WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION 315

Mr. FirzraTrick. What?
The CuairmMaN. They were outside the country.
Mr. De Priest. Yes, they were outside of the country, and they
were cheaper than American labor. Why shouldn’t we have these
privileges extended to Americans? We ought to protect the Americans,
 not foreigners.
Mr. Firzratrick. I think that is begging the question, Mr. ConpressIman.

The CHAIRMAN. Are there any further questions? If not, we thank
you very much for your testimony.
Mr. Box. The committee will recall, I think, we heard testimony
about the necessity for this labor, and one statement was to the effect
that they needed 5,000 in one certain valley in Texas. The press
carried that report, and it created a tremendous wave of indignation
even among the local people, and the local press, absolutely, that such
a report should get out.
I want to read some, if I may, two things bearing on that report.
[ have several such matters, but I merely want to read these two.
And, I think that that statement will fairly express what the situation
is generally.
This comes from The Harlingen Herald, of January 18, published
right on the Rio Grande River, down right in the valley, and I have
much more, but I will only take up the time of the committee to read
only one or two.
The valley’s plea for more laborers was premature—
Said Roy Mims to-day, while in Harlingen.
The way things have turned out, we do not need the unskilled laborers now—
Mr. Mims continued.

If 5,000 come trooping down here, what will be done with them? Look at
what happened in the little town of Shamrock, Tex. Because it was circulated
that workers were needed on the railroad, 160 men, some of them with families,
moved there and are now living on charity. The freeze that hit the town, of
course, made things worse.
Mr. Mims is connected with the Southwest Bitulithie Co., and is at present
located at Raymondville.
And, many people are objecting to witnesses coming up here and
telling Congress these sorts of tales. That is the talk now everywhere.
‘Here is a letter from a young man, whom I never heard of before,
from that region. I want to read it to the committee. It is written
on January 28, and reads: :
Congressman Box, Washington, D. C. .
Dear Sir: I came from Wisconsin here one month ago. I am 22 years old,
weigh 185 pounds and not afraid of work, was raised on a farm.
However, I have not been able to find work of any kind in this valley. I have
visited every packing house from Mission to Brownsville in search of work.
Have tried the farms and in every case I have been told that they have more men
than they need. And vet, the Valley Morning Star, a local paper, week before
last, published in big head lines, 5,000 workmen needed in the valley.
That originated around the committee table. They ought to be
careful in taking that too seriously.
Five thousand workmen needed in the valley. The result was that there is
500 men for every job open in the valley.
I carried 2 copy of this paper with me when I called on several produce houses
here, ag it stated the number of men each house needed. Yet they all said they