Evening star., 1939-10-01


Promises Of Advertising
Campaign Not Fulfilled,
W. P. A. Survey Shows
Glowing advertisements holding
out prospects of health and pros
perity attracted migratory workers
to Arizona and California where
they exc out bare existence in mis-
cradle poverty, according to report
by the Works Projects Administra-
ton, made public yesterday.
The report is based on a careful
study of migratory workers in Ari-
zona made by the w. P. A. during
the cotton picking season in jan
uary and February, 1898. At the
peak, about 10000 workers were In
the field. This was reduced to about
$4,000 as the season declined.
Half of all these workers averaged
less than $7.95 a week, and almost
one-fourth. according to the report,
averaged less than $6. Large FAM
lilies with four workers or more aver
aged 1888 a week for the entire
family. The camps were described
as "a crowded, filthy. makeshift COL
lection of shelters. frequently lack
Ing even elementary sanitary facili-
ties"
Book Is Confirmed.
This official report confirms all the
grim details of John Steinbeck's
The Grapes of Wrath" Mr.. Stein
beck describes the tribulations Of
the Joad family in their trek from
Oklahoma to California in search of
work, recounting poverty and de-
spair that overwhelm it.
Some reviewers have challenged
the book as exaggerated and in many
public libraries in California and
other coast States it is barred from
the shelves. Col F.. c. Harrington,
w. P. A. commissioner, points out
that the report often parallels "cur-
rent f1ctional accounts of harsh ex-
ploitation," an obvious reference to
the Steinbeck book.
Regulation of unrestricted re-
eruiting of seasonal labor" is rec
commended in the report. But mo
simple solution" for the whole prob
lem has been discovered, it warns,
pointing out that migratory labor
Is essential in the cotton fields and
fruit areas of the Southwest. Some
way must be found, it is suggested,
to tide these workers through lean
periods when there Is no picking or
cultivating to be done.
Answered Advertisements.
"A majority of the cotton pickers
reported that Arizona was presented
to them in one way or another as
being a promised land which could
solve for them the problems which
they could not solve at home." the
report states. The most important
reason for their choice of Arizona
as a destination was the advertis-
ing campaign conducted by the cot
ton growers"
Since 1912, there have been mass
importations of cheap labor into
Arizona, it Is pointed out. Most
often these have been Mexicans.
At one time, however, Puerto Ricans
were brought in at great expense for
recruiting and transportation.
"Since 1929" the report says, "the
Arizona cotton growers have de-
pended largely on migratory cotton
pickers from the Western Cotton
States. BY 1890, the reduced acre
age. the depression and the estab-
lished flow Of Western Cotton States
people through Arizona made it un-
necessary any longer to offer rebates
or free transportation.
I'm 1887, small expenditure for
recruiting brought great results. AL
though in 1920-21, approximately
$500 900 was spent to secure a cheap
labor supply of 10000, in 1887 the
greatest single expense in recruiting
10000 workers was an item of about
5000 for want ads in the news
papers"
Intense Recruiting Campaign.
The recruiting campaign has util-
ized not only want ads, but also
display advertising, handbills, news
paper publicity, word-of mouth
grapevine and occasionally radio,
the study found. The advertising
campaign was found to reach into
several States to the east of Ari-
1ona. Sample advertisements re-
produced in the text of the report
showed that pickers were promised
good pay, high yield per acre, good
living conditions in camps and "a
healthy, salubrious climate"
OF the workers studied in the
Arizona fields, 81 per cent came,
like the Joads, from Oklahoma; II
per cent from Texas and the others
In smaller proportions from Arkan-
sas and neighboring States w. P. A.
investigators conducted hundreds of
personal interviews with the work.
ers, usually in the evening or when
no picking was available. Adver-
tisements promised 300 to 400
pounds of cotton a day for each
picker, but few achieved this. The