The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-07
NEW BILL CHANGING
 IMMIGRATION LAWS
To Be Introduced By Sen
 atOr Dillingham;
CHINESE AFFECTED
Would Repeal Chinese Exclusion Law Except as Relates to Nat uralization-Would Exclude
 Illiterate Aliens

| Washington, August 6.-Many radical changes in the immigration law are pro-
 vided under the terms of a general bill
 which will be introduced in the Senate to-
 morrow by Senator Dillinghom, former
 chairman of the Senate committee on im-
 migration and of the joint immigration
 commission. Most of the innovations sus-
 gested are the result of the investigations
 of the commission.
 The measure proposes to repeal the
 Chinese exclusion laws except so far as
 they relate to naturalization In their
 place is substituted an amendment to the
 general immigration law which provides
 for the exclusion from the United States
 of "persons who are not eligible to be-
 come citizens of the United States hy
 naturalization
 | The exclusion does not apply, however, | to government officers, travellers and
 members of the learned professions. | Various features of the present Chinese exclusion laws are made applicable to all immigrants, and except that manual lab
 orers not eligible to citizenship by natur-
 allzation are excluded, the bill proposes to give Asiatic immigrants the sars legal
 status accorded to all other immigrants The only portion of the various Chinese exclusion laws not repealed is that sec tion of the act of 1882 which provides tkat no state or federal court schall admit Chinese to citizenship.
 Senator Dillingham's bill also provides for ha TTnitad Statas
 of "all male aliens Is years of age or
 over, who are physically capable of read ing and writing, but unamle to read and
 white in some language or dialect It provides, however, that an admissible
 alien may bring in his father or grand father over 55 years of age or a son not
 over IS years of age, whether such per- sons are literate or not.
 The bill makes it unlawful under pen alty of $100 for any steamship company to bring to the United States any illite-ate alien of the class mentioned or any alien
 not eligible to naturalization.
 Senator Dillingham's bill provides that
 boards of special inquiry regarding the
 admissibilty of alens shall be apponted by the secretary sOI COUllleICe anu Under the present law the boards are ap ponted by the immigration commissioners at the various ports.
 The contract labor provision of the inl-
 migration law is retained practically in | its present form, but to the excluded classes (persons who have come in conse- quence of advertisements for manual la borers published in a foreign country), are
 added. There is provision for the crim- inal prosecution of corporations, com- panies or persons who solicit or assist in | the importation of contract laborers. | The provision of the present law phich permits the importation of skilled labor, if l found in this country, is amended so as | to permit the secretary of commerce and | labor to determine the necessity for such | importation prior to It's accomplishment. | A fine of $4O0 is imposed by the bill for en- couraging or soliciting alien immigration. | As further punishment the President Is authorized to prohibit the landing Of pas sengers at United States ports by steam | ship companies violating this provision. | Authority is given for the deportation of immigrants imprisoned for cdime with in five years after arrival and of those who become public charge within three years of landing. Immigration stations at interior points are provided for as a means of insuring a better distribution of immigrants.