122

WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

Mr. Winey. We were not discriminating as to the labor.
Mr. Dickstein. But what did you do to try to get white or colored
fabor into that section of the country to do farming work?
Mr. WiLey. No specific effort that I can think of. That is, we
advertised throughout Texas and Oklahoma. and I believed we advertised
 somewhat in California?
Mr. Dickstein. What wages did you offer?
Mr. WiLey. The big demand for labor there is in picking long
staple cotton and Acala cotton, which is what is known as a Pima
cotton, longer than the strand of staple cotton. We have a witness
here who will give you that in detail. The prevailing wage is usually
1% cents a pound for picking Pima or American Egyptian cotton.
Mr. Dickstein. How long does it take to pick a pound?
Mr. WiLey. I happen to have in mind a case that I am familiar
with this year.
Mr. DicksTrIN. Let someone give us those figures.
Mr. WiLey. Yes. I happen to be familiar with this one case. I
believe there were a few white pickers on this ranch who made from
$2.50 a day up to as high as $9, during the height of the season.
We have been short of labor out there for several years, and it is
becoming more acute. A few years ago, acting upon the advice,
I believe, of the Secretary of Labor, we went to Porto Rico for labor,
realizing that they were American citizens, and we thought that they
might possibly fill the bill. We shipped in two boatloads of those
Porto Ricans, and they were so entirely worthless as farm hands that
we paid the fares of the third boatload which we had contracted for,
and let them stay at home.
Mr. EsterLy. What became of the two boatloads that you brought
over? Where did they go to?
Mr. WiLey. I can only surmise. Some of them are still in the
State. Most of them are in California, and quite a few have gone
back to Porto Rico.
Mr. EsterLy. Those who remained in the State, what are they
working at?
Mr. WiLey. They are working in the lettuce and vegetable industry
 there. .
Mr. Esreriy. Is there much competition between these various
irrigation projects as to the price paid per pound for picking cotton?
We were told the other day that right above El Paso the rate is a cent
a pound. I notice your rate is 1% to 2 cents a pound. Is there competition
 between different irrigation projects. some of them paving
higher for labor than others?
Mr. WiLey. I am not familiar with the wage scales in the different
projects, but I know thare is quite keen competition. There is a
shortage every fall.’
Mr. EsterLY. You are evidently paying more than the irrigation
project right above El Paso.
Mr. WiLey. I think probably we do pay more than they do. I do
not know what they are paying.
Mr. EsterLy. Would that be because that section can smuggle
laborers through around El Paso better than where vou are?