146 WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

industries and promote agriculture I am sure the Porto Ricans would
not go away from home.
The CuarmaN. They could not buy steamship tickets to get away
from home.
Mr. Davita. Not in a majority of cases. We are facing to-day a
most difficult crisis on account of the conditions there.
The Crnairman. The United States Government is contributing
some money to help them?
Mr. Davia. Yes, sir. Congress appropriated some money,
$4,000,000 for roads and schools, and besides some millions of dollars
to be loaned to the coffee growers and agricultural people.
The CrairMAN. These gentlemen here are looking for help too;
it is a large delegation of them from Texas and California and New
Mexico.
Mr. Daviva. We will give careful and friendly consideration to their
demand for laborers, if they want some from Porto Rico. They are
good workers and good citizens, Mr. Chairman.
The CrairMAN. And the population is increasing down there?
Mr. Davia. Yes, sir.
The CrairMAN. And the area of the island is not very great?
Mr. Daviva. No; it is only 3,435 square miles.
The CrarrMAN. A little smaller than the State of South Carolina?
Mr. Davia. It is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware and
about two-thirds as large as the State of Connecticut.
The CrAIRMAN. Any questions, gentlemen? :
Mr. ScHNEIDER. Are you producing anything that is of importance
to the United States?
Mr. Davina. Sugar, tobacco, coffee, and fruits.
Mr. Scuneiper. Can not you produce vegetables there for export
to the United States?
Mr. Davira. My opinion is we should enter into that; vegetables
should be grown there and brought to the United States.
Mr. Scaneiper. What kind of fruit do you produce?
Mr. Daviva. Grapefruit, oranges, and pineapples.
Mr. ScuneipER. Is that production increasing?
Mr. Davina. The orange and grapefruit crops are increasing. The
duty on pineapples does give us adequate protection to compete
with Cuba.
The CuaarrMaN. When your Porto Rican people have gone to
Texas and Arizona to work did they get homesick? If some of this
money 1s used to transport 500 families to Texas, California, and
Arizona, then they would not be homesick, would they?
Mr. Davina. They will not get homesick if they are fairly treated.
I do not want to attribute the failure of immigration from Porto
Rico to the United States merely to homesickness. Those who
came to Arizona were not satisfied with the treatment they got there.
But I am sure that if these people coming from Porto Rico are well
treated and reasonably paid for their work, the result would be
different.
The CuatrMaN. The American flag flies in Porto Rico?
Mr. Davira. Yes, sir; and we are American citizens.
The Cramrman. I think you have done fine work here, Mr. Davila,
and I realize the problem vou have, and it shows what it is, with the