Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-10-28
IRRIGATION TO
Be RESTRICTED
GreWing Sentiment Of the Coun.
try III Favor Of Stringent
Legislation
FILLING UP
Delegate Roaey Preparing to-
Wear ont Shoe Leatherinrn
terests Of New Mexico
nom our Special Correspondent,

From our Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON. ID. C,. Oct. III.
Washington is filling up with stran
gers The members and senators
from all parts Of the country are com
ing here 70 secure their quarters for
,.the winter. The streets present quite
a different appearance than they did
| in August.
Mrs. Roeey ii al the Riggs House,
and Che delegate will be here on the
!, first of tile month. He has number
of projects on hand, and has had
couple of pairs Of new shoes forward,
| ga. which he proposes to wear out
during the next few months, in en-
deavoring 70 secure legislation favor
able to New Mexico.
There is a good deal of feeling on
the subject Of immigration. Many po-
litieal leaders on both sides think
there should be some restriction both
as 10 the number and character OF i'm
| migrants who come TO this country
from all parts Of the world. 1t Is true
there is very large area In the Unit.
! ed States which would rapidly absorb
immigrants at the rate OF million
a year II they did not settle down in
our largest cities the question would
not be so serious. During the past
few years there has been tendency
on their part to form communities Of
! their own and under such conditions
. they have not assimilated as readily
with our form Of government, and have
/ not become Americanixed 70 amy ae-
gree.
At a meeting of the New York cham.
ber of commerce held recently reso-
\ luton was offered to the effect that
the Federal immigration law should be
repealed, ITO the end that new and
/ more restrictive measures be adopt
ed The author of the resolution
urged its adoption in an elaborate
speech, In the course Of which he said:
There Is no objection to the landing
OF healthy people Of good moral char
acter; in fact, we should invite that
class OF immigrants, but large and
sudden increase OF an inferior foreign
element, although for a time increas-
ing the sum total OF our national
wealth, may finally lower the whole
| life OF the nation and seriously deteri-
crate its average moral and intellect.
ual standard.
/ The laboring people OF the United
States are In the majority. They are
brought In close relation with the i'm
migrants, and the man who educates
, his children and gives them three
square meals a day should not be com
PEELED to compete with the illiterate
alien who can live on rice. And even
II the skill, adroitness and intelligence
of the American citizen do accomplish
for him very much to handicap bis
lforeign competitor. nevertheless. In
much unskilled labor one can accom-
plish almost as much as the other. =
| A special committee was directed
to report at future meeting. Il Ia
somewhat significant that labor or
ganizations have recently been In IA
vor OF stringent regulations. II was
said that the interests OF the working
class were menaced by the enormous
amount Of immigration. Total exclu
sion is not advocated by any class oi
citizens.
J, The steerage immigration the past
, year showed an increase Of 20S,3O3 ~
total Of s57,04G. or 80 per cent.
a More than one.ffth Of the immi
grants, or lS5.6G7 could neither read
Inor write. Those who could read. but
could not write increases the number
!, 3,s41.
] OF s.769 persons denied admission
TO the United States 5,sl2 were pau
pers.
d Over onefourth Of the immigrants
The past year came from italy.
The suit involving the ship building
!. combine in New York has created 9
good deal of comment here. a large
number OF people hold stock In the
] United States Steel company. as well
as the former concern. and the reyela-