156 WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

influx of European or other labor. These laws have, without doubt,
been a potent factor in the present prosperous condition of American
labor to-day; and I am sure that the people whom I represent would
be the last to make any eflort to have these laws modified.
Mr. Esterny. What becomes of this agricultural labor which
receives preference under the quota? What do they do when they
come to the United States?
Mr. Austin. In 1928, I analyzed the Department of Labor's figures
on immigration for 1926 and it showed about 30,000 farm laborers
coming in from Europe, and about 25,000 such laborers returning,
leaving a net source of farm laborers of approximately five thousand.
Now, if we could get beet-sugar laborers from Belgium and northern
Europe, we would welcome it, but this supply has been cut off.
The CrarmaN. Your city population will crack. Your farm
population is complaining of overproduction, and you are bringing
figures to show increase m city population. You sre asking for increased
 tariff protection. The question is, Shall we throw both artificial
 barriers’ down and let everything run to water-level? The
Kuropean laborer brought through and taken to distant points in the
United States in competition with the beet-sugar industry where
they are here for almost the entire year would find some difficulty.
Mr. Austin. Of course we have to consider the tariff end of it.
We need sufficient tariff protection against cheap-production sugar in
Cuba. But whoever works in the beet fields receives the same
remuneration, whether he be American, Mexican, or what not.
The Cuatrman. We got into cases where they did not have enough
left to get home after the season’s work.
Mr. Austin. A number of our companies at the end of the season
hire special trains to take them to the border.
Mr. Box. Do they take them across the border or do they leave
them in Mexico?
Mr. Austin. To the points usually where they come from.
Mr. Box. Did they have any trouble with the Texas legislature
with regard to bonding labor agents there?
Mr. Austin. Yes, sir. I believe the Legislature passed a bill
placing a high license tax on those agents, which was declared unconstitutional
 by your courts.
Mr. Box. One thing they did was to put every man under a $5,000
bond, on those who brought them in, to take them back.
Mr. AusTIN. A witness this morning was asked if he was guaranteed
25,000 or 30,000 Poles or Germans to come over here for the work
whether they would be acceptable. I will say, that as far as our
industry is concerned, that if the gentleman from New York [Mr,
Dickstein] can guarantee them to come over here and stay on the
farms we will build &amp; monument to him.
The CrarirmaN. What will you pay?
Mr. Austin. From three to four dollars a day.
The Cuairman. They would probably start at $3 a day? How
many hours work a day?
Mr. Austin. I should say 10 hours.
The CuairMaN. And do the children work?
Mr. Austin. Yes; just as children work on any other Crops.
The CuatrmManN. How many months ver vear?