Historical Significance

C. B. Baldwin served as an assistant to Henry Wallace, the secretary of agriculture until 1945. Baldwin fought for federal funding for migrant labor camps. The exchange between Baldwin and Congressman Elliott shows the changing role of the federal government: “I was on thestand during one of these hearings. A congressman, Al Elliott of California, was cross-questioning me. I had all the information, photographs—the plight of the migrant workers. He argued against the camp. The realreason the big farmers didn’t want them built is that they were places where the migrants got together and organize[d]…When Elliott finished his slambang cross-examination, I said,‘You haven’t convinced me not to build the camp. I’m issuing instructions for it to be started.’ He stormed across the room. He was a boxer, about six-three, weighing about 210. I weighed in at 155. (Laughs) He hollered, ‘You don’t represent the people of my district! I represent them!’ I said, ‘I have a national constituency. And a very important part of that are the migrant workers of this big country. I’m telling you again, Congressman Elliott, I’m gonna build this camp.’ We built it.”