[18 WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

tinual shortage throughout the 13 months, until the end of the wees
ending December 13, 1929, which is the last week that I have on
western lines, With the exception of the weeks ending November 30,
the weeks from November 30 to March 22, and from March 22 to
April 5, and from May 3 to May 24, there was no shortage.
The CrairMaN. None at all?
Mr. McInnis. No; except for those weeks which I have mentioned.
But from May 24, 1929, until December 13, 1929, there was never a
week that we were not short of track labor on our.western lines.
The CrairMaN. Do you think that the wage scale had anything
to do with it?
Mr. McInnis. I do not think so. Our wage scale accommodates
itself to the situation which surrounds it. I rather think it was the
demand for farm labor that had something to do with it; and also the
fact reported by the Commissioner of Immigration—I am speaking
roughly—that perhaps 12,000 to 15,000 Mexicans less came into the
country last year than in the year before.
But speaking to your question, Mr. Schneider, on our eastern lines,
speaking roughly, including Kansas and from there into Chicago, we
had no shortage from October, 1928, up to the present time.
Mr. Scuxeiper, If there was a shortage there——
Mr. McInnis. There was none there.
Mr. Scuniiper. I am speaking because I know in former years
there was a shortage there. There was a shortage’ there, and you
could not get white citizens to do that work. If you got a supply of
Mexicans from Texas would you have your road transport those
Mexicans up into Missouri? Is it not a fact that you do that?
Mr. McInnis. You say “white citizens.” You mean if there was
not anybody available in that territory?
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Yes.
Mr. McInnis. If there was not anybody available in that territory,
we could not bring that labor in.
Mr. ScaNeIER. Is it not a fact that you had to bring in Mexicans
because you could not get white labor for 30 cents an hour?
Mr. Mclsnis. Well, I am entitled to guess at that. I do not
think so.
Mr. Scaneper. Why did you transport them into Missouri, if
you could get white men for 30 cents an hour?
Mr. McInnis. We take our labor where we can get it. A white
man is superior to a Mexican, and we would rather have white labor.
The negro is about as good as a white man. It is not a matter of
abstraction. We have got to keep the railroad in shape, or kill
some one.
Mr. Scuneper. We had a man here from the railroads who testified
 that you had a system of transportation from one end of the
country to the other without charging them; that it was needed to
supply labor at the present rate of wages.
Mr, McInnis. I am the man who testified, and I testified there
was no such thing. I testified that we have a system in the Southwest,
 and that we must have it. It is a system which necessity has
thrown upon us, and which demonstrates the intention of the Mexican
 to return to where he came from after our work is over. If a
man stays in our employment in the southwestern territory, including