Topaz Oral History Project miscellaneous interviews: Jane Beckwith material

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sw p h re· p 'od'c,lly. They recall ~wakening n ir - lves co red with h'n .ayer of s· c which had sifted into through ra k e p e s t z had eve el"" high tempe1 tures etw en the h ·t'ly-laid floor boar s Few s en snow r experienced long periods of Mos form r residents of Topaz remember the f' st winter as the frost seasons tin days aft_r their arrivali the 1 terizing of the inner ~alls and ceilings of the hastily-built tar-paper c er ~ oden barracks by evacuee work crews to ward off the cold, and the near panic which swept the camp when rumors, which proved to be true, that t.e ca~mp stockpile of coal was dangerously low. Shortly after the opening of the center, a city council was formed to oo af er the welfare of the evacuee residents, to set policies and to form a judicial council. In January 1943, Governor Herbert c. Maw, t.e first stat· executive to visit any relocatjo camp, installed those elected. efuting charges made by senators i1 Waehington D.C4, he de-cared t·.at the evacuees were not nliving 'n !Jxury 'l7hen s1x pPrsons in famil live in a single room". WRA's final report showed that over $24 Million out of almost $160 rr-illion budgeted for the 4-1/2 year program was returned unspent tc the United States Treasury . Much of the savings was due to low wages, set at $12 to 19 per month to be lower than the $21 paid in the armed forces . WRA food allov1ance was 45¢ a day per evacuee, but it was reportedly cut down in Topaz to 31¢, due in part to cattle and hog raising at the center. Plans to grow vegetables at Topaz were limited by the 120-day growing eason and poor alkali soil. on Sunday, April 11, 1943, an incident took place that shocked, saddened and angered the camp. James Hatsuki Wakasa, aged 62, who failed to hear four shouted warnings from two guard towers was killed by a rifle shot firea by a trigger-happy sentry while walking near the camp fence.