248 WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION ]

Mr. Moore. They will probably make a profit in their lettuce or
in something else. Most of these companies that are operating in
the West at the present time are nation-wide in their activities.
Mr. EsTERLY. Do most of these farmers get money from the Federal
farm loan, the joint-stock land bank?
Mr. Moore. These people that I represent?
Mr, EstERLY. Yes.
Mr. Moore. No, sir.
Mr. EsterLy. Do they finance themselves?
Mr. Moore. Very few of these western valleys are able to get
money from the land bank. The land bank in California will not
ig Imperial Valley on account of the danger of the Colorado
iver.
Mr. Esterry. I asked, whether or not with the building of the
Boulder Dam the Government would grant farms in that district.
Mr. Moork. I hope that is so. The interest rate in these valleys
is very high.
The CratrMaN. You have made great advance in the use of your
available land. In all of the Staté of California do you have these
intensively grown crops?
Mr. Moore. No, sir. We have taken the depressed staple products
 out of California, after they were shown to be not profitable.
The Crairman. Have you increased the acreage?
Mr. Moore. Over what period?
The Cratrman. Well, say the last 20 years.
Mr. Moore. That is awfully hard to state, Mr. Chairman.
The Cuatrman. Is the acreage growing in these various specialties?
Mr, Moore. Oh, yes; increasing every year.
The CuarMaN. And you are using more acres every year?
Mr. Moore. Yes, sir.
The CuamrMaN. And your expectation is that you will greatly
increase on these specialized fancy agricultural items.
Mr. Moore. No; we have about reached the limit.
The Cuamrman. No more land of that kind available?
Mr. Moore. No, sir; and probably not the water.
Mr. EsterLy. Are they going to raise silkworms there?
The CuarrMan. I will admit that California can do anything.
Mr. Free. Yes; even raise the tariff on pig iron.
The Crairman. California must have tariff on all these citrus
fruits, dats, and figs, and so forth. It must have it. But they are
not willing to have any tariff on the boxes.
Mr. Moore. They ask that no tariff be put on Mexican products
in competition with them.
I want just to make this one plea, My. Chairman, you have had it
every session for three years, but let me go into this thing on a fair
basis, with no unbiased report which we can all back up.
The CratrmMan. We will go with you, too. This problem has been
getting a little more acute for five years, and I think some time it will
happen. Each year it is postponed until it will be harder and more
destructive,
Mr. Esterny. What is the condition of employment in the great
city of Los Angeles?
r. Moore. 1 think it is very poor.