The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-14
Immigration.

SLrlCtlOn OF immigration py lne hhPO-
sition of an educational test, which
met defeat in the last two congresses
once by presidential veto and again by
the narrow margin of two votes in the
house Of representatives, is to be re-
newed. The Industrial commission now
sitting at Washington has already
heard some testimony on this subject
and announcement is made that next
month It will go into the subject eX-
haustively.
Prescott +. Hail, secretary of the
immigration Restriction league, re-
Gently appeared before the commission
arG gave reasons in support of the
need of an educational test. He called
attention to the fact that previous to
1870 three quarters of all immigrants
came from kindred races. from the
united kingdom, France, Germany and
Scandinavia. whereas in 1880 these
countries sent us only three -fifths, and
in 1896 only two-fifths of the total i'm
migration. On the other hand, south
err and eastern Europe, that is to say.
Austro- Hungary, italy, Poland and
Russia, which in 1869 sent less than
une-one- hundredth Of the total immi-
grafton, in 1880 sent one-tenth, and in
1856 over one-half. In other words,
most profound change has taken place
in the nationality of our immigration.
From the prison reports of Massa-
chusetts Mr.. Hall showed that this
change has not been for the better,
and that almost in the same proportion
as it fomented trouble it increased in
illteracy. the inference being that an
educational test would exclude the
greater portion of the mischief breed
ers. Thus in Massachusetts German
immigration with per cent. of litter
acy. gives but SO criminals in thous-
and; Scandinavian, with less than 3
per cent. If illiteraoy, gives 81 GRIM
inals; Scotch, with 6 per cent. of il
literacy gives IS criminals, and the
figures for the other countries are: IL
liteTacy, England 5, Ireland Z, Greece
| 26, Russia Al, Austro- Hungary 45, Italy
81. Criminals per thousand, England
| 10, Ireland 81, Greece 81. Russia 10,
Austria 1914, Hungary 1914, Poland 16,
Italy 49,.
Mr.. Hall summarized In these words
| the genera! argument for increased re-
striction along the lines of a literacy
| test: III any immigrant be undesir-
| able for social and political reasons,
| the mere economic gain from addi-
! tional unsKilled laborers is not of para
| mount Importance. Even if it We're,
we can supply such laborers by the
| multiplication of our native ant adopt
| ed population. immigration Of low
er mental development and standard
of living tends to check the natural in
] crease of those already in this coun-
| try. Undesirable immigration may be
defined as that which is destitute of
! resources either in money or, still
more, in ability and knowledge of a
| means to support itself; which is gen.
| eially ignorant: which has criminal
| tendencies, Is averse to country life
and corgregates in our city sluns
which has a low standard of living and
| little ambition to seek a better, and
| which has no permanent interests in
this country Considering immigration
| by nationalities, there is a closely par
| allel increase of illiteracy and other
undesirable qualities. \ reading and
writing test will, therefore, exclude
the dangerous and unassimiable ele'
ments by certain and uniform meth
:, cd; it requires evidence of rudimen'
I tary education Indispensable in c
democracy, and it will exclude fewer
desirable immigrants than any Other
test"
Ii is true, of course, that a readins
and writing test is not infallible anC
that in some few instances it will wOrl
injustice and hardship. But we have
> to consider the greatest good to th'
greatest number and no better test ha'
to our knowledge been devised
u. -