148 WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

laborers. We give preference to American citizens, and especially
to the local residents in the territory where their services are required;
next, to foreigners who live in our immediate territory. But our
acreages are so large that local labor is not availablé in any numbers,
and those who are willing to accept our employment are soon absorbed
and we must resort to the employment of Mexican labor and to any
other class of labor that is willing and able to do the work that our
farmers have to offer.
As soon as our local supply is employed, we go to every labor center
of the State, make application in all States and United States employment
 agencies; advertise in the Mexican papers, in the colored papers,
and have write-ups in the American papers calling attention to the
work that we have in our fruit and cotton district. In addition,
labor scouts are employed throughout the State for the purpose of
securing an adequate supply of labor for the harvesting of our crops.
The supply of labor obtained has not been sufficiently adequate, but
in the past two years and especially last season, weather conditions
were ideal, thereby giving us an opportunity to string out the work
with the supply obtainable. From the employment agencies—
State and Federal—we obtained last season both directly and
indirectly, in the neighborhood of 2,500 to 3,000 seasonal workers.
From social agencies in San Francisco we obtained last season
between 20 and 30 seasonal workers. From the social agencies in
Los Angeles, none. These two points being the largest social centers
in our State. The orders for labor were for any race regardless of
color or nationality. Particular pains were taken to give all information
 as to wages, housing, carap sanitation, and educational facilities.
 The labor scouts employed by the bureau and the management
were able to rout and employ enough labor to carry on the work at
the beginning of the harvest, but not in sufficient numbers to complete
 the same in the customary length of time usually consumed in
the harvesting of the grape and the cotton crops.
Last season we had less labor than during the previous season,
but the late frosts somewhat injured our grapes, apricots, and peaches,
reducing the normal production to about 60 per cent. That to some
extent relieved the grape situation, but the increased acresge in
cotton and the demand for seasonal labor in the beet-sugar States
and in the cotton fields of the Salt River Valley in Arizona, made
our situation serious. However, our growers were materially aided
by the long drought, and were able to pick our first pickings of cotton
and a large percentage of the second picking before the first rains
set in.
In some sections of the San Joaquin Valley they are still in their
second picking and will so continue until probably throughout the
greater part of the month of March.
We provide our labor with cabins or tents free. Wood is free, so
is water. Our camps are inspected by the State authorities and last
season we had nearly 600 labor camps in our territory. Where the
school is too distant from camp, seasonal schools are provided in the
camp for children of school age. Children of school age are not pertian
 to work in the cotton fields or grape vinevards during school
ours.
The organization which I represent is not only interested in securing
 labor, but also in looking after its welfare. That we may have