The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-05-09

sion's bill relating to the immigration
of aliens as reported to the House
by the committee on immigration and
naturalization on April 16, with a rec
ommendation that it be passed 1t will
be noticed that the literacy test ad-
mits aliens who can read 'the langu'
age or dialect of some other country.
The text follows:
BE it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the Unit
cd States of America in Congress as
sombled, That after four months from
the approval of this act in addition to
the aliens who are by law now ex-
oluded from admission into the Unit
ed States the following persons shall
also be excluded from admission
thereto, to wit: All aliens over six
teen years of age, physically capable
of reading, who can not read the
English language, or the language or
dialect of some other country, includ-
ing Hebrew or Yiddish Provided,
That any admissible alien or any alien
heretofore or hereafter legally admit
ted or any citizen of, the United
States may bring in or send for his
father or grandfather over fifty-fve
years of age, his wife, his mother,
his grandmother, or his unmarried or
widowed daughter, if otherwise ad-
INVISIBLE, whether such relative can
read or not; and such relatives shall
be permitted to land.
"Sec. 2. That for the purpose Of
ascertaining whether aliens can read
or not the immigrant inspectors shall
be furnished with copies of uniform
slips, prepared under the direction of
the Secretary of Commerce and Lab
Or, each containing not less thar
thirty nor more than forty words in
ordinary use, printed in plain type
in the various languages and dialects
of immigrants. Each alien may des-
ignata the particular language or -dia-
lect in which he desires the examina-
ton to be made, and shall be required
to read the words printed on the slip
in such language or dialect. No two
aliens coming in the same vessel or
other vehicle of carriage or transpor-
tation shall be tested with the same
slip.
"Sec. 8. That the following classes
Of persons shall be exempt from the
operation of this act, to wit: (a) All
aliens who shall prove to the salts
faction Of the, proper immigration Off
Ger or to the Secretary Of Commerce
and Labor that they are seeking ad-
mission to the United States solely
for the purpose of escaping from re-
ligious prosecution; (b) all aliens in
transit through the United States; (c)
all aliens who have been lawfully ad-
mitted to the United States and who
later shall go in transit from one
part of the United States to another
through foreign contagious terri
tory
"Sec. 4. That an alien refused ad-
mission to the United States under
the provisions of this act shall be sent
back to the country whence he came
in the manner provided by section
nineteen of can act to regulate the
immigration of aliens into the Unit
ed States" approved February twen-
tieth, nineteen hundred and seven"
In its report the committee says in
part:
'Tt will be seen that the main pur-
pose of the bill is to exclude from
the United States alien immigrants
over Is years of age who are unable
to read their own language or dia-
lect. In order that there might be
no doubt about the Hebrew and Yid-
dish being considered as either Ian
guage or dialect, they are expressly
embraced in the bill.
From the requirement of the illi-
teracy test in the bill, there are sew
oral exceptions which the committee
thought wise to make. We believe
that those who are fleeing from re
Iigious persecution should find city
of refuge on our shores. Hence the
provision excepting immigrants Of
that class from the test where they
are otherwise admissible.
"Out of regard for marital and 9TH
er close family ties, and the duties
and obligations arising therefrom, as
we'll as high moral considerations, the
committee thought proper to make
the other exceptions embraced in the
bill,
"a bill in its main features SINH
lar to this was considered by the
House on February 20, 1907. The
House felt that before action of that
nature should be taken, there ought
to be careful investigation of the