374 WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

citrus, cabbage, and earrots damaged slightly. I think that a 10 per cent
estimate would cover the damage.
The labor condition as I have found it, in and around Harlingen to-day, is:
That labor is not as easy to get as it possibly has been in the past but still there
is no acute shortage. Three to five hundred will amply supply the Harlingen
packers, that is in addition to labor they already have. There are numerous
packers throughout the valley who are the employers of the seasonal labor
because they buy the crops in the field and harvest and pack them. Labor now
being employed in harvesting and packing vegetables is receiving twice the pay
that they received for the same last year. One packing company informed me
that last week their field workers and house men earned from $12 to $25 in the
week. This particular company hires their labor directly and puts a foreman
over them, which is much better practice than three other packers with whom I
talked employ. They (the latter three), contract the work to Mexican truckers
who hire, fire, and pay the workers, which leaves much room for fraud profiteering
 and exploitation. There is a small number of unemployed Mexicans in
Harlingen and some of the other valley towns but their existing vagrancy laws
have no teeth. So, have suggested to them that since there are so many towns
here in the valley that the city governments cooperate to the extent of immediately
 enacting uniform vagraney laws in all the towns in the valley, thereby
making it possible for them to utilize all of their resident labor before bringing
outside laborers into the valley.
In company with the secretary of the local chamber of commerce, I called upon
the mayor here who heartily approved of the plan and promised to take the matter
up immediately with the other valley city governments and assured me that he
did not think there was any doubt about the other cities being agreeable to
carrying out the plan.
Another move I am taking is this: The chambers of commerce in the valley
are supported by taxation instead of membership dues, and every property
owner who has paid his taxes is a supporter of the chamber of commerce, so realiz-Ing
 that everybody is interested in the chamber of commerce and since all the
valley chambers have banded themselves into a chamber of commerce association,
 I have suggested to the loeal manager, Mr. Floore, that the valley chambers
of commerce notify their farmers and packers that when labor is needed to place
the call in writing with their chamber and when the demand for labor becomes
heavy, that they are then to request the cities to exercise their vagrancy laws.
Then if they find that an actual shortage of labor exists and can not be met, locally,
they are to call upon the United States Employment Service for aid. There is
possibly a moderate shortage existing at some points in the valley, but from
what I have been able to learn so far, that shortage has not reached the acute
stage. The packers inform me that about 200 cars of fruits and vegetables are
being shipped out daily and that 75 workers are needed to harvest, pack, and
clean a carload in one day. From those figures, it means that 15,000 workers
are being employed (seasonal workers) daily besides a possible five or ten thousand
who do other kinds of farm work the year around. The population of the valley
is estimated at 175,000, possibly two-thirds of this population live in town, and
possibly more than 25,000 of the others are land owning farmers.
If it were possible to effect an equal distribution of labor, which is being hindered
 by rivalry between the packing companies and some of the towns, there
would probably be no need at present for outside labor, but under conditions as
they now exist and until the vegetable and fruit seasonal labor are handled in the
same manner in which you handle the cotton picking, outside labor will be needed
for the next month. The peak of the season is expected to be about three weeks
from now and vegetable and fruit work, counting the onion and tomato crops
which come on later, will offer comparatively steady emplovment for several
thousand people until cotton chopping time. }
I am being asked on every side, “Why has the Farm Labor Division never
been established permanently in the Valley?” and “What steps are necessary
bo get it established?” I tell them that they will have to ask you or the other
officials of the service.
The cultivated acreage is increasing every year and between you and me, I
believe that this Winter Garden work here, at Robstown and Crystal City will
soon rank next to cotton picking in size and importance. The United States
Employment Service seems to have the confidence of the Valley people because
of its efficiency in serving the cotton farmers and by next year I believe that
they will put the issue up to us to serve them