Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-03-14
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.


A provision of the new immigration
law creates q commission of nine
three from the senate. three from the
house and three to be appointed by
the president-to make full inquiry,
examination and Investigation, by SUBJ
committee or otherwise. The commits
sion has authority to send for persons
and papers and to travel in this and
foreign countries, and the president,
at his discretion, may call an inter
national conference to assemble at
some point agreed on, or to send spe-
cial commissioners to any foreign
country for the purpose of regulating,
by International agreement or other
wise, subject to the advice and con-
sent of the senate, the emigration OF
aliens to the United States 1t is a
large question, and this commission Of
inquiry shows that congress feels the
need of more light In dealing with It's
many difficult details. Meantime the
stream of newcomers continues to
mount. For the six weeks ending jan
uary 81, 1907, the number of immi-
grants landed in this country was 511,-
Ali, an increase OF 2S per cent com
pared with the corresponding months
two years earlier. Important interna-
tional as well as national points are
involved, as the range OF authority
conferred on the commission shows.
In the last two fiscal years the to-
tai immigration passed 100000 q
year. the aggregate for the twelve
months ending June 80 last reaching
the unprecedented figure OF 1,166,353,
an increase Of 10 per cent over the
preceding year. immigration from
Prussia is growing at surprising
rate. For the six months ending jan
uary 81 last 1896 Russian immi-
grants landed In the United States as
against 1916 the year before. South
ern Europe is sending the most Of
this host, and the movement is work
ed up extensively by agents. in round
figures. during the last fiscal year 1885,
900 immigrants came from Austria
Hungary. 273.000 from Italy. and 216.-
600 from Russia. Nearly as many ar
rived from Greece and Turkey as from
England.
A distinct lowering Is noted in the
mental and physical standard Of i'm
migrants, and the material is much
harder to assimilate than formerly.
Congress recognizes the fact tina. 1t
would be dangerous folly to handle
this matter on the basis of mere pride
OF numbers. This is in truth the least
important of the considerations to be
weighed. Racial. political and indus
trial difficulties will multiply unless
proper restrictions are drawn, and 1t
should be done without delay.
Common labor is better paid In the
United States than elsewhere and en-
ployment is more easily obtained.
This fact attracts races like the Chi
cation is absolutely impossible. They
are steady and efficient workers. but
their sole object is to make enough
money to return to their native coun-
tries with savings sufficient for future
support. On some sides our boundary
lines are vulnerable and Asiatics slip
through even though subject to ex-
clusion acts. Japanese are admitted
TO Hawaii and then enter the country
as coastwise passengers. A flourish
OF trumpets about the annual addi-
ton Of over million aliens to the
population Is case of shallow self
delusion. The friction with Japan is
but one of the many perplexities that
will arise from unrestrained immigra-
tion. Not day too soon has the
new commission been authorized to
get down to the hard common sense
OF the situation.-Globe Democrat.