WESTERN HEMISPHERE TMMIGRATION 121
The CualrMAN. Are wages fair?
Mr. WiLey. I think so.
The Crairman. There is no overproduction?
Mr. WiLey. We are not suffering from any at the present time that
know of.
The CuAIRMAN. Are the Arizona associations asking the Farm
Board for funds?
Mr. WiLey. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. Proceed with your statement. .
Mr. WiLey. I am speaking now purely for the farming industry of
Arizona. Our farming industry is built upon the creative effort of
Mexican labor. Practically all of our farming in Arizona is done on
irrigation projects which were built by the Federal Government.
One of the largest projects, which I also happen to be connected
with, is the Salt River project. The Salt River project at the present
time owes the Federal Government $4,879,000 in round figures, construction
 charges, and has a total indebtedness for construction
charges of $11,588,000, making a total of $16,468,000, or $68.05 per
acre.
We do not see how we can meet those obligations to the Government
 without sufficient agricultural labor. The land out there is
very fertile, and our climate is very favorable, and our crop yields
are comparatively high, compared with other sections of the country,
and our biggest problem in agriculture out there is harvest labor.
It reaches a high peak. Most of our crops are noncompetitive with
the middle west or eastern farming sections.
Our farmers, through their farm bureau in this one county, Maricopa
 County, have spent a net average of about $60,000 a year for
the last 15 years recruiting and distributing agricultural labor.
These farmers have paid that bill out of their own pockets, each
year.
Mr. CaBrLe. Where do you get the money?
Mr. WiLey. What is that?
Mr. CaBLE. You speak of the cost of recruiting this labor?
Mr. Wirey. Yes.
Mr. Care. You mean the cost of bringing in this labor?
Mr. WiLey. Yes.
Mr. CaBLe. To whom do they pay it; to the agencies?
Mr WiLey. They pay most of it to the railroads for transportation
*harges.
Mr. CasLe. Do the railroads give special rates to these men?
Mr. Winey. I believe they do.
This labor that we have recruited has practically all been Mexican
labor, for the reason that we have been unable to find any people
who can withstand the field heat and do manual labor in our State,
except Mexicans.
Mr. Dickstein. What effort did you make to get other kinds of
labor during all these years?
Mr. WiLey. As I say, we have spent $60,000 a year for labor, and
all that we could get was Mexican labor.
Mr. Dickstein. In answer to Congressman Cable you said that
this $60,000 is consumed for railroad fare, principally. Do you disrriminate
 between white labor and negro labor, or other labor?