The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-19
Immigration IS
THEME FOR TODAY
Southern Committee to Hold
Session This Morning
GOV. HEYWARD CHAIRMAN
Representatives of Liberal immigration
League Are Here and Talk of Fight
Being Made Against Fur
ther Restrictions.
GOV. HEYWARD CHAIRMAN

The executive committee OF the South
ern immigration and Industrial associa-
ton will meet this morning at 10 o'clock
in the directors room of the First Ma
tional bank. Former Governor Hayward
of South Carolina is chairman of the
board and will be in attendance. Several
members of the committee are already
in the city and others are expected on
the morning trains today.
The committee is to discuss the question
of immigration and outline plans for pur-
suing an immigration campaign in all the
states in the south, endeavoring to get
department of immigration inaugurated
by each state.
There are number of visitors in Bir-
nlingham interested in the immigration
question, and among them are several
representatives of the Liberal Immigra-
ton league, which is fighting additional
restrictions on immigration.
There are two officers and members of
this league in Birmingham, Maj. F. Y.
Anderson, who is third vice president,
member of the advisory board, and also
of the general committee, and Charles I.
Stickney, member of the educational COM
mittee and the general committee.
The Rev. DR.. S. M. Newman of Wash
ington, first vice president of the league,
who was on the programme of the South
ern Cotton convention, yesterday talked
Interestingly of the objects and aims of
the league He said:
Fight Increased Restrictions.
THE league has two fundamental Oh
jects, first to better the distribution of
the immigrants that come to this coun-
try, and second to fight the movement to
increase the restrictions placed on immi-
grafton. We believe that the laws already
passed restricting immigration are ample
to accomplish the objects in this country,
and we think that any additional laws
would tend to do great harm.
There is now a bill before Congress to
further restrict immigration, but we hope
that it will not pass. The New York rep
resentatives are opposed to it, and If the
southern representatives would oppose it,
1t could not pass. The south wants and
needs immigrants, and the further re-
striction of immigra ton would prove in
furious to the south.
THE present laws bar all undesirable
classes of immigrants from coming into
the country and if they are properly en-
forced We believe that they are more than
ample to care for the conditions"
Benjamin f. Buck, special representa-
tive of the Liberal Immigration league,
last night said in regard to this move
ment:
Distribution, Not Restriction, Solution.
In the first place experience has taught
us that distribution is really the solution
of the problem rather than restriction 1t
Is absolutely true that any law looking
to the restriction or cutting off of i'm
migration would be a most severe blow to
our present great prosperity
1T is further a fact that our largely in
creasing export trade is due in a great
measure to immigration. 1t is claimed
by some that immigration conflicts with
organized labor. That we absolutely deny.
Organized American labor is for the most
part skilled. The immigrant labor is COM
mon labor employed in excavating, rail-
road building and on the farms and plan
tations, and no single instance can be
shown where this immigrant labor has in
any way confiicted with the American la
Dor employed in our factories and mills
of various kinds Labor is drawing higher
pay today than it has ever done, and not
withstanding a great number of immi-
grants arriving on our shores daily, con-
tractors in all lines and farmers and
planters find 1t almost impossible to Sc
cure laborers for the common class of
work
Go to Farms and Plantations.
Large numbers of the immigrants ar