The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-08-22
TRYING TO CHECK IMMIGRATION

An organization calling ltsllf the I'M
migration Restriction League has pre-
pared bill pn that subject which II
| Intends to have introduced in the next
session of congress. 1t will raise the
head blx from 81 ITO $40, and WIFI pro-
vide for the exclusion of "all persons
betweetb~Uhe ages of IA and 60 who cam
not read aud write the English or some
ether language"
Ii Is asserted that the present head tax
which is paid by the steamship COM
panies, is NO check on immigration, while
| a tax of $40 would be. That 1t would make
the expense of coming here greater and
| thus secure a better class of immigrants.
The reading and writing qualification,
mhch is caaimed to be the simplest,
most rational and most American test
that can be applied, Is aimed at immi-
grants from Italy, Austrla-Hungary Po-
land, Russia, and the Orient, a large
percentage of whom are illlterate, es-
pecially the women while 1t would hard
ly affect the immigrants from Great
Britain, Ireland Germany, and Scandi-
navla, only about three-ffths OF l per
cent of whom are ilMuerate.
1t Is asserted that this exclusion OF
utterly uneducated and unskllled labor
would have beneficial effect on the
labor market of>thls country year ago
the Massachusetts, legislature made pro-
vision for the appointment of COM
mission to consider the subject OF the
unemployed and measures for their re-
lief" This year 1t submitted report
In which 1t says that 1.-THE evil of nom
employment Is In a considerable measure
due to Irresponsible ill-advised and IL
adapted immigration" 1t was found that
IL, nd nfb In, oft
a large proportion of those who needed
h,lp last winter were Immigrants who
had recently arrived They were for
tlie most part unsl<iiled. But OF such Ia
Dor Massachusetts had an abundance.
even In normal times. Thus this immi-
grafton was not dus solely to the work
ing of the economic law Of supply and
demand of labor. The commission says:
On the other hand, much OF recent inn
migration Is due, not to real and per-
manent demand for labor in this part OF
the country, but rather to depressed ana
abnormal conditions abroad, 10 govern
mental prosecutions, and to irresponsi-
BILE ara Inaccurate representations in
Europe of industrial conditions in this
country,
A large part OF this recent immigration
moreover, remains in the Eastern cities
NhAptCt NuibuSl NUN VI lASdhSf W hb
TO the West or South, where there may
POSSIBLY be greater demand for suoh
labor. or is uphttsd for the AGRICULTURAL
,ife which might otherwise absorb. 1t.
A large number of these immigrants
alSo are illiterate and consequently can
rot rise into the ranks of skilled labor
They have Become congeSaed in our
large cities, and not 0aly find themselves
Repeatedly in need OF relief. but> also
depriving the rank and file Of our more
permanently established Industrial
classes OF opportunities OF working at
industrial employments when there Is
temporary interruption in skilled oecu-
rations.
That there Is much undesirable immi-
grafton cannot be dsnsed. An attempt
Is made 10 enforce the laws passed to
keep out paupers and criminals, but OF
those who do not come under those heads
when THY land, many become paupers
OF criminals rot long after they set here.
Hungarians in Pennsylvania and Ital-
ians In New Oorleans and Spring Val
ley have not proved desirable acquisi-
tlons. II has betn hard for the labor
market, even IN flush times, to absorb
the mass Of unskillei labor throwl upon
it. and owing TO the reckless way In
which the courts have administered the
naturalization laws men have been con-
verted into citizens merely to become