Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-06-19
IMMIGRATION TOPIC
HAVE THE MANY CHANGES IN
PAST FEW YEARS IN OUR
LAWS BEEN HELPFUL?
FROM AN INDUSTRIAL VIEW POINT
Effect Upon Wages Largely Depends
on Two Main Factors: Standard
of Living and Efficiency-Com-
mon Labor to Be Protected.

The change in the character OF our
European immigration, the proposed
literary test, effects of the Chinese ex-
clusion law, the Pacific coasts Japan
ese problem, CALIFORNIA; anti-allen
land law and the effects Of the Pan
anna canal are some Of the interest
ing developments Of recent years ar
fecting the immigration movement
into this country. But, before en-
deavoring to discuss any OF these spe-
cific problems, it is we'll to briefly out
line the general industrial, political
and social effects of immigration and
in so doing the writer will simply set
down fundamental principles OF more
or less general application, without
reference to any special classes or ma
tionality of immigrants or to any
special economic conditions.
One of the most important ques-
tons to consider in discussing immi-
grafton is, what is the average i'm
migrant worth to us commercially?
The amount of actual money he brings
with him is probably of least import
ance. 1t is rather question OF main
tanning or securing properly bal
anced population; it is a question OF
their earning capacity or Industrial
fitness and of their expenditures or
standard of living. The immigrants
expectancy of life is very high be-
cause, as general thing, only the
strong come and at an age when this
expectancy is high. So immigration
is of economic advantage provided we
have, and so long as we have, the ma
terial and opportunity of setting the
immigrants to work.
Only small per cent of immigra-
ton can be classed as professional or
skilled. Approximately rs per cent is
unskilled or common labor and
large part of this has not had the edu-
cation and training that our native
born common labor has. Naturally
these laborers compete more or less
with our own laborers, so the effect
of immigration upon the standard of
wages is vital consideration.
1t is evident modification of wages
must come through any change in the
relation between the supply of labor
and the amount of work to be done.
But any modification in wages also
depends considerably upon the amount
of land uncultivated. So long as there
is available uncultivated land, the
general standard of wages cannot be
pressed materially below what the av-
erage man can make from the soil.
Therefore, SO long as land is abund-
ant, immigration will not affect wages
and undoubtedly contributes to the de-
velopment of the country.
But in this country the tillable land
is nearly all taken up and we are ap-
preaching time when we may seri-
ously consider the effect of immigra-
tion upon wages and whether we
should, on that account, place greater
restrictions upon immigration, even
European. Of course, the absence of
land will, of itself, tend to check i'm
migration and this accounts partly for
the change in the character of immi-
grafton during recent years.
Provided the foreign laborers come
in the right proportions as to skilled
and unskilled labor, SO they may be
properly distributed and assimilated,
the effect upon wages depends upon
two main factors-(1) standard of liv-