The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-15
TAKE STEPS TO
VETO
Continued from Page ~

could not read some language or dia 4.
.lcct. 1t was accompanied by Il letter
TO the president from Secretary Nagel,
d%enouncing the litcracy test as Il radi-
cal provision.
test vas defended us Il practical mcus.
ure to exclude a large proportion of
undesirable Immigrants from certain
countries. the final purpose being to
reduce tho quantity of cheap labor
IN the United States. He added:
Would Exclude D~esirablcs.
mo doubt The law would exclude a
considerable percentage Of immisra.
tion from southern Italy. among the
Poies. the Mexicans and the Greeks.
This exclusion would embrace proba-
bly In large part undesirables, but alsu
4 great many desirable persons, and
the embarrassment. expenses and dis
tress to those who seek to enter. would
ne out of all proportion to any good
that can possibly be promised for this
measure.
MY observation leads mo 10 the
conclusion that so far as the merit:
OF the individual immigrant are con.
cerned the test Is altogether ove, esti.
mated. The people who come from
the countries named are frequently IL.
nitrate because opportunities ha"e been
denled them. The oppression with
which these people have to contend
In modern life is not religious. but il
to acquire reading and writing. Ere.
ol'ently the attempt to learn to write
and read the language of the particu.
lar people is discouraged by the gov
eminent. and these Immigrants in
coming to our shores arc really striv.
Ing to free themselves from the con.
ditions under which they have been
compelled to live
America Needs Labor.
Regarding industrial conditions tho
secretary said America needed labor
and the natives we're unwilling to do
tho work which aliens come over to
do. Admitting that there was con
gcstion in some places and a dcarth
the secretary declared that no sutr1-
cicntly earnest and intelligent effort
had been made to bring the countr.'s
labor wants and supply together. lie
maintained that $50 far the same
forces that give the chief support to
this provision Of the new bill have
stubhornly resisted any effort looking
to an intelligent distribution of new
immigration to meet the needs Of our
vast country. In my Judgment, no
drastic measure based upon Il ground
which Is untrue and urged for a rea-
q which we are unwilling to assert
should he adopted until We have at
least exhausted the possibilities of a
rational distribution Of these new
forces"
The secretary defended the charac-
ter OF the great majority of the immi-
grants to the United States and dc.
clared that with rapid strides the
foreign-born citizen is acquiring tho
farm lands Of this country.
Adopted Group System"
The bill. the Secretary asserted.
adopted the group system" in large
measure by' permitting u qualified i'm .
migrant to bring in certain members
OF his family. who themselves would
he disqualified by the test. while a
disqualified member would exclude all
dependent members Of his family no
matter how we'll qualified they might
otherwise be.
Delay and friction in immigration
work. especially along the Canadian
and Mexican borders would result
from the law. said the secretary, and
II would cost probably II million dol.
lars III excess Of existing appropria-
lions 10 administer the law.
Other provisions of the law, the
secretary declared. were excellent or
in no respects really objectionable.