Executive Order 10894—Establishing the President's Committee on Migratory Labor

WHEREAS migratory labor plays an essential part in the Nation's economy, particularly in agriculture, in jobs of a temporary or seasonal nature; and WHEREAS a substantial number of workers and their families migrate annually to find employment on farms and in rural communities, and perform services in many States; and WHEREAS most of such workers are unskilled and have annual earnings that are low; travel and housing conditions that are often substandard; limited educational opportunities for their children because of migration; less access to community services than permanent residents; and, because of the seasonal or short-term nature of their employment, have difficulty in accumulating assets adequate for satisfactory living conditions; and WHEREAS many of the workers and their families are handicapped in seeking economic and social attainments because of the seasonal nature of their employment; and WHEREAS it is in the national interest to assist such migratory workers and their families in achieving working and living conditions more compatible with those of other workers in the Nation; and WHEREAS on August 26, 1954, I established a Federal Interdepartmental Committee on Migratory Labor, later designated as the President's Committee on Migratory Labor, to assume leadership in developing cooperative relations in improving the social and economic welfare of our domestic migratory farm workers; and WHEREAS, in order that the President's Committee on Migratory Labor may be enabled to make even greater progress toward the achievement of its objectives, it is now appropriate to consolidate its accomplishments and to provide for more formal Federal organization for its activities with respect to migratory labor programs, and with continuing recognition of the responsibility of the individual States in the field of migratory labor: NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: SECTION 1. (a) There Is hereby established, subject to the provisions of this order, the President's Committee on Migratory Labor (hereinafter referred to as the Committee), which shall be composed of the Secretary of Labor, who shall be Chairman of the Committee, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, and the Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency. (b) To assure effective functioning of the Committee and uninterrupted participation of each department and agency represented on the Committee, the head of each such department or agency shall designate an appropriate officer or employee of his department or agency as an alternate member to participate in the affairs of the Committee whenever the member may be absent or otherwise unable to participate. (c) The Committee may request the head of any other Federal department or agency to designate a representative to participate in the affairs of the Committee as desirable in furthering the work of migratory labor programs. SEC. 2. The Committee shall (1) maintain continuing review and assessment of the needs of migrant workers and their families, (2) aid the various Federal agencies in mobilizing, stimulating, and coordinating more effective programs and services for such migrants and in providing services to State and local areas through their constituent agencies, (3) facilitate and encourage the development of actions designed to promote improved living and working conditions of migratory workers, and (4) work with State and other public and non-public agencies in improving the living and working conditions of migratory workers. To these ends the Committee is empowered to enlist the aid and cooperation of Federal officials, Governors' Committees, local committees, National civic and church groups, and employer and worker organizations. SEC. 3. The Departments and Agencies represented on the Committee shall, as may be necessary for the purpose of effectuating the provisions of this order, furnish assistance to the Committee, including detailing of personnel, but excluding transfer of funds, in accordance with section 214 of the act of May 3, 1945, 59 Stat. 134 (31 U.S.C. 691), or any other applicable laws. The Department of Labor shall provide necessary space and facilities for the Committee. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER THE WHITE HOUSE, November 15, 1960.