Semi-weekly herald., 1914-02-12
the sympathy and support of the
overwhelming majority of the people.
Record Herald.
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.

Alter the JafllI ndu Deen ulspOseu
of, for year or two at least, and the
currency legislation enacted, congress
had reason to believe that its duties
would be comparatively light and
pleasing for time, but again the i'm
migration question has arisen to dis
turb government circles, and it is safe
to predict that the problem will be
the next all-engrossing one before
house and senate.
Japan is not content. to permit
California to @get away with the
anti-alien proposition by default, but
insists upon trying to learn whether
the United States constitution and the
federal treaty are higher than Cali
fornia's enactment Negotiations be-
tween the Japs and the department of
state have reached such point that
the suggestion has been made serious
ly that friendly suit should be taken
to the United States supreme court
for final adjudication of the trouble
some matter.
Japan asks that her people be ad-
mitted or barred on equal terms with
immigrants from ali other civilized
countries, and that thereafter her peo-
pie be given the same rights as other
immigrants.
The question of immigration has
been a vexing one for years, and it is
becoming more vexatious each sue
ceeding year. Statesmen long have
acknowledged that our laws on this
subject must be remade and recodi-
fled, although none has been willing
to raise the bars against the Chinese
and the Japanese, nor to advocate
barring other nationalities as the
Japs and Chinese are barred. None
has had solution.
Now Secretary Wilson of the fed
eral department of labor comes to the
front urging that the doors of the
land of opportunity be closed to the
Hindu laborer and other Asiatic lab
orers as well.
Thus far the only remedy suggest
ed for the general immigration prob
lem that appears reasonable or prac-
ticable is the bill introduced by Rep
resentative Gillett of Massachusetts.
Although not intended to lower the
bars against Asiatic labor, such ac-
tion could be taken with safety and
with profit to the country should the
Gillett bill be passed intact, say stud
ents of the measure.
The Gillett bill provides that pros
pective immigrants shall be examined
in their own countries by attaches Of
the American consulates and shall not
be permitted entry to the United
States unless certified to as of sound
health and good morals and having a
standardized earning capacity. Thus
the flood tide of immigration would
be checked at its source and only de
sirables be permitted to land here
The provision of the bill which
students say would eliminate pauper
labor, physical weaklings and satisfy
the laboring element in this country
states: THAT no alien dependent for
his support on his own manual labor
shall be admitted to this country un-
til he has so supported himself foi
at least one year, and at wage, paid
him only in compensation for such
manual labor and under bona fide
arrangement, within 20 per centum OF
the average scale of wages prevailing
in the United States for such labor.
for one year prior to the time of his
immigration, and unless he be an alien
who is by law otherwise admissible
into the United States
Under this section immigration
would be treated as an economic prob
lem, and even should the present laws
barring Japanese and Chinese be re
pealed as matter of international
policy would bar effectually the Ash
atics, including the Hindus, whose
maximum wages in their home coun-
tries are scarcely 20 per cent of the
American scale of wages.
The problem is a mammoth one, but
it should be solved for the good of the
entire country and for the further
ance of our business and social rela-
tions with other countries of the
word.-Denver Times.