Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-06-04
REGULATION OF IMMIdR ALTON.

OufUeQ Ctabes, WbiSh PiOSON
passage of the bill in the senate
recently, Senator Dillingham;, who in
his capacity as chairman Of the immi-
grafton committee had a large share
in the framing of the bill, and had
general charge of the bill in the
Senate, spoke in part as follows:
Mr.. President, IN presenting this
hill. which is in amendment of the
present immigration laws, an effort
pas been made to strengthen those
zta utes and to make them ore
III, ctive. The Senate will remember
that the act of 1908 was only
very comphrebensIve measure, but
that il was based upon the principle
that we should cause most thorough
examination to be made OF all aliens
seekipp to become residents OF the
limited States, and that every oo
fashionable character, whether tue
obiection arose from mental or mora
or nh ysical causes, should be exciuueo.
Exnerieuce has shown that the law
neeos strengthening along certain
lines. Before taking up the amend
ments for discussion, L wish TO say
tbat the pubIic sentiment OF the coun-
- has become very much aroused
hy the vsst number of aliens who
no a soupht entrance into the United
S1.tes sI1ce 1898. This may well be
on because in that year the NUMBER
coming was only 229, 299, WINE In
ions II had inc. eased to l,O2o, OOO
IRE tide of Immigration reacheo lts
HIGHEST mark in that year.
Owing to the great lnnux OF alens
baIief has become general that the
Enronean nations are using the United
States as a dumping ground Tor their
diseased and their insane and the!r
criminal classes. To some extent this
NAV be true, bat not at all TO the ex-
vent. in my Judgment, that Is believed
by the general public.
lining. Mr.. President, that the law
of supply and demand as applied TO
labor very largely governs the num-
her of aliens who seek our shores;
This is indicated by the movement of
the alien classes during periods OF de-
nressior, and of prosperity IN the
United States. Going back a nan
century. we find that during tne
period Of depression between 1897
and 1850 the number OF arrivals oe-
creased fro 251, 300 in the former
year 10 153, $40 in the latter. AGAIN,
following after the depression OF 1919,
thenumber decreased from 4o9,ooS IN
that year TO 1873, 469 In 1878. nnu
also that the number coming In 1917
was 623, O84, while in 1898, after 1na1
period of depression, 1t was only zz9''
13n the other. hand, when times are
prosperous in this country, Wnen
thhre Is an active demand TOT laoor
W6 have a corresponding increase III
1.-THE number of aliens coming TO our
4 ehorss. AS I have already stateo, IN
\ 3eN8 the number admltteo was zlS,
Az99, while in 1905 1t had reacneo tne
unprecedeDted total of LUIS, 49S. +
Returning to previous perloo o.
prosperity, we lind the same a Sn9 7',s
M In 1878 we received only lbs, 1859, bu
s. in 1889 we received 1892 So it vii
he seen that the workingman q
N Enrope seems to understand perfectly
what is going on in the United States
The great body of aliens who nave
found homes ia the United States are
in correspondence with their friends
in Europe; with seven SsteamshlE
lines connecting New Work with al
the different aDorIs OF Europe, the
mail facilities are such that the labor
ing classes in al Of the European
countries are in Quick touch with the
laboring classes of the United States;
and wnen a period of prosperity pre-
walls, the demand for labor is grea
8 and wages good, the fact is heraldec
s abroad and the tide of immigration
runs high.
ASH nave said, the law of 1903 wal
jutendedr as selective rather than {
restrictive measure, and, while the
number of incoming aliens hai
reached high water mark since it
enactment, l believe the selectiv'
features have admirably served thei
purpose, and thai the aliens Wh'
have been admitted under it were b,
no means dumped" upon our shores
y but rather that they came with
definite purpose in view, knowing
where they were going, what the
were going to do, and what wage
they would receive.
In the year 1905 we admltte
through the Ellis Island station 754,
1874 immigrants. 751,51O, or 97.5 Pc
cent OF the whole number, ha
q definite addresses and knew precisel
where they were going. Out of ths
vast number only 1924 were withor
OennlUS purpose III euic iCSoA'
This is a very significant fact, an
one that should have strong inf1r
ence upon US as w consider tn
causes which operate in bringing tn
vast wave of immigration to OF
shores.
When at Ellis Island some month
ago, | found that railroad tick'
Office was maintained where thos
destined to inland points might secul
transportation. The gentleman
charge of that department es innate
that 60 per cent of the whole numbe
admitted through that station W I
already provided either with railroa
tickets or with orders for railroa
transportation. That is very signi
lcant fact, and especially so when
is remembered that du,ing the who
period since 1898 wages have bee
been maintained, not only at the rat
they had then reached, but eve
higher. Published tables from til
LII hot 40 mo- orc