The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-09-14
Vermont Senator Says Objections to Restriction Is Made
q by Prosperous Aliens and Large Manufacturers
Who Want Cheap Labor.

whom more than ITg,e0s annually enter
the country.
Under the proposed law ssSeee inuni-
grants from Great Britain could como to
the United States each year. Only $500
In round numbers are coming at present
The average immigration from Germart
has dwindled to s5,0oe Ny bill would ad-
nit s5a00O from that country. There
could be marked increases, too, from Bel
GUM, Denmark, France, Holland, Nor
way Sweden, and Switzerland. Western
Europe would not be affected at allg
Southern and Eastern Europe would be
affected considerably. All that we seek
to accomplish is the slowing dewn of the
stream OF unskilled labor to our shores
from certain countries on the ether side
Of the Atlantic"
why There Are Riots mt Times.
what will happen Il such immisra-
ton is not restricted7'' inquired.
We know what has happened at
Lawrence. Mass. and other similar
centers OF industry" Senator Dilling-
ham answered. Figures for the year
1910 show that nearly 50 per cent Of
the Inhabitants Of Lawrence past the
age or twenty-one were foreign born.
When an Industrial town IL greatly
oversupplied with unskilled labor,
trouble IS liable to occur. II Law
renee or any other place can use but
10000 common lRborers, there is DAN
ger in the presence of 10000, or even
$1,000. AEitators belonging to such
organizations at the Industrial Work
ers OF the World appear, and idle men
ann those who have employment are
counselled into acts Of crime or folly.
only a few Americans understand
the immigration question" Senator
Dillingham; proceeded to say, "and yet
1t Is not only tremendously important,
but no national subject is nearly 30
humanity interesting. Since the year
1880 more than 100000 aliens have
entered the United States. The COM
bined population OF New York, Penn
sylvsnia, and Illinois, by the census Of
1910, is less. And their descendants
have increased enormously. Ten mil
lion immigrants have been admitted
to this country within the last twelve
years-nearly 100000 Of them came
during 1907.
Day after day, for q year at a time.
the equivalent in population Of a vii
lage of $500 inhabitants has been
landed at our ports. We know that
the old immigration as II is termed.
moved out of Great Britain, Germany,
and other western countries in Eu-
rope to America. The crest of. that
wave of men, women, and children was
reached in 1882. Our great Industrial
development can be said TO have
started about that time. A change IN
the character of the immigration to this
country began in that year also.
"Southca stern Europe has figured
larger and larger in our statistics since
1859. Aliens OF the oil element were
farmers, principally. The new element
is composed of day laborers. Less than
per cent of the old element was H.
literate. Forty-eight per cent OF the
Roumanians, IS per cent Of the Southern
Italians. and GS per cent If the Portu
guese who have entered the United
States during the last ten years could
not read. The average Of illiteracy from
all the countries OF Southeastern Europe
was Il per cent"
The FIcOd from south Italy.
The educational laws of Italy, let me
add as a matter Of interest. are the same
throughout the kingdom. There are fac
tories. quarries. and farms in Northern