Los Banos Rotary Club History
Congressman Sisk Is Visitor Here

U. S. Congressman B. F. Sisk was in Los Banos Tuesday evening, conferring with his local campaign manager, Kenneth Anderson, and with local groups and individuals relative to local problems at the national level. He was also a brief visitor at the Lions Club dinner Tuesday evening at Exhibit Hall, given in honor of local high school basketball players. Members of the Rotary Club, 20-30 and Native Sons were also guests at the dinner.

The senator's visit was part of an Easter week swing being made through Merced, Madera and Fresno counties.

Last evening he was in attendance at a dinner in Selma honoring Attorney General Edmund G. (Pat) Brown, candidate for Governor; and this afternoon he will address a special gathering of the 185th Infantry Division Association at Fresno.

In Los Banos the Congressman's primary concern was to confer with local groups regarding the proposed San Luis Project and the accompanying master drain plan for the San Joaquin Valley; and regarding local endeavors to secure federal aid for the proposed Los Banos Creek Flood control program.

Congressman Sisk was also concerned with the thinking of local sheep raisers who are asking for changes in Immigration and Labor Department regulations covering Basque herders. A hearing was scheduled on this matter in Fresno yesterday. The program of bringing herders into the United States for temporary employment was halted by the national sheep Wool growers Association last January because of difficulties in complying with labor and immigration requirements.

Congressman Sisk said that representatives of the sheep industry from throughout the western states were to attend the Fresno hearing to ask for consideration of changes in laws to assist the growers in retaining services of skilled herders. The hearing was arranged by Congressman Francis E. Walter, chairman of the Immigration subcommittee. Congressman Byron G. Rogers of Colorado was expected to preside as chairman.

On the national level Congressman Sisk said the present economic situation is the most important problem confronting Congress and the nation. "We now have more than five million wage earners out of work," he said. "This means a resultant loss of purchasing power which has hit hard at small independent businesses. The situation is grave because these businesses are the cornerstone of our free enterprise system and they will have a difficult time recovering in the face of the growing trend toward monopoly."

Sisk emphasized that measures to bring the economy back on an even keel are the responsibility of both business and government and declared the federal government certainly is expediting an anti-recession program. "The best thing that could happen to strengthen the American economy," he said, "would be a reduction in prices of our basic commodities in accordance with often cited laws of supply and demand, rather than shutting down of steel mills and auto factories."

April 11, 1958

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