The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-03-01
FURTHER CHECKS
ARE TO Be PUT
ON IMMIGRATION

uOOr at Ellis lSlanQ Will become
more or less a closed door, If restric-
tive legislation is enacted. is evil
denced in the report and recommen-
dations of the immigration commits
sion, recently submitted to congress.
The United States has nearly
reached the limit in it's assim ilative
capacity, SO far as caring for the mill
lions constituting the cheap labor
market of Europe are concerned.
Mighty as it is, it can no longer well
come these foreign hordes without
grave peril to itself. The immigra-
ton commission has outlined re-
strictive program, conservative and
yet effective.
1t believes that drastic measures
shall be undertaken to protect tie
United States against criminal and
other undesirable classes. Aliens con-
victed of serious crime within a
period of five years after admission
should be deported, it recommends;
the president should appoint commits
siOners to make arrangements with
such countries as have adequate po-
lice records to supply emgrants with
copies of such records, and that
thereafter immigrants from such
countries should be admitted to the
United States only upon the produce
ton of proper certificates showing
an absence of convictions for crime;
any alien who becomes public
charge within three years after his
arrival in this country shall be sab
ject to deportation at the discretion
of the secretary of commerce and
labor
For Better Distribution
The comm ssion has paid careful
attention to the subject of protecting
the immigrant against exploitation;
of discouraging him in his habit of
sending his savings abroad; of en-
couraging him in gaining permanent
residence and naturalization in the
United States.
The better distribution of alien i'm
migrants throughout the country is
imperative, believes the commission.
One of the means to accomplish this
purpose, according to the commits
sion, is for the states to enact laws
regulating immigrant banks and en-
ployment agencies. Aliens who make
from influences which may tend to-
wards their assimilation and nalur-
alization as American. citizens should
be subject to deportation. A far
reaching system Of information TOR
immigrant settlers should be estab-
lished. The general policy of ex-
Guiding Chinese laborers should he
and the question of jap
anese and Korean legislation should
be permitted to stand so long as the
present method Of restriction proves
to be effective.
An Important Finding
The commission makes this impor-
tant finding:
"Our Investigations show an over
supply of unskilled labor in basic in
dustries, to an extent which indicates
an oversupply of unskilled labor in
the industries of the country as a
whole, and therefore legislation In
necessary which will at the present
time restrict the further admission
of such labor. 1t is desirable that a
sufficient number be debarred to
produce a marked effect upon the
present supply Of such unskilled
labor"
Among the methods Of restricting
outlined by the commits
sion are the following:
The exclusion of those unable to
read or write in some language; the
limitation of the number of each race
arriving each year to certain per-
centage of the average of that race
arriving during a given period of
years; the exclusion of unskilled
laborers unaccompanied by wives or
families; limitation of the number of
arriving annually at any
port material increase In the amount
of money required to be in the Dos
session of the immigrant at the port
of arrival; material increase Of the
head tax; levy Of the head tax go as
to make a marked discrimination in
favor of the men with families.
The majority of the commission is
included to favor the educational test
as the most practical and feasible of
those outlined The minority takes
direct issue on this point, however.
and Representative w. S. Bennett of
New York declares he is strongly OPP
posed to this method of restricting
believing it neither just
nor logical.
Comparisons Are Drawn
The commission report then goes
on to draw comparisons between the
old and the new immigration, as fol-
lows:
1.-The old immigration was essen
TALLY one of permanent settlers. The
new immigration is largely one of in
dividuals, considerable proportion
of whom apparently have no inten-
ton of permanently changing their
residence, their only purpose in COM
ing to America being to temporarily
take advantage of the greater wages
paid for industrial labor in this coun-
try. 1t appears that at least 40 per
cent of the new immigration move
ment returns to Europe. The old
immigration came to the United
States during a period of general de-
velopment, and was an important
factor in that development, while the
new immigration has come during a
period of great industrial expansion
and has furnished a practically UNI
limited supply of labor to that ex-
pansion.
1T is clear that the tendency Of
the new immigration is towards in
dustrial and city pursuits rather than
towards agriculture. This has pro-
duced a condition of congestion and
expanded the slum districts. How