Speech #910138440

The lines of communication have historically been from the tribes direct to the Federal Government. Placing another level of bureauracy between the Indians and the Federal Government would. in my judgment. be disastrous to the operation of these programs which now show such excellent potential for freeing the tribes of bureaucratic indecision and inaction. MIGRANTS Mr. Chairman. if there is any other group in this country which is beset by worse conditions than the American Indian. it is the migratory farmworker. In 1968 the average family income was $1.490 and the average education level was 8.6 years. These facts are deplorable enough when taken by themselves. but when one realizes that in 10 years the average migrants annual income has increased by only $11. it becomes catastrophic. In 1959. the average migrant income was $911. Today it is $922. The story of migrant education Is equally appalling. In 1940. the average migrant educational level was 7.6 years. in 1967. 8.6 years. While this Nation has experienced a fantastic acceleration of its educational achievement. the migrant has increased 1 year in the past 27. We often hear the charge made that "this did not just happen." In this case it did just happen. It happened because no official needed to answer to the migrant. Following the crops. a migrant family often sees 10 to 15 States in a year and three times as many counties. Whose charge is he? What school should serve his children? How can he pay for health services? How can children 7 and 8 years old be In school when their help is needed in the fields? That the migrant has been an orphan of our system is illustrated starkly by his exclusion from the Social Security Act. unemployment compensation. and the National Labor Relations Act. And so the sad plight of the migrants today plagues us because we have done almost nothing about it. As a matter of fact. Mr. Chairman. prior to OEO migrant programs we in the Federal Government spent more on migratory waterfowl each year than we did on migrant laborers and their families. But the Economic Opportunity Act changed that. Today. under title III of of this legislation. we seek authorization of $34 million. Much of this will be utilized as transition money. With the migrant problem we face not only a great responsibility. but a golden opportunity. By 1980. 10 short years. 40 percent of the jobs now filled by migrants will be done by machines. Both our challenge and opportunity is to smooth the road. We must provide special education and job training so that these people can be brought into the permanent labor force.