‘Hunger Marches in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo’ from Western Worker. Vol. 1 No. 19. October 1, 1932.   

Workers, Farmers Mobilize Against Starvation; Supervisors Forced to Promise Hearing; Agricultural Union Active

SAN JOSE, Sept. 16. Pointing to the inadequate relief in Santa Clara County, the lowering of the standards of living of all workers by the forced labor system, and the impoverishment of the farmers, the call for a united front conference, to be held on Sunday, September 25 at 81 Post Street, San Jose, to plan the county Hunger March, was sent to all labor, fraternal and farmer organizations. The Hunger March will take place on October 3, and is under the auspices of the Unemployed Councils and the Workers Ex-Servicemen’s League.

On Monday, September 12, a delegation for the Hunger March came before the supervisors and presented before them demands, giving them notice of the march. The supervisors agreed to meet the delegation of the Hunger March on October 3.

The eight demands presented, provide for $10 cash weekly, no evictions, free food and medical attention to school children of unemployed, cash payment on all relief jobs at 50c per hour, no discrimination or Jim Crowism, that workers administer relief, etc.

The local capitalist papers are ridiculing the demands, and the Hunger March, but the workers are taking the march seriously and rallying by the thousands. Meetings in preparation are taking place in Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Gatos, Gilroy, San Jose and in many other towns.

The agricultural and cannery workers union is particularly active in mobilizing the many Mexican, Filipino workers, and the Hoovervilles in the county.

SAN MATEO CO. TO HAVE HUNGER MARCH OCT. 10. SAN MATEO, Cal., Sept. 17. A conference for mobilizing the workers and farmers in the county behind the Hunger March, will take place on Monday evening, September 26, at the Labor Temple, San Mateo.

The County Hunger March is set for October 10. The call points out that there are 6000 unemployed in the county with very little relief, and misery increasing to unprecedented proportions. The conference will finally approve the demands to be presented, and make all the plans for the march to the county seat at Redwood City.

Meetings are taking place in South San Francisco, Redwood City and other sections of county in preparation.

WATSONVILLE, Cal., Sept. 18 Two hundred and fifty workers and farmers attended a mass meeting here on Friday, September 9 at the Odd Fellows Hall, and applauded the program of the Unemployed Councils. Mike Misura was chairman and Porter Chaffee of Santa Cruz was the speaker. Forty five joined the Unemployed Council, and many, altho working, joined as supporting members.

The demands of the Unemployed Council were unanimously approved. The Hunger March date was set for October 7. The Watsonville workers will meet at the city plaza in the forenoon and will march down Main street, where they will be met by a transportation committee and proceed to Santa Cruz, the county seat.

In Santa Cruz a mass meeting will take place at Arion Hall, Cooper and Short streets, at 1 p.m. to greet the Watsonville delegates. From the joint meeting a delegation will be elected to go before the supervisors meeting that day at 2 p.m.

UNITED FRONT CONFERENCE

A United Front Conference, to mobilize the workers and farmers from every section of the county, behind the march, will take place in Watsonville Sunday, September 25 at Odd Fellows Hall.

Many farmers and the workers are volunteering help to feed the hunger marchers, and lending automobiles for transportation.

Western Worker was the publication of the Communist Party in the western United States, focused on the Pacific Coast, from 1933 until 1937. Originally published twice monthly in San Francisco, it grew to a weekly, then a twice-weekly and then merged with the Party’s Daily Worker on the West Coast to form the People’s Daily World which published until 1957. Its issues contain a wealth of information on Communist activity and cultural events in the west of those years.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/westernworker/1932/v1n19-oct-01-1932.pdf