DECLASSIEU Authority Stateletter Ihr By Me NARA Date 24981 3a preference for Spanish or Italian immigrants, who would be readily assimilated, although he said he had no. objection to Jewish immigrants or immigrants of any other race providing thoy were selected scientifically and would tend to improve the racial stock of the country.
Sr. Mora expressed satisfaction over progress which had been achieved in the labor field during the past year.
He mentioned the Labor Code and stated frankly that its provisions were subject to adjustment as conditions mado essary. He said he was glad that the country finally had an autonomous Ministry of Labor, althaugh ho remarked that it was only just gotting underway. He said the labor movement here is flourishing with some ninety syndicatos forming part of the Confederación de Trabajadores de Costa Rica, which in turn is affiliated with the He referred somewhat sarcastically to the attempt of the Catholic Chureh to enter into the field of labor organization by its Rerum Novarum syndicates which are headed by Father Nuñez (reforenco Embassy dos pateh No. 989 of January 10, 1944. 8 He said that while father Nuñez undoubtedly know a great deal about theology he did not know much about the actual job of running labor unions. Sofior Mora som declared that these Catholio unions, ondo stalted, aro turned over to untrained laborers with results which can be imagined. Ho recalled the attempt of one of these unions to raise the minimum daily wage for workers on cortos farms in the Heredia district to four colonds.
Sr. Mora said he know this incrsase would put most of the small producers out of business, hence ho was obligod to use his influence to have the increase nullifiod. In referring to the Church labor novomont, Sr. Mora frankly admitted that in his view the movement was an attempt to noutralize his own more radical movement.
Sr. Mora said that he and his associates had mados an exhaustive study of the coffee industry of Costa Rica.
It was only after this study had been made that they are insisted on raiging tho daily ware which on many taras was only colonos 50 to the progont figure of colones 50. Sr. Mora maintained that there was no roason why corteo producers could not pay this higher wage without detriment. Ho mentioned, in passing, that the living quarters on the correo farms for the workers were often no better than dog konnol.
DOUTOT LAGA dok kat 630 of the Co In discussing the unionization of the country workers, he mentioned the fact that considerable progress had been made among agrioultural workers, although he emphasized that this was the most difficult group to: organize. Ho pointed out that a largo percentage of the cortoo grown in Costa Rica comes from the small farms of independent producers who tond to rogard themselves as members of the managorial olass rather than as workers. They are thus not recoptive to invitations to join unions.
The solution of this problem, according to Sr. Mora, lies