Now, my thought is that any State, whether it be Florida, or California, or North Carolina, or any other State, if they know they want particular kinds of immigrants, no labor organization-because that is what it comes to should tell them they can not have those people to develop their lands. I know it is not good for the South to have them say, "You shall not have your skilled and selected farmers." Now, if this is properly worked out, as I have said, each progressive city would be glad to have near it and to take care of a group of intensive capable farmers, who will produce for them and who will show the rest of the country how farming should be done. Now, I think that about covers my remarks, but I want to say something in support of it. I went over to Holland to see if there was any group over there who would come, and any who would direct immigration. I found that the governors and other influential people, the best people of Holland, were forming such a group. They were willing to take the best people in Holland and let them come to the United States, or wherever they were needed. And the reason for that is this: Holland is so densely populated, about 500 people to a square mile, that it is necessary for them to have an outlet for their people. These people must go to Canada or other places if we do not have them come to America. If we admit them here they will help us to develop our land, because it is known that they are the finest farmers in the world. And I have here some letters which I asked them to write, simply because I did not want to come back to America with unsupported statements. If I had come back here and told you this, you would have said, perhaps, "You are dreaming," or something to that effect. But here I have letters from the most influential people in Holland saying those are the conditions and that they will help us to get these farmers. Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your attention. I hope you will let me file these letters and a report on the Castle Haynes Colony. I want to repeat, Mr. Chairman, that for the first time in the history of our country we can now get any desired number of these splendid people. They will come to accredited locations, with the approval of their government officials, and selected by them. This is possible because of the after-effects of the war and the collapse of the German markets, which absorbed a great proportion of the products of Holland, Denmark, and other countries of northern Europe. It has been said by a Secretary of Agriculture that he could, with 100 selected families of this kind, revolutionize the agriculture of the South. With their knowledge and skill, and through their example, this could be done easily with a few thousand families. By using them to replace the gaps in the economic structure caused by the migration of negroes, only the greatest benefits would result to the South. I desire also, Mr. Chairman, to leave with you copies of a few letters, not only showing the condition in Holland and Denmark, but letters from people in the South telling of empty farms and abandoned farms, which is being brought about by the migration of the negroes, which migration is being brought about because of two reasons. One reason is the boll weevil, and another is that the industry of the North, not having sufficient help, are taking hundreds and thousands of the laborers and filling in with them. This is not benefiting labor. It is benefiting the South. But as long as our lands are depleted, we feel that we should have the right to get this selected class of people for our farms, and we hope that you, as Senators, will give us this consideration. Senator SHIELDS. Mr. McRae, you are speaking particularly for the South. You are not any more of a southerner that I am, and no more of an agriculturalist or sympathetic with this matter of agriculture than I am. But this matter of agriculture is just as applicable to every State as to North Carolina, is it not? Mr. MCRAE. Yes, sir. Senator SHIELDS. It is a national question. Mr. MCRAE. It is a national question, but it is more acute with us. Senator SHIELDS. But there are only 5 per cent of these immigrants that ever get on the land. Mr. MCRAE. Yes, sir. Senator SHIELDS. They stop in the factories. Mr. MCRAE. That is exactly so. Senator SHIELDS. How are you going to get them to the farms? You can not put them in the hands of a marshal, and direct them from the ships to the farms. Mr. MCRAE. You can do it, if you do it under the proposal I am making. Senator SHIELDS. Many of them never leave the seashore; they stop at the shops and the mills. Mr. MCRAE. Yes, sir. Senator SHIELDS. Now, this is a case of statesmanship, and it is closely connected with our institutions, and the people who have made our country great. And that is the chief object of this bill, and not development in the interest of any State, or any part of the United States, or any industry of any kind. Those are subordinate questions. They ought to be considered and will be considered, but no selfish matter or interest of any State or any industry or any class of business can be considered. