It applies to others. but the cases of violation of the visitors privileges from countries coming under the quota are individual cases. From Canada and Mexico you have wholesale and daily abuse of that privilege. I want to point out to the Committee on Immigration that there is only one way to cure that situation. as suggested by my colleague from New York. and if you want to be perfectly fair about this. if you are really intent and bent upon protecting American labor. the way to do it Is to put Mexico and Canada under the quota. The trouble. gentlemen. is this. I have read the hearings before the committee on the Mexican situation. The committee was inclined to apply the quota rule to Mexico. but there was tremendous pressure brought to bear by the beet growers and the railroads. They frankly told you that they preferred green labor from Mexico to the Mexicans born and raised in New Mexico. because they could get longer hours and could get them to work for lower wages. Now when you come here and say you are seeking to protect the American labor market. you are estopped from taking that position until you apply the quota law to Mexico and Canada. We have had conditions in the building trades up North where contractors went into Canada to get stonemasons and bricklayers and bricklayers helpers because they could get them cheaper. Yet the committee comes here and seeks to apply the most rigid and strict quota provisions to the countries of Europe under the pretext that. they are protecting American labor when. as a matter of fact. the very law encourages and countenances the worst kind of peonage labor we have ever had in the history of this country.
Keywords matched
Immigration quota law