In 1931, as a result of the depression, the IWC's leadership was questioned. The agricultural industries were the ones with most women employment but they were also the hardest to regulate. The agricultural industries gained exclusion from the eight-hour law because of their “volatility typical of agricultural commodities and seasonal labor.” The IWC attempted to use various methods in attempting to regulate the agricultural industries. One method enforced by the IWC was the canning audit, which allowed businesses some freedom while protecting their worker's interests and keeping regulatory costs to a bare minimum.