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. McRae, you know we have a contract labor law? Mr. MCRAE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. In Canada they have no contract labor law. The CHAIRMAN. Canada is governed by an immigration commission. Mr. MCRAE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What do they do there? If they want agriculturalists for Alberta, they send a man abroad to make the selection of the men they want to go out there; and they make the selection in Holland, or in the other places? Mr. MCRAE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Now, you must remember in legislation you are surrounded with certain environments and certain laws, and we can not do what we would like to do. So your idea of going across and selecting the Hollanders and bringing them over here is not very easy to be carried out practically. Mr. MCRAE. You do not have to do that, Senator, The CHAIRMAN. You did make one practical suggestion, and that is that within the quota skilled farmers should be a preferred class. Now, that is a practical suggestion. Mr. MCRAE. Senator, is not this a practical suggestion: Holland, which is the greatest country in the world for skilled farmers, will be cut down to a pitiful 2,000 people. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. MCRAE. And some of those southern European countries will be given 50,000. Now, some clause should be put in there to give Holland The CHAIRMAN (interposing). Then you are reaching another practical suggestion: Whether we should delegate to the Department of Labor, or the head of that department, with the Department of Commerce, the power to bring in skilled labor, or seasonable labor. There you are running across the question as to what portion of its power Congress is willing to delegate. Mr. MCRAE. Senator, I am not asking for all skilled men, but for skilled farmers. And the labor is needed in the country. It is acute in Alabama, and throughout the South, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Senator WILLIS. You pointed out that the South is losing its negro labor. Now, if you get immigrants in North Carolina, why would they not be attracted by the same wages that is atracting the negro? Mr. MCRAE. I have proved that out. You can not make a Danish laborer go into the South and stay there, any more than you can keep a negro laborer there, unless you have something to offer him. But you can get a skilled farmer to go there and stay there. I have got men that have made $10,000 on 10 acres of land. I have seen these skilled farmers who could not be attracter by the high wages in the factories or the shops. I have seen them turn away from the shipyards, and go to the farms, because they could make more money. You can get the men if they have the right opportunity, and they will stay on the farms. We do not want just laborers. It is not possible for the laborers to compete with the negroes. But we do want them as farm owners. As farm owners they will stay on the farms. It has taken me 20 years to prove that. But if you will send down a man, in 12 hours of time I can prove that proposition to him. Senator KING. To what extent are you getting industrial labor or skilled farm labor, if you permit that expression, from the agricultural and industrial colleges? Mr. MCRAE. I am glad you brought out that question, Senator. We have not got the right system in this country. In Denmark their agricultural students go back to the farms and live there. In the United States we take our young men and educate them as farmers, and then there is no place for them to go, because agriculture is not skilled, and it is not on a footing that you place them on the farms. But you can make it so that every young man who goes to an agricultural college would be glad to go back to the farm. May I file these papers for the record, Mr. Chairman? Tht CHAIRMAN. Yes. (The papers are as follows:) 66 DE NEDERLANDSCHE VEREENIGING HUGH MACRAE, Esq., LANDVERHUIZING," The Hague, February 18, 1924. Wilmington, N. C., United States of America. MY DEAR MR. MACREA: Please permit me to draw your attention to the following: According to information received from the United States, Mr. Davis, the Minister of Labor, intends to divide the quota from July 1 in equal parts over 12 months. I fear that if that is done a good number of emigrants will be obliged to leave for America in winter. You the undoubtedly aware of the fact that it is, generally speaking, not desirable that newcomers arrive in winter. According to my opinion emigrants should not leave before, say, toward the end of February and not arrive later than, say, the end of September. An exception might, of course, be made for wives and children intending to join husband and father and having a home awaiting them. Instead of the 12-month subdivision, I should prefer no subdivision at all, but leave it to the intending emigrants themselves, or a division over seven months, viz, July, August, September, March, April, May and June. In those days when there was practically no limit to the immigration, the emigrants did as a rule not leave in winter, being warned by their friends in America against doing so and, of course, fearing to make the trip during those months when there is less chance for employment on arrival and more chance for rough weather during the sea trip. Yours very sincerely, SANDBERG, The Manager. [Extract from letter of Director of Emigration, Jhr. J. C. C. Sandberg, of January 19, 1924.] If, in addition to relatives of American citizens, bona fide farmers, farm hands, gardeners, fruit growers, bulb growers, cheese and butter makers, in short, all children of agriculture, were to be allowed to enter freely-complying, of course, with the other immigration regulations--the situation would be far more satisfactory than at present. Mr. HUGH MCRAE, Wilmington. DEN HAAG, January 11, 1924. DEAR MR. MCRAE: At last we are able to let you know the establishment of our organization, which is called "Holland Central Emigration Foundation." President, Mr. Walrave Boissevain, vice president of the Association for Industry and Commerce Members of the board: Mr. F. K. J. Heringa (appointed by the Government), chief of the division of commerce and industries of the Department of Labor, Commerce and Industry; Dr. L. Deckers, M. P., secretary of the Netherlands Farmers Association; Dr. H. C. Dresselhuys, M. P., president horticultural council, president Netherlands Emigration League; Dr. J. C. A. Everwijn, vice president of the Netherlands-American Chamber of Commerce, director of the Netherlands Trading Society, late ambassador in Washington; Mr. Anth. Folmer, head of government service for unemployment, insurance, and labor exchanges; Mr. F. L. D. Nivard, alderman of the city of Rotterdam; Dr. J. C. Count van Randwijck, president of the association of municipal corporations. Directors: Mr. Alex. G. Mörzer Bruyns, Dr. G. J. Verbrugt. Mr. HUGH MCRAE, Wilmington, N. C.: DEN HAAG, January 11, 1924. The goal of the H. C. E. F. is to promote and to direct emigration of selected Hollanders in the right channels, viz, to countries in which they can assimilate according to the population and climate. The different founding societies, and our Government, who have appointed the members of the board, are guarantee that the selection will be carried out as carefully as possible, so that the emigrants sent out by the foundation will be as fine a body of men, women, boys, and girls as any country can require. For the above-mentioned goal the H. C. E. F. also wishes to establish organizations in the United States, Canada, and Australia, to receive our emigrants and to help them on in such a way that each person may be directed toward the locality and work that he is best suited for. We shall be glad to cooperate with you in this matter, and as a beginner we can let you know that we have ready for shipment two dozen young trained horticulturists, truck gardeners and fruit growers. Is there any possibility of getting a special permit for these men above the quotum? Otherwise we'll have to send them to Canada. Maybe later they'll drift into the United States anyhow. Mr. Mörzer Bruyns hopes to be in New York in the spring of this year and will let you know when. He then expects to pay a visit to North Carolina; eventually will a member of the horticultural council. We arranged with Mr. Vos that in case he has good men or women, he will send them on to us. Mr. Vos has sent us a copy of his letter to you dated January 6 or 7. HOLLAND CENTRAL EMIGRATION FOUNDATION, FEBRUARY 14, 1924. Mr. HUGH MACRAE, Wilmington, N. C., United States of America. DEAR MR. MACRAE: Your letter of January 29 duly received. The Central Emigration Foundation Holland with the members of the board drawn from the different societies, representing the general opinion of the entire country, know that Holland at present is in a dangerous state of overpopulation, a situation which grows worse every day. Therefore thousands and thousands of people of all trades and conditions in this country are waiting for the opportunity of settling themselves in the United States of America. Holland recognizes the right of the United States to demand immigrants of superior quality for future citizenship, and it is the purpose of our foundation to investigate each individual case and to guarantee that only carefully selected people will be sent out. There is hardly need to point out here that, since the year 1609 till now, Hollanders have proved to be the kind of settlers who make themselves worthy of their adopted land and desirable to the community in which they live, having a large percentage of men with sterling qualities. Therefore it is hard to have our selected country men and women treated in the same way as the swarms of immigrants of other countries who came to the United States only after the country had been settled by Hollanders and Britishers. We sincerely hope that due to the above-stated facts some arrangements can be arrived at which will make it possible for the Hollanders selected by the Central Emigration Foundation Holland to enter the United States as the most desirable citizens of the future. Any help in this direction will be highly appreciated by us and you will receive our most careful and hearty cooperation. In the meantime sincerely yours, CENTRAL EMIGRATION FOUNDATION HOLLAND, GEORGIA PEANUT GROWERS' COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, Mr. HUGH MACRAE, Albany, Ga., February 11, 1924. DEAR MR. MACRAE: I have a number of farms in the very best section of Georgia, the southwest section, which on account of the depressed conditions in agriculture for the past three years I have been forced to take in on account of loans. 85852-24- -8 |