The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-14
EFFORT TO GET
RID OF COOLIES
Amendment to immigration Bill
Agreed Upon by Senate and
House ConfereeS.
AIMED AT THE JAPANESE
MEASURE AMENDS THE ImMI-
GRAFTON LAWS.

Washington. Feb. 1S.-Exclusion OF
foreigners who use passports 10 secure
admission TO the United states to the
detriment of labor conditions IN this
country is provided for by an amend
ment 10 the immigration bill. agreed
upon by conferees Of the senate ard
house today and reported to congress
me amendment is the result OF the de-
mand from the Pacific coast states for
the exclusion OF Japanese coolies. and
II rs understood that IL will aid i'm Sc
curing an understanding between the
administration and the San francisco
delegation now i'm Washington confer
ring with President Roosevelt. The
provision agreed upon is as follows:
Ihat whenever the president shall
DE satisfied that passports issued bv
any foreign government 10 its citjzens
10 go To any country o,her than the
united states, or to the canal zone are
being used for the purpose OF enabling
the holders to come TO the continental
territory OF the United States 10 the
detriment Of labor conditions therein.
the president may refuse 10 permit such
citizens Of the country issuing such
passports TO enter thu continental ter
ritory Of the United States from such
other country or from Such insuar pos
sessions or from the canal zore."
The immigration bill has been in
conference since last session OF con-
gress, and there has been grave doubt
as 10 whether an agreement could be
reached at all The principal points OF
differences were in relation to the pro-
posed educational test Cor immigrants.
and the provision that perSons coming
to this country solely 10 avoid urosecu-
ton or punishment on religious or po-
litical grounds shall not be deporred
because Of want Of means or the prob
ability Of being unable 20 earn a live
lihOOd. Both provisions were elm
mated.
1t is believed that had It not been
for the necessity of some legislation
looking TO the exclusion 81 foreigners
deemed a menace to labor, there could
have been no agreement.
Easy Solution Offered.
The immigration bill having passed
both houses last session, offered the
best opportunity for legislation looking
10 exclusion of undesirable classes, I'm
that the addition OF the conference re-
port upon the immigration bin * al
that II required 10 make the provision
effective. Under the agreement of the
/ conferees the head tax on aliens was
fixed at 81. a compromise between the
house provision Of 81 and the senate
provision of 50. The senate provision
exemplng from payment of head tax
persons who have resided in Canada.
Newfoundland. Cuba or Mexico. for
one year, was retained. The conferees
retained also the house provision ex-
empting from the payment Of the head
tax persons arriving I'm Guam, Porto
Rico or the Hawaiian islands. but this
does not permit such persons later to-.
migrate to the United States and avoid
paving the head tax. The house had
included the Philippines in this pro-
vision. but the conferees made an eX-
ception Of those islands. There were
few other points i'm dispute. but be-
tween the conference committees there
was no difficulty i'm reaching an agree
ment on other features of the bill.
A new feature added Ia the measure
proposes 70 amend the navigation laws
relating 10 the carriage of passengers
by sea by increasing the air space al
lowed 20 each immigrant or passengers
other than cabin passengers The
amendment agreed upon provides for
air space as follows:
On main deck or deck next below,
eighteen clear superficial feet OF deck.
and upon the second deck below the
main deck, twenty feet each.
The report was laid before the SEN
ate by Senator Dillingham;, chairman OF
the senate committee on Immigration.
objection was made TO its immediate
consideration, and it went over until
tomorrow.
Senator Dillingham; explained that
under the compromise a commission Is
provided to go into the whole question
OF immigration and report later The
commission is to consist of three MEM
bers of the senate. three members OF
the house and three persons 10 be ap-
pointed by the president.
The president is given authority 10
enter into negotiations with any coun
try for the regulation OF the immigr7-
ton between that country and the
/ United States.