New-York tribune., 1912-02-16
FOR IMMIGRATION CURB
Mrs. J. Borden Hartman, in
Lecture, Urges Better Laws.
THINKS OFFICIALS ABUSED
Is in Favor Of an Illiteracy Test
if Nothing Else Will Keep Out
Undesirable Glasses.

What Mrs. J. Borden Hartman considers
"one Of the greatest problems now before
| our country" the immigration problem,
was the subject nf a lecture by her before
| the League for Political Education at the
Berkeley Theatre yesterday morning Mrs.
Hartman had nothing but praise for the
way the laws are enforced at Ellis Island,
which she has visited but she knew from
personal experience. she said what a
menace it was becoming 10 greater New
York not to have more rigid laws
She believed heartily, she said. in well
! coming the immigration that was good,
and would speak against only that which
was detrimental She said:
In short / would steer middle course.
| But in talking 10 people | find that most
! of them are extremists i'm regard TO imm-
! EratiOn-thCy are either for letting down
! the bars OF excluding almost everybody.
! They seldom consider a middle course, but,
| there is a middle course, and that Is to eN-
! CludC that minority Of the new immgra-
| tiOn which is undesirable from the point
of view Of the interests Of the United
. States
The clause in the present law excluding
| those likely to tecomc n public charge"
Mrs. Hartman considered altogether too
! indefinite. She added:
Too many immigrants are admitted who
VIII be just barely able 10 keep their heads
/ above water.
Let me tel you right here that any Of
/ 'iCcr who dares 10 do his duty al Ellis
/ Island is amused, and unjustly, by that GER
| tain class Of people WnO want the bars
! down And II will always be that way.
| But from my own observation I can say
| that the laws. as they exist, are properly
| executed, that Immigrants are treated with
| Scrupulous kindness and the premises are
| kept clean.
! the authorities Is that Of separating
| families. That sounds bad. doesn't IL? But
! the families almost always separate them
| selves before they come here. We are
! merely preventing the union Of families In
| this country In violation Of law.
After considering all the pros and cons
Of the immigration question Mrs. Hartman
| has been led 20 the conclusion that charity
begins at home. ON this point she said:
| Should not the interests Of our own
people he considered before those Of the
! oppressed of other nations Have We not
/ the right TO protect our city against any
! element from the outside that in the long
/ run cannot make for its good? Arc the
! standards Of our great cities In 50 stable q
! condition A. 10 health and morals as to war
rant our Offering them as asylulns FOR the
! pie 10 the level you arc striving Ia main
| tain or viii We inevitably sink To theirs
Is thinES are to-day no one seems to u"
! benefited by this low grade immigration
except certain steamship companies, who's"
! agents abroad and here are responsible" for
melting much of II.
! Before IL is too late we should become
4 alive 10 the seriousness Of this problem ana
restrict this influx Of undesrahlcs, AT least
| until our city is capable of taking care OF
/ them without detriment To her own. Per-
| haps the spirit which makes ii possihl" Tor
| us to stand by with complaccnt acquies-
! cence while ono Of the most glorious WORKS
i of God-our Palisades-is being blasted
away is similar 10 the spirit that allows
! some OF us 10 contemplate unSurred the
| s!ums Of New York with their frightul
congestion and lack of breathing spaces.
In conclusion, Mrs. Hartman said that
while she did not consider an illiteracy tcst
A good one she would be willing to see It
adopted II everything else failed, as most
NJ the bad people who came here were
, illteratc.