George Washington to New Hampshire, 29 December 1777 (Detail, GLC03706) America Between the Wars: Considering the Human Cost of the Great Depression by Jane Hannon Fordham Preparatory School, Bronx, NY American Memory (Library of Congress) http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/afctshtml/tshome.html Voices from the Dust Bowl: The Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin Migrant Worker Collection, 1940-1941 The farm workers who settled in California during the Dust Bowl had great trouble finding decent work. Agricultural jobs were scarce and short-lived. Employers often took advantage of the migrants' desperation to force them to work for low wages. This song expresses the frustrations experienced by the residents of the Shafter camp, which the federal government created to aid displaced farm workers. I'D RATHER NOT BE ON RELIEF Lester Hunter Shafter, 1938 We go around all dressed in rags While the rest of the world goes neat, And we have to be satisfied With half enough to eat. We have to live in lean-tos, Or else we live in a tent, For when we buy our bread and beans There's nothing left for rent. I'd rather not be on the rolls of relief, Or work on the W. P. A., We'd rather work for the farmer If the farmer could raise the pay; Then the farmer could plant more cotton And he'd get more money for spuds, Instead of wearing patches, We'd dress up in new duds. From the east and west and north and south Like a swarm of bees we come; The migratory workers Are worse off than a bum. We go to Mr. Farmer And ask him what he'll pay; He says, "You gypsy workers Can live on a buck a day." I'd rather not be on the rolls of relief, Or work on the W. P. A., We'd rather work for the farmer If the farmer could raise the pay; Then the farmer could plant more cotton And he'd get more money for spuds, Instead of wearing patches, We'd dress up in new duds. We don't ask for luxuries Or even a feather bed. But we're bound to raise the dickens While our families are underfed. Now the winter is on us And the cotton picking is done, What are we going to live on While weirs wqiting for spuds to come? [sic] Now if you will excuse me I'll bring my song to an end. I've got to go and chuck a crack Where the howling wind comes in. The times are going to better And I guess you'd like to know I'll tell you all about it, I've joined the C. I. O. 1. Why does the person singing this song have to depend on relief? 2. What are three specific hardships this person faced? 3. Describe the tone or mood of this song. 4. What solution does this worker think he has found to his problem? 5. Imagine you are a migrant worker who has gotten a well-paying job. Make a "wish list" of the things you would like to provide for your family.