The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-11-11
Senator Dillingham;, Chairman
OF National Commission
SPOKE IN BARRE ABOUT IT
Says That Much of the cOuntry's Devel-
opment Since Civil War Has Been
Due to Part Played by People
from Other Lands.

"The optimistic side Of the immigra-
ton problem" was the subject of thor.
oughly interesting and instructive ad-
dress given By United States Senator
William r Dillingham; in the rooms Of
the Nineitia club at smoker held last
evening The club members and invited
guests present numbered 1850. The speak
er said that he desired to talk On the
hopeful side Of the immigration problem
because that side is 50 little talked about
and because 50 much misinformatiou has
been given out BY writer's who are op-
posed 10 immigration.
In the year l9os, he said, million and
a quarter Of immigrants came to this
country, and the question Is, can we
receive them and maintain our institu-
tions and still 90 on allowing this great
influx Of foreign people to come int
The immigration problem should not be
considered in any other way at the pres
ent time, except as ii is concerned in
the development of this country
For the purpose Of finding out the
true cause and effect and the results Of
the immigrants coming to this country,
the national immigration commission, OF
which / am member" he said, was
appointed to investigate throughout this
country and Europe, and the commission
now has 100 clerks at work, tabulating
records and statistics that have been
gathered and next year we will have
ain exhaustive report to make as to the
effect OF immigration in this country.
Since the Civil war, this country has
opened up three and half millions of
farms, aud il Is fact that this great
area could not have been opened up but
for the brain and Drawn Of the people
that have come from across the water
and who were able to meet the natural
conditions Of the country and subdue
them
Statistics show that at one time there
were 10000 acres Of land being subdued
daily in this country. And could this
ever have been done by the native born
sonsg After the Civil war, this country
began 10 develop tremendously, agrieui-
tur3ily and in manufacturer Mills be
gan to sprisg up ali over the country
and railroads we're being stretched for
miles and miles across the country, and
il is fact that the railroads have all
been built by the brain and the Drawn Of
the foreignefs.
The great prosperity Of the country
made demand for more laborers. and
this great increase ID the great popula
ftrv - ha rsfst4s4s4s 41a
that there was a demand FOR ii 1t II
truth that no more people come here
than can get work and ii they do not
find Il they 20 back again The same
way that the law Of supply and demand
governs prices, the influx of immigrants
Is governed hy the supply and the de-
mand Statistics show eonclusively that
whenever there has been panic and
business depression in this country, the
immigrants have decreased IN large num-
bers just SO long as the depression ex-
listed. and when the conditions changed
for the better the Immigrants began at
once TO increase in number
When IN Europe. I found this true,
that the people over there receive exact
information as to the conditions existing
in this country BY letters they receive
from friends and relatives, and this goes
to show that there is not a wild scramble
Of foreign people to get into this coun-
try, bnt that they come intelligently
and with the purpose Of bettering their
conditions BY engaging In the work here
which demanded more employees.
In Germany, / found that the brick
layers received from s0 to 90 cents
day, carpenters III cents to sl.l0. ana
The common laborers go and no cents d
day These people. learning thaG there
is demand for workmen in this
country, come because they can improve
their conditions and because better op
portunities exist here for the average
man"
The next question is, what is the pol.
icy Of this government on the immigra-
tion problemf We select those who have
sound minds and bodies and are free from
all diseases. and all defective persons are
sent back The impression that Europe
is dumping its poorer class of people
onto us is not a fact. We have a law
that compals the steamship companies
to take back free Of charge and pay a
fine Of 800 for every immigrant they
DflHR over mere tHdI IS IQu0Q To De az !
fected BY disease. This law has forced
the steamship companies to have their
own medical examiners on their foreign
docks and examine every immigrant be-
fore he is allowed to 90 on board; and
that they are again thoroughly examined |
when they reach the immigrant stations
at the docks here il well known to you
all.
The criminal class is now the only
objectionable class that gets into this
country, and there are two ways IN /
which we can reach them and keep them /
out One way is by negotiation with |
the foreign countries to furnish us with |
the civil record Of every immigrant that
desires to come to this country, and for
that country to refuse to issue a pass
port to anyone with a criminal record /
But If we cannot get these countries to
agree on negotiation. we can get at tho |
difficulty by compelling the steamship !
companies to demand Of every immigrant !
before he is allowed on board the ship
at the foreign docks his civil record, and, |
If found with a criminal record, he is
refused passage. = think We shall rec
ommend some such law to be passed by {
Congress-,
That the immigrants are not altogeth- |
J el,e t-s