The Washington herald., 1907-09-07
COMMISSION IS SPLIT
Members Still Differ Over
Restricting immigration.
SOME UNDESIRABLE ALIENS
Representative Burnett, OfsAIabama,
Says SiciIians, Italians, and SyFians
should BE Checked-DesirabIe For
eiEners Prosperous and Not Eager
TO Flock 10 the United states.

Representative John L. Burnett. Of Ala
/ bama, a. member Of the Congressiona
/ Immigration Commission. which has beer
/ abroad for two months seeking informa.
/ ton upon which might be based add
| tional immigration legislation at th,
forthcoming session Of Congress. arrived
| in New York on the Cedr'c yesterday and
was in Washington last night en- rout,
/ home.
Judge Burnett. while not in a position
/ TO speak FOR the other members Of tn.
House ana Senate composing the com.
mission, intimates that there has beer
| little change i'm the views OF the several
members. and thinks il improbable tina;
| there can he a unanimous report on anS
particular immigration measure. one OF
! the members of the commission Is in
! favor of practically unrestricted immi-
grafton; others are inclined TO be very
! lenient. while Judge Burnett and Senate.
Latimer. of South Carolina, the tive
Southern members Of the commission. arc
Outspoken for restriction.
Education Best Test.
Judge Burnett said last night that the
only solution Of the immigration problem
is the educational test requiring each
immigrant to be able to read and write his
own or some other language. This. he
declares, will cut Off % per cent of the
undesirable immigrants. most Of whom in
his opinion, come from Asia Minor. South
ern Italy. and Sicily
Not 60 per cent Of these people can
read or write. said Judge Burnett. "and
it IS Of the utmost Importance to this
country that they be shut arom our
shores. Especially from Sicily, our immi-
grant is ignorant and vicious. He is
coming to the United States on every
steamer. and should be stopped.
In Sicily ] went through a veritably
deserted town now inhabited by only old
men and women. The middle-aged and
young men We're all in this country, send
ing home money for their support In the
so-called brigand country I made inqu-
element and invariably received the re-
ply: Gone to America
Syrians Are the Worst.
The Syrian immigrant is even worse. I
found many of them who cannot even get
through under our present elastic laws.
and who frankly stated they were on their
way 10 Mexico or Canada, preferably the
former. in the expectation Of eventually
reaching the United States through those
countries.
The immigration from Germany is un-
doubtedly the best we get, but, unfortu-
nately, compared with the Southern Ital-
ians, few of them are very anxious 10
cone TO this country. They are prosperous
at home. We cannot get too many immi-
grants of the right sort from Germany
the British Isles. Switzerland, or North
ern Italy, but the most drastic laws
should, be framed for the benefit of the
southern Italian, Sicilian, and Syrian"
Judge Burnett said the commission had
gathered a vast amount OF Information
first hard, and the debates en- the sub
jeCt in Congress this winter would throw
great deal Of light upon a question
which he believes promises TO become one
Of the most important before the country