At one time, my wife Sandy was a payroll clerk for A Duda and Sons, then the world's largest farming operation, having properties all over the world. They were good employers and offered their employees excellent benefits, especially insurance. They could do this because they had a controlling interest in Hartford Insurance. Their operation in Naples was several miles out on the East Trail. I got to know several of the folks there, especially their farm boss, Lamar.
At the time Hubert Humphrey, running for president, had a traveling circus going around where he was exposing the terrible conditions migrant farm workers endured. Although being a migrant worker wasn't a cushy job, being a construction worker, and many other occupations weren't any fun, either. And the migrant's irresponsible lifestyle appealed to many. Especially wetbacks who didn't like to stay in one place too long.
Hubert's circus did uncover some sad cases but mostly the idea was to gain publicity for Hubert. And, he didn't want too much lemon in his hot toddy. Tom Morgan, a local reporter for the Miami Herald, accompanying Hubert on a tour of a destitute woman's home in Immokalee, opened up her refrigerator to take a picture of how bare it was. He was astounded to see that it was packed full of groceries. And the heifer weighed about 300 lbs. No starvation going on here. He pointed it out to Hubert, who quickly slammed the door shut and moved on to another building.
Closer to home, at Duda's all of the pickers made more money than Sandy. All. They also enjoyed free health care at the County's expense, and got food stamps.
At the start of one picking season Lamar showed me the family housing units the pickers could use. Looked like a motel. They were all freshly painted, had good appliances--some new--and were as nice as many low-cost motel rooms. He said we'd look at them again in just one month.
In that short time the buildings had been destroyed. And anything that would hold a clothes hanger was festooned with new clothes. Never seen so many. They'd even pried the doors off the refrigerators and used them for a clothes closet. Lamar just shook his head and said, "This is how you get the slum housing Hubert's crying about."
Part 2 tomorrow.
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