The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-15

ments to the present immigration law,
which will insure greater ceftitude in
excluding undesirable migrants. The
bill received strong support in both
houses and was recommended by an
able commission after an extended in
yestigation and carefully drafted con-
clusions. But / cannot make up my
mind to sign a bill which In its chief
provision violates principle that was,
in my opinion, to be upheld in dealing
with our immi grafton | refer to the
Iiteracy test. For the reasons cited
in Secretary NagePs letter to me, 1
cannot approve that test The Secre-
tarys letter accompanies this.
Secretary Nagel said the literacy test
was defended as a measure to exclude
q large proportion of undesirable i'm
migrants from certain countries, the
final purpose being to reduce the guam
tity of cheap labor in the United
States. He added: mo doubt the law
would exclude a considerable percent
age of immigration from southern
Italy, among the Poles, the MeXicans
and the Greeks. This exclusion would
embrace probably in large part unde-
sirable but also a great many desirable
people and the expenses and distress
to those who seed to en would be out
of all proportion 10 ans good that can
possibly be promised for this measure.
Test Overestimated
my observation leads me to the con-
ciusion that so far as the merits of the
individual immigrant are concerned the
test is altogether overestimated. The peo-
pie who come from the countries named
are frequently illiterate because oppor-
tunities have been denied them. The op-
preston with which these people have
to contend in modern times is not religi-
Gus, but it consists of denial OF the
opportunity to acquire reading and writ
ing Frequently the attempt to learn
to read and write Z language OF the
particular people is L -couraged by the
government and these immigrants in COM
ing to our shores, are really striving to
free themselves from the condition un-
der which they have been compelled to
live"
Regarding industrial conditions the
Secretary said America needed labor and
natives were unwilling to do the work
which aliens come over to do Admitting
there was congestionS in some places and
dearth of labor in a very much larger
area the Secretary declared that no suf-
ficently earnest and intelligent effort had
been made to bring the countrys s labor
wants and supply together. lie main
tained that 80 far the same forces that
give the chief support to these provisions
of the new bill have stubbornly resisted
any cilOIl iOOhlilS u an iiittihSNilb NA1
tribution of new immigration to meet the
needs of our vast country. In my Judg-
ment no drastic measure based upon
ground which is untrue and urged for
reason which we are unwilling to assert
should be adopted until we have at least
exhausted the possibilities of rational
distribution of these new forces.
The Secretary defended the character
of the great majority of immigrants to
the United States and declared that with
rapid strides the foreign born citizen is
acquiring the farm lands of this country.
The bill, the Secretary asserted, adopted
the group system in large measure py
permitting qualified immigrant to bring
in certain members of his family, who
themselves would be disqualified by the
test, while a disqualified member would
exclude all dependent members or his
family no matter how well qualified they
might otherwise be.
Delay and friction in immigration work,
especially along the Canadian and MeNi-
can borders would result from the law,
said the secretary, and 1t would cost prob
ably a million dollars in excess of exist
ing appropriations to administer the law.
Other provisions of the law, the Secre-
tary declared were excellent or in no
respects really Objectionable.