty old camp stove, apparent
" salvaged from a junk pile. The
only cooking utensils in sight are old
buckets, battered pans and cans.
No, their clothes are not clean.
They have no tubs in which to wash
them even if they had some to put
on during the washing. Flies swarm
in and out Of the shelter and settle
upon the people and their posses
sions.
No, they are not clean. They
might, of course. take bath in the
irrigation canal after dark.
A thin little woman clad in
soiled print dress sits on the dirt
floor of a miserable little hovel
formed of an ancient patchwork
comforter tied to three fence posts
and rooted. with tule reeds. In her
arms she holds an 18-months-old
baby A blind baby with a deformed
arm. A baby the mother knows is
mot just right" Three other chill
dren tumble in the dust along the
ditch bank. The father is hunting
for work
The mother brushes the flies from
the sightless eyes of her child as she
explains why the older children are
not in school. They are wearing the
only clothes they have. No, children
cannot be expected to go to school
dressed in filthy rags.
\ X
Two respectable tents stand side
by side No other tents, shelters OF
shacks are near. Fastened to the
front of each tent is a sign with the
word "Quarantined" in large letters
A little girl who had spinal menin-
gifts recently was taken from one
of the tents TO the county hospital
The father says he was in to see
her and she was better No, he says
he does not think he could spread
the disease by going TO the hospital
the post office, or the doctors office
because she is better. Yet, he took
the mother in to see the little girl
the day before. An older man wand
ers up from a group of tents across
the trail to explain that the little
girl is much better She can hold