WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION 303
met right along with the complaint that we are tightening up on
immigration, and if we tighten up on the Canadians we will be cutting
off the Maine woodchoppers. What is the condition there, if you
now?
Mr. BraprLEY. I understand they need woodchoppers from Canada
in Maine. I did not want to point out specifically the methods of
handling this situation. I have had certain speculations on the
subject that I would be willing to give you if you desire them.
The CuairmaN, Please let us have them.
Mr. BrabpLey. We have a large number of French Canadians
coming down the Connecticut Valley, and I rather think they have
made the labor situation very difficult in the State of Vermont. I
have definite evidence that people are doing everything in great distress
 for jobs, because there are more people looking for jobs than
there are jobs to be had. Those people who come from Canada into
our country go into the mills and we have a great surplus of mill
operatives throughout New England.
If we had some provision in the law by which visas would not be
eranted within the quota, always within the quota, until the governor
 or some properly constituted organization in a State should
certify that a certain kind of person is needed to supply a labor need
in that State, it seems to me you might be able to get Canadian
woodchoppers for Maine but not surplus labor for the States of
Vermont and Massachusetts. There might be difficulties in making
such claims, but it is in line with what the Secretary of Labor has
been advocating, as I understand, namely, that there should be
selection within the quotas for labor, and it would put upon the
individual States, instead of the Government at Washington, the
responsibility of taking them in, within limitations that would give
protection to other States.
Mr. ScaneEEer. Right on that point—if we were to issue visas
upon the application of governors, the Southwestern States would be
asking for the admission of Mexicans constantly, would they not?
Mr. BrapLey. But if you had a Mesican quota regulating the
amount of labor coming here, they would not get any more than the
quota allowed. We all understand that ordinary, unskilled labor is
not needed or wanted. Perhaps all of us do not understand that.
That is the contention covered by my remarks, that vast labor masses
are not needed any more in the United States, and your regulations
could do that. It could be only the selection within the quotas
of limited amounts fixed by the quotas that would be put up to the
States. -
Mr. Scanerper. That is not conceded by the people in the Southwest
 who want Mexican labor.
Mr. Box. I think you should say a minority of the people there.
Mr. Braprey. You can not argue with those people when it is a
matter of pocketbooks that they are considering first. We have had
the same arguments ever since they brought Africans from the other
side. If we do not deal with that straight out, the country will suffer
a worse evil than anything else that could happen to it.
The CualRMAN. You have stated, as I understand, that New
England, generally speaking, has not been able to absorb in employment
 those legally admitted as quota immigrants from Europe and
who stop in New England.