Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-12-03
IhOoltah ild Uausua| Statement:
b Secretary shsus' Report.
CAUSES Of BUSINESS DEPRESSION
overproduetion Given az One Among
Numerous Things Responsible For
the Trouble-Suceess OF the Alien
Contract Law.

WASHINGTON, D. c. Dec. I'm
portant and unusual statements ana
recommendations are made by Secre'
tary Oscar 5. Siraus in the sixth an
nual report o. the Department o!
Commerce and labor.
Our age. says Secretary Straus.
has been very properly called u"
era OF commercial development ana
expansion. and the United States, by
reason OF its many exceptional advah-
tages. its boundless natural resources.
aud possessing a growing. intelligent
energetic. enterprising and selfreiiaht
population, is reaping a greater snare
Of Industrial and commercial prosper
" than any OF the other nations OF
the world. AS the head OF the De
partment, 1t has been my constan
aim so to administer its various
branches as to afford the greatest
amount OF assistance. information and
guidance 10 the various industrial ana
commercial activities that come dnc'r
its administrator scope"
Z Al inre rdepende II.
Secretary Straus po'n's out that
labor and TIE industries and com
mcrce are inter-depanacnt. THAT
commerce which is devetoo".; anG OK
,.ai drd to lhe ..,trimen. cine Of me
h. 18th or cf .le wage 81" ndn:C nf the
laborers engaged therein. however
profitable 1t might be in the material
sense, is harmful to a nations welfare
and should be discouraged
Particular attention Is devoted by
the Secretary In his report to the
bureau of immigration and Naturaliza-
ton. Corporation and Labor. While
other bureaus OF the Department are
important, the three mentioned bear
the more directly upon the material
interests Of the people than DO any Oh
the others. The report as 1t relates
to them scarcely can be considered
as an ordinary departmental report.
as It Is replete with information. sug-
yestion and human interest. Concern
ing the Bureau OF lmmia 'atcn. Sec
rotary StraIs points out mat up 10
the close of the Civil Wa all our
laws were framed 'o encourages In
migration and that since then AmeEi-
can legislation. whI'e no, hostile 20
immigration. has been dEe;:ed toward
the elimination OF undesirable classes
As a result Of this LEGISLATION toe yer
centage Of foreign bo-l persoa in cur
population has remained practically
stationary for forty YEAS. Ccncrctc-
~. the y .rceEtage Of foreign born IN
lSeN was 1872 while in 1900 II was
la.7.
Business Depression.
During a portion OF the past MS
cal year" says Secretary Straus. and
extending into the present. this coun-
try has suffered an industrial de-
preston due to a number Of causes.
among others to overproduction.
which were world wide. but perhaps
for the time being more accentuated
In this than in the others commercial
countries" The effect Of this iepres-
sion upon immigration was immediate.
the fiscal year 1908 showing a falling
OF Ia immigration of about 30 per
cent. Deducting the total departures
o. aliens from the total arrivals dur
ing the fiscal year. the net increase
OF alien population was 2O9.S61.
About IS per cent. Of those admitted
were iliiterate The total amour: OF
money actually brought into the coun-
try by arriving aliens was $I7,794.226.
an average Of almost $:3 peK capita.