Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1906-08-25
LABOR FAMINE
is THE RESULT
IMMIGRATION LAWS AGAINST
MEXICO BEING ENFORCED
PLANTERS ALARMED
Upless More Laborers Can BE Sc
cured Hundreds of Bales Of Cot
tonWill Not Be Gathered.

Austin. Tex, Aug. 24.-The right
enforcement of the immigration law
against Mexico has caused a labo
famine throughout Texas, New Mex
leo and Arizona.
Thousands of Mexicans are wanted
in Texas to pick cotton, but they
cannot be obtained. II has been th'
custom in previous years for the Ia
Dor agents to go into Mexico at thi'
time of the year and induce Mexican
laborers to cross the border where
they were employed and shipped t'
the cotton growing regions by The
thousands. The new Interpretation
by the United States immigration de
partment which is being rigidly en-
forced, requires that Mexican labor
ers who cross the border shall be con.
sidered like all other immigrants and
they must exclude unless they are IN
possession of the amount of money
stipulated by law. As practically
all of these Mexieans are paupers,
they are debarred through the en-
forcement of the new ruling.
The same situation rs to the labor
shortage exists in Arizona and New
Mexico. 1t is stated that more than
ten thousand men are now urgently
wanted in the mines and for railroad
construction work for more than
100000 additional laborers in Texas
at this time.
The situation is alarming to cot
ton planters. The cotton picking sea-
son is now open and much of the
crop must remain in the fields be-
cause of lack of pickers. Cotton
picking is profitable work, The price
paid ranges from 20 cents to Sl.0O
per 100 pounds. One picker can
make from SO 10 "a per day. To a
Mexican peon, this is fabulous wages.
Men, women and children are EN-
ployed in the work and one Mexican
family can make enough money dur
ing the season to keep them IN at-
auence in their sphere of life for
the remainder of the year.
Petitions are now being circulated
in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico,
and are receiving the signatures of
mine owners. bankers, railroad con-
tractors, cotton planters and business
men generally. urging the secretary
of the United States department OF
commerce and labor To relax the en-
foreement of the immigration laws
as applied to Mexieans in order that
the present demand for laborer may
be relieved.
1t is pointed out that the con-
struetion of railroads in the South
west is being seriously delayed on
account of lack of laborers will not
do this kind of work, although the
wares which are paid range from
$3.50 to $3.50 per day. As high as
SS per day is being offered for com
mon laborers in some localities.
The Mexicans who enter this eoun-
try to work, remain only temporarily
They do not belong to the immigrant
class. Although the pay here is
much better than in Mexico, they
only remain long enough to aecumu-
late small amount of money. They
then return to their country. wher,
they live in idleness until their want:
again compel them to cross the Dor
der
The need of this class of labor has
increased year by year until 1t II
practically impossible now to ge'
along without it. In Texas, the ne
gro cotton piekers are far insufficient
in numbers to harvest the crop. Ii
the new cotton growing region of th'
western part of the state there ar
very few negroes. They are scarce
there than in Ohio or Indiana.