To: Mr. George M. Johnson
Assistant Executive Secretary
From: Clarence M. Mitchell
Field Representative
Subject: Wage Rate for Harvesting Sugar Cane in Florida and Louisiana
December 4, 1942
The U. S. Sugar Corporation published a booklet, “Sugar and the Everglades”, in January of 1941. On Page 52 of that publication the following quotation is made and attributed to Mr. Otis E. Mulliken, Chief of the Labor Section of the Sugar Division, of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, before the Civil Liberties Committee of the U. S. Senate:
“The standard of living of the sugarcane workers employed by the United States Sugar Corporation is higher than the standard of most other agricultural workers in the continental area. The seasonal migration of cane labor to Florida does not appear to present any problems except possibly that of controlling the supply so that the maximum amount of employment is available for the year round workers and for those who are employed only during harvesting. . . . On the whole sugarcane workers in Florida constitute a relatively privileged class of agricultural workers.”
I have requested the full copy of his testimony and expect that it will be available shortly.
In view of the current charges which were brought against the U.S. Sugar Corporation by the Dept. of Justice, it seems advisable to determine whether the Dept. of Agriculture was fully aware of all of the conditions in the sugar industry when it fixed the current wage rates.1
I have talked with Mr. Victor Rotnem, of the Dept. of Justice, who is handling the case against the U. S. Sugar Corporation. He states that the company was indicted around November 6, along with four of its supervisors, on a charge of peonage. It is his opinion that an abundance of evidence is available to show very undesirable working conditions in the industry. During the coming week, I expect to visit his office to go over his file. I am also obtaining information from other sources on conditions in the Florida area.
Since the Dept. of Justice is not considering the wage rates as such, I presume that the Committee might well inquire of the Dept. of Agriculture on this matter.
MS: copy, HqR4, Office Files of George M. Johnson. W, Wage Increases.
1. On 11/4/42 the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that a federal grand jury, sitting in the Southern District of Florida at Tampa, had returned a two-count indictment charging “the United States Sugar Corporation, its personnel manager, and three of its camp superintendents with conspiracy to hold black sugar cane workers in peonage.” The indictment resulted from the DOJ’s investigations of complaints that the company had recruited workers to plantations near Clewiston, Florida, by offering them free transportation. Upon arrival, however, the workers were told that they owed the company the cost of the transportation and that they would not be allowed to leave unless they reimbursed the company. News release, 11/4/42, Office of War Information, Department of Justice. The DOJ’s action was reinforced by the NWLB, which addressed another of Clarence M. Mitchell Jr.’s basic concerns, namely, wage discrimination. See NWLB news release, 6/7/43, announcing that it had ruled unanimously on that day that wage classifications based solely on racial differences were “without validity.” Copies of both releases are in HqR4, Office Files of George M. Johnson. W, Wage Increases.
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32-33
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HqR4, Office Files of George M. Johnson. W, Wage Increases.