206 WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

thing be solved finally; but that when it is solved, it should bs
disposed of in a way which will cause less harm to the border farmers
fn would be contained in the passage of either the Box or Johnson
Mr. EsterLy. How is this preference to agriculturists in the present
act working out for you, where preference is given to people following
agriculture in other countries and who want admission to the United
States; they come in that 50 per cent preference class. Is the bureau
pling advantage of that, and how many agriculturalists are coming
in?
Mr. Gray. I have not the details in my mind as to how many are
coming in, but as I remember it, not any great number. You mean
from other nations than the Western Hemisphere?
Mr. EsTERLY. Yes, sir.
Mr. Gray. They are not very many that are coming in. Here is
the unfortunate situation about that; the immigrants who are coming
in now intending to be temporary or permanent residents, intending
to be either temporary residents or future citizens, are not going to
the farms; they are stopping in the cities because of economic
conditions.
Mr. Esterry. How can they come in intending to be agriculturalists
 and then go to city work? Is your bureau helping to check back
on them, so that there is no abuse of that law?
Mr. Gray. There may be some of the county bureaus where that
problem is most acute, that are doing some local work on it, but so
far as the American Farm Bureau Federation is concerned. we are not
checking back on that information.
Mr. EstErLy. Could not that be taken advantage of and developed,
and in that fashion help out on either the Johnson or Box bill?
Mr. Gray. That would help. It would be a source of remedy.
Mr. EsterLy. I imagine that was put in there by the pressure of
the farmers, was it not, Mr. Chairman?
The CrArrMaN. Yes; it has not worked very well, for the reason
that you can not compel anybody who comes to the United States to
remain in any given business.
Mr. EsterLy. Then why give a preference of that kind?
Mr. Frer. The minute he gets in. he is in. and vou can not force
him to go out on the farm.
Mr. Esterry. Then there is something wrong with the law. That
produces fraud.
Mr. Gray. No; I would not say it is wrong with the law, Congressman.
 It is wrong with our economics at the present time. A
man may declare his intention of being a farmer; he may go to a farm
and work for a week or a month or a year, but the economic conditions
 will work on him the same as they have on our farm boys, and
will force him back to the city, because he can earn more there.
There is many a farmer going to town who is making more money
driving a truck than the farmers in Vernon County, Mo., my own
county, are making, who own the land they farm and have other
capital investments. It is that economic gg which forces
people off the farm. Tt forces these foreign men off the farm, even
though they came here intending to live permanentlv on the farm.