The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-01-21
CURRENT COMMENT
The immigration Bill,

The immigration bill, upon which boti
branches of Congress have agreed, now
goes to the president. 1t combines the
main features Of the Dillingham; bill
which originally passed the Senate, and
the Burnett literacy test bill, which
passed the House. The Senate measure
carried more drastic literary test than
the other, in that it provided for both
reading and writing test. The com
promise contains simply a reading test
which was provided by the House bill.
II the president signs the BILL an alien
over l6 years old entering this country
must be able to re- between 80 and
chosen by himself need not be able
| to write at all. ID
The principal chat - in the existing
law which the bill carries may thus be
summarized
| /. An increase in the immigrant head
tax from S4 to So.
g Exclusion Of aliens not eligible for
naturalization.
8. Adoption of a reading literacy test.
T. Making it permissible for the secre-
tary of commerce and labor to decide be-
forehand as to the necessity of import
ing such skilled contract labor as now
is admissible under the existing con-
tract labor law.
S. Providing heavier penalties for
transportation lines that violate the law
against advertising for immigrants and
which bring to the United States aliens
who are ineligible to enter.
6. Providing machinery for compelling
the attendance and testimony of wit
nesses before immigration authorities.
Z. Providing for matrons, inspectors
and surgeons on immigrant ships at the
discretion OF the secretary of commerce
and labor.
8. Providing for the deportation of
aliens who become criminals three years
subsequent to entry.
.. Providing for interior immigrant
stations.
10. Providing against Illegal entry of
seamen and stowaways.
IL. Permitting aliens to be represent
ed by counsel in appeals from decisions
of boards of special inquiry.
IL. Providing experts in insanity in
large ports of entry,
49, A new definition of the meaning
of the word "alien" where it appears in
the law.
The literacy test, which was the cause
of stubborn filibuster against the final
passage of the bill by the House, has
over Swallowed in the public mind the
other features of this legislation. Most
of them seem unobiectionable, although
all are in the direction of making ii
harder for aliens TO immigrate to this
Our own objections TO the lit
eracy test need no restatement; the
president ought to veto the whole bill |
ON account of it. One or two of the |
changes, however, deserve special COM
mendation. II is well to deport aliens
who become criminals within three years
after their arrival. It is only fair |
that they should be allowed to be rep
by counsel when the govern
nent officials question their right to en-
ter the country. The increase in the |
head tax from 81 to s. is not undesir
able. Nor is it unreasonable 10 deny /
entrance 10 those who, under our laws,
could not be naturalized.
On the other hand, necessary as ex-
Derts in insanity may have become at
The ports Of entry to aid immigration
officials, ID is easy TO see that this new
of expert examination for the
detection of mental disease could be used
N most arbitrary and unjust way.
II the expert alienists are to make their
with the extreme rigidity 9TH
II immigration examiners often display,
1r with the obvious desire TO exclude
persons on any ground whatever which
: frequently noted in the acts OF these
officials, half the immigrants now COM
ng to these shores might be excluded
because they were crazy. The chances
or gross abuses at this point should
lever be overlooked by those authorities
hanged with final responsibility.
II this measure becomes law, il is I'M
necessary 90 remark the fact that will
hange the historic policy Of the United
,tates in one important particular. The
iferacy test has never been applied hith-
ITO against any human being wishing
o come 10 America.-Springfeld Re
.uhlican.