United labor bulletin., 1911-03-16

at a rate of wages lower than the es-
tablished or prevailing rate in the class
of work he undertakes to do. And it is
a real hardship to the American work
man and loss 10 society in the newly
arrived immigrant underbids him and
secures the job held by one of our own
citizens.
The standard wages for both skilled
and unskilled labor in the United States
has been built up as b result of years
and years of energetic effort. struggle.
and sacrifice. When an immigrant with
out resources is compelled to accept work
at less than the established wage rate,
he not only displaces a man working
at the higher rate. but his action threat
ems to destroy the whole schedule of
wages in the industry in which he
secures employment, because it not in
frequently occurs than Jan employer will
attempt to regulate wages on the basis
of the lowest rate paid to any of the
men in his employ Amy reduction in
wages means a lowering of the standard
of living. and the standard of living
among civilized people can not be
lowered in the same ratio the physical
standard and the intellectual and moral
ideals of that people.
OF course it may be said that this OBJ
servation is not borne ont by the ex-
perience and the history of our coun-
try 1t is admittedly true that our pop
ulation and that the standard of living
has gradually tended higher: but in con-
sidering the influence and effects OF
stimulated migration 1t is necessary to
contrast conditions nov with conditions
prevailing in the past, and also to keep
in mind the change that has taken place
in the extent and the character Of the
immigration. s-se- -l-------.s.-- -.
II the number of aliens coming an
nually to the United States were no
greater now than in any year between
1920 and 1850 there would be and could
be no reasonable ground for complaint;
indeed. there would be little demand from
wage earners for the enactment OF laws
restricting immigration if the number OF
aliens arriving did not exceed the num-
Der admitted in any year up to 1900. pro-
vided. OF course, that physically, men,
tally. or morally defective.
That immigration in recent years has
been stimulated beyond the line of as
simiIative possibility viii be apparent
even to the casual observer when the
volume of immigration at the present
time and in the recent past is compared
with the number of immigrants who ar
rived here during the first so years for
which statistics have been tabulated.
For Illustration. more aliens were adj
mitted in the 3 years from 1904 to 1908,
inclusive. as were admitted during the
40 years from 1920 TO 1859. inclusive.
1t is important to an intelligent under
standing of this subject that at this
point consideration be given not only to
the extent of present immigration as
compared with the immigration of early
times. but also to the character and in
tention of many aliens who in recent
years have gained admission to our
country II is safe to say that prior TO
1880 nearly every Immigrant. except con-
tract laborers. left his own country for
the purpose of making a permanent home
for himself and his posterity in the coun-
try of his adoption. The immigrant of
those days was sturdy. adventurous
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