Letter from H. S. Casey Abbott to Senator Dennis Chavez

January 23, 1952 Honorable Dennis Chavez U. S. Senator of New Mexico U. S. Senate Washington 25, D. C. My Dear Senator: I called at your office Monday, January 21, and was very sorry to find that you were out of the city. I discussed the general alien proposition with Senator Kilgore who agrees with our program and wanted me to explain it to you. I told your Executive Assistant that I would writ this letter of explanation so that you would be fully informed in the matter. As you know, we have had along the border, a serious "wetback" situation which, particularly in the lower Rio Grende Valley, has been capitalized by unscrupulous persons, and the Mexicans are pretty nuch taking a beating there as far as wages and living conditions are concerned. This has been constantly before the Mexican Labor Committee which is the sub-committee of the National Farm Labor Committee, and has been the basis, in large part, of the demands made by the Mexican government for the protection of their Nationals as reflected in the Mexican labor contract. I was chairman of this Committee up till the recent meeting, and I want to say frankly to you that if the "wetback" situation can be controlled, I em sure we will get a nuch more equitable contract from the Mexican government. The legislation proposed (copy of which is hereto attached together with a statement of the farm situation today) has been agreed to by Immigration, the President's office, the Farm Bureau, the Grange, and our Committee. If passed, it will tighten up the perimeter completely around the nation and stop the infiltra- tion of a lot of people who we do not wish to have in our country. It will also enable us to bring those that we do want, in under contract and under full control. So far as we farmers are concerned, if this can be done, I em sure that it will stop the constant bickering and will at the same time enable us to have a long-range program so far as labor is concerned. It also should be much easier to maintain a fair and equitable standard of wages so far as the Mexican worker is concerned and to maintain American standards. MARA