The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1911-03-18
e IMMIGRATION e


Mr.. Bennet Of New York. MI
speaker, I ask unanimous consent to
print 10 the Record a letter from MI.
Charles W Eliot relative to the lmmi
grafton question
The speaker The gentleman ASKS
unanimous consent to PRINT IA the Re
cord ,h" letter described II there oh
jecilon' After a pause The Char
hears none. The letter j. ~ follow,
Cambridge, Mass. Jan. ~, 1911
Ny Dear Sir; Observing that the
advocates of restricting immigration
AT, again active before Congress, /
beg leave 20 state 10 YOU ~ president
ut the National Liberal immigration
League some OF the reasons which con
vince many dI-intrrrs,pd and patTiotir
Americans that no further restrictions
on immigration are desirable.
l. The common. almost universal.
fact IN our country j. q scarcity OF IL
hur. The same complaint j. heard from
farms. iatorirs, and shops all over the
country. Immense areas in the United
States are not settled AZ all, or are very
Sparsely inhabited. From New Eng
land "a California the crops at" not
thoroughly gathered aud marketed.
because there are not hands enough I"
do the work. IN all the great indu,
hindcrcd not by lack uf capital but
by lack OF workmcn. Not only il an
adequate supply of skilled labor lack
NJ. hut unskilled labor Is also scarce
In som" spots Or ~ some moments a
temporary %ov,rNupply of labor may or'
ras.oually east 10 large cities, but this
temporary difficulty N soon cured by
q redistribution of the laboring pOpu.
lHtIou. There - Away, a considerable
uumbcr OF unemployed people, but they
are chiefly persons WAC are disabled,
Incompetent, o. unwilling, ur they he
long 10 trades which, because VI eli.
mate conditions OF reasonable fashion,
io not afford continuous employment
'AhN Jug Wv UNIV HfaAf INV MA ~
ia the large cities many poor people,
hut ihry constitute only q small irac.
'iou ct the population, aud, Tor the
most part, Il ~ not low wages that have
made them poor, but drink, drugs, dis
ease, OF the premature death uf the
brcadwinner ~ the family, The two
..... E..V. .lL.V An,..L. ..lt.V.L.a
ARE. ir,t that hlaur d, scarce, and, see.
pHdly, that wages have been hugh ro-
!atiyely To thos" prevailing "a other
Countries. that they have risen very
much within the last - wears aud ave
still rising
There j. almost universal e.,
sent - the proportion that every
healthy, honest lahoTrr who comes
hltheI from other lands contributes ap.
pre- ably to the productiyrn-,s aud
wealth uf the country. Lately, how
ever, there o., . disposition {" make a
distinction bet wern the skilled aud the
un,billrd immigration, aud between tue
immigrant who comes Ia stay aud tho
immigrant who come, Tor u few wears
10 lay az money enough To enable
ham IA 1--we comfortably Ia his father.
land, hut even an unskillrd laburrr
who works faithfully makes uu ad.
iitlou :" the wealth Of the country,
although not 20 large au addition as
the skilled labOrer, and every mini.
grant who, after a few years, returns
10 his native land with his savings
must have done good work for the
country during his entire stay here,
else be would not have saved money
enough 10 90 home with coutentedly
The unskilled laborer who only lives
lives a few years Il. the United States
~ no exception to the general rule that
eyery healthy and faithful laborer Is
probable 20 the country and that more
labor is needed IN every branch OF
American industry,
3, The educational test 10 restrict
immigration in both instructed and
untimely, II IN misdirected, because
ability TO read is no proof Of either
health or charaeted. Many entirely
iiliterats persons are vigorous, honest,
and Of sound Judgment in AFFAIRS and
In the conduct OF life, II is untimely,
because the right moment to apply an
educational test IN no admission to the
auH mot nm ad0ttvainn D.. en-.