WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION 211

have worked hard and I know what it is to get up before daylight and
work till after dark, rain or shine—and we have no seasons in California
 like you have in the East, we work all the time, we plow all the
time, we plant all the time, in order to do these things. Through the
radio I can tell the labor unions this thing. All I ask of you folks is
that you get some commission—that this Congress, because you are
not the Congress, but you have an influence with them—that you
appoint a fact-finding commission that is unprejudiced, and let
them go into our country and study the situation, and if you find
that the Mexican and the Porto Rican and the Filipino are not in
good repute, provide us with some sort of supply just as good or
better, and then we will be satisfied.
The Crarrman. I will ask you a question that you can take away
with you. With the number of Mexicans that are in the great
Southwest, already here, if a law was passed permitting itinerant
Mexican labor to come into the United States for three or four months
to assist in harvesting work, do you think that would help to solve
the situation?
Mr. Hart. Just giving my opinion as a farmer, if you had a law
that would allow us to go into Mexico, if the Mexican Government
would not he insulted, and South America—if you had alaw that would
allow us to go into Mexico and bring in our help and let that help
go back into Mexico—all we ask for is a solution to our problem that
will not bankrupt us. We are not unreasonable, but we do want fair
play—we have worked hard and we have built something that we are
proud of; we are not crying for help—the lettuce industry, the vegetable
 industry, the seed industry, is not crying for help. The Californians
 were not the ones who hollered out for an equalization fee. Calilornia
 was not the one that hollered for the debenture. All we asked
was a chance to do something for ourselves and a Government that
would assist us by not putting burdens on our backs. That is all we
ask for in California, and if you have a solution, why bless your soul,
we want the solution, if it is a better one, or if it is as good, but we don’t
Want to have to bring Porto Ricans in there to go to school with my
laughter, to live and grow up in that country. You know what the
problem 1s. I don’t have to tell you about the negro problem and I
don’t want to discuss it. But the Mexican is our best bet. We tell
you honestly it is our best bet, and if you take it away give us something
 else that is just as good or better—better if you can—and when
you go back to the State of Washington I want to you know that I
have a great desire to help the State of Washington. My folks all
ive there. I have a great admiration for your governor; because he
1S a man that stands up for the truth, and I am going to preach to
them the same thing we have in California. I would like to see my
Sister prosperous, and my family and your family and all the rest, and
[ don’t like to see the labor shortage in your country, but I say if we
“an not employ these people—— .
The CHAIRMAN (interposing). There is no labor shortage in western
Washington.
Mr. Harr. I mean surplus—if we can not employ them down there,
there will be some of them coming up to your country looking for
Work.
The CrairMan. We are very much obliged to you, Mr. Hart.