Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-07-23
STONES MEASURE.
Bill That Puts immigration I'm.
der Control.
a CHANGE IN INSPECTION METHODS

Wonid-Be voyasers to the United States
10 BE Put Through the Mill Before
They Leave Their Native Land-Pro..
Pect That the Bill Will Pass the Senate
-Meiklejohn Proposes a Tax on I,nmi-
grants.
WASHINGTON, July s3-The congress.
sional authorities on immigration laws are
much exercised over the passage of Rem.
resentative William A. Stones imnirra-
ZION bill in the house while most of tbs
members We're watching the exciting
scenes III the senate. The Stone bill is far
reaching in its effect on the system of in
speeding immigrants, as the entire in
psciion is transferred to foreign ports and
placed in the hands of United States con-
suis instead of waiting for inspection at
New York and other ports when the i'm
migrant arrives in this country
expect to see the bill taken I'D by the
senate at an early day and passed" said
Ar. Stone, 'and already several senators
VINO recognize the evils of immigration
nave slgniiiea their purpose to urge it to
speedy passage.
Has Proved II Failure.
The present immigration system has
proved failure. Immigrants Keep COM
ing without reference TO the rcstric-
tions. The system is wrong, as il leaves
the immigrant to furnish all the Informal
tioh on which he is to be received or re-
jected.''
MI stone was asked if the removal of
the system to foreign ports would not
necessItate large force of inspectors. or
else give United States consuls addi-
tlonal work emitting them to additional
pay.
No." said Mr.. Stone, efforts have
peen made to SO change the bill as to LET
the treasury department appoint the for
elSh inspectors. Such a change would
necessItate the creation of a large force
OF Office holders. But as the bill stands
The United States cousuls, who are not
oVefbuFdened with work, VIII have
charge OF the Inspection
II Is understood that Senators Davis
Chandler and Quay Will particularly in
tereSt themselves in the Stone bill with n
view to its early adoption.
Bill To Tax Immigrants
Representative AIeiklejohn, speaking in
regard to his bill providing for a tax of
FioO on each alien immigrant, said:
Nv hen the population of this nation in
+~''->-7 ~ iiio4S IMAM II NAH million of
foreign Immigrants annually the limita-
t!on OF foreign Immigration has become "A
question OF national Importance. We
have developed our natural resources and
sustained the standard of American wares
through the ievying of duty ON manu-
iacturen OF foreign labor. Wages are SUBJ
lect to tie law Of supply and demand.
age earners are as much interested in
preserving orr field of labor for the Amer
ican wage worker as the protection of the
products OF his labor from the competition
OF the foreign manufactures.
Maintaining the Wage Scale.
The policy of placing a duty on i'm
portations OF the product of foreign work
men at rate sufficient to tqaalize the
ulherence between our domestic and for
eign cost of labor has established an in
comparable scale of wages in this nation
Tor our wage earners and which in my
Judgement can only be maintained bv
extending the same beneficent policy to
the immigration of foreign laborers. The
OH which 1 have proposed exempts all
reiatIves oil any American citizen or any
person who has declared his intention to
become such, who may desire to emf
crate to the United States while a duty of
SlCO per capita is levied upon all other
alien immigrants. Every citizen, whether
native or foreign born, is alike interested
IN keeping from our shores the class of
immigration which this measure would
prohibit