The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-05

are many exceptions. Those fleeing from
religious persecution are admissible
whether they can read or not. An ad-
| missible alien may bring In or send for
his father or grandfather over SO years of
age, his wife, his mother or grandmother
and his unmarried or widowed daughters
without regard to age, whether such rela-
tive can read or not. Gentlemen, is this
an unreasonable requirement? Whom will
it keep out? About So per cent of the
south Italians, about 80 to 40 per cent of
the Greeks, the Syrians, the Poles and
others of the more undesirable classes.
"Of those from the British Isles less
than l per cent would be kept out. About
the same proportion of the Bohemians,
French and Swiss. Less than per cent
of the Germans and Dutch would be
barred. About one-half of l per cent of
the immigrants from Denmark. Norway
and Sweden would be effected. Only about
or per cent of the north Italians would
fall under the ban. The north Italian is
white man and many of them are good
farmers and come to stay.
$50 you see, Mr. Chairman, the much
abused Burnett bill will encourage good
farmers to come, and keep out many
of the birds of passage of whom scarcely
10 per cent become naturalized citizens
and who know nothing and care less
about our laws, our manners and GUS
toms and our standards of living. This
bill was passed at the last Congress-,
every member of the Alabama delegation
voting for it, was vetoed by the Presi-
dent, passed the Senate over his veto by
a large majority and only failed to secure
the necessary two-thirds majority In the
House by very few votes. This bill
would not keep out any good farmers, but
would result In securing many whom we
want.
COngratuIates Work of Railroads
II desire again to congratulate you on
| the good work you are doing. 1 am
glad to hear from Mr.. Finley and those
| other great railroad men. They are doing
, much to bring to Alabama that kind of
J immigration that our state needs. They
| can do much more so long as they keep
out of combinations with those steamship
| lines which care nothing for the charac-
| ter of the immigrant so he has the pas
| sage money.
II remember when agents of the rail-
roads a few years ago were visiting the
| houses of every prospective immigrant
| to Texas and Oklahoma, and urging them
to go over their lines. Thousands of
people from north Alabama inspired by
| the fairy tales of the agents left their
| homes to hunt what was represented as
| the Eldorado of the west. Many of these
| people who have not found their new
homes what they were represented to be
would now no doubt, be glad to return
TO the mountains and valleys of Alabama.
| hope our railroad friends will practice
the same activity fairly In securing set
tiers for Alabama where we seldom have
crop failures. and where our farmers are
prospering as they have never done be-
fore. The railroads can accomplish much
for themselves and for this movement by
earnest endeavor
1T is unfortunate that our state pro-
vides inadequate appropriations for this
work. The people do not want the low
class labor from southern Europe and
they are right. They do not want Ala
bama to become the Botany bay for
those who will not elevate our moral and
intellectual standards, and they, will not
sanction appropriations to be used that
way. But If they can be assured that
only the best will be sought, they will
| approve action by our legislators looking
| to that end. The immigrant agents in
New York are many of them as sorry as
the bad immigrants themselves. The di-
vision of distribution in the immigration
bureau is doing no good. Therefore, in
order to secure the right kind of immi-
| grants, | advise that your organization
| take up the question of establishing an
| agency in New York to try to induce the
very best immigrants to come to Ala
bama If this is done let it be understood
| that none but the best are wanted. Our
| southern people will not approve any
| effort to make our fair state the spit
! toon for Europe. Let the best efforts
, of the association be .exerted to secure
our own kind of people. You have an
4 excellent immigration commissioner in
Alabama. Hold up his hands. He will
/ cooperate with you in securing the best.
! Assure our brethren in the north that
we do not wish merely to exploit them
to enrich ourselves, but we want them
as happy contented citizens.
'Mr. Chairman, work to bring us men
and women who will aid us in building
up. not only the material prosperity of
our beloved state, but will ever push its
f, intellectual and moral standards higher
and still higher"