The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-07-26
I'M MIGRANTS TO
FACE RIGID TEST.
President Roosevelt Will Point Way for
Curing Evils in His Next
Message.

/ WASHINGTON, d. c., July 24.-The
/ expected increase in immigration during
/ the last fiscal year has been realized. Of
/ fetal figures say that the number of inn
migrants who entered the country during
/ that period is given at 1,100,722. The in
! crease over the year 1905 was 14,221.
| The two houses of Congress passed inn
migration bills during the last session,
| but adjourned without an agreement.
" hen Congress reconvcneS the conterees
/ OF the two houses will reassemble ana
endeavor to draft Il measure which Will
/ be acceptable.
I The President will point out in his
message the necessity of an agreement
as early as possible in order that the
/ evils now existing may be cured without
! delay.
No disposition existed among promi-
nent leaders of the House to hasten ac-
ton on immigration legislation. Of
course, after the congressional elections
| in November the House leaders will re-
gard themselves as in Il position to act
with less consideration of the effect upon
the naturalized vote.
Jews Object to Tax and Tests.
From all classes, particularly Jews,
came protests against the bill reported
by the majority of the House commit
tee because of its provisions increasing
( from 81 to 50 the tax imposed upon each
, immigrant and the establishment of an
additional test. 1t was claimed these
provisions would operate to keep out
/ healthy families who could not pay the
aggregate tax which would be applied,
and Jews particularly declared the edu-
cational test would result in the exclu-
son OF desirable class Of Russians and
loleS OF their race and interfere with
the movement for their colonization III
the southern states
Ihe House dIsapproved the action of
tiie committee adopting an amendment
oIttfeu by Representative Grosvenor of
ONO creating commission to make a
full inquiry into the subject of immigra-
ton.
Other Features of Bill
The remaining features of the com
mittee's bill were adopted as follows:
Add to the excluded classes persons who
are imheciles, feeble minded, or who have
been at any time insane, and under certain
circumstances persons of poor physique ana
cohNumpuNeS; make ii Il misdemcauOr In
stead OF unlawful to import contract labor;
impose Il penalty of net exceeding two years
for Illegal landing of an alien: provide n
penalty for negligent failure of vessels TO
prevent improper landing of aliens: impose
penalties for failure of transportation com
pahtes to comply with deportation orders:
excludes every adult male alien who has not
SO III his possession, ana every female
alien and every male alien under IL years
who Is not possessed of SO, but provides
that If the head of family has $50 this
amount shall be considered sufficient to adj
NIT the whole family, except grown up sons.
The Senate bill differs from the House
oil! IN many ways, particularly in inn
posing head tax of So. forbidding
transportation companies to solicit or
encourage immigration, establishing
division of information in the bureau of
immigration to promote beneficial distri-
button of aliens admitted into the United
States, and containing an educational
test under which the immigrant must
read not less than twenty-five words of
the Constitution of the United States
printed in the language he may prefer.
Prosperity Causes Influx.
Commissioned Sargent says unprec-
edented prosperity is the vital reason
for the huge amount OF immigration.
Mr.. Sargent stated the educational
test materially would decrease immigra-
ton for awhile. but it would not be
long before aliens would learn enough
to pass the test, and the purpose of the
law thereby would be nullited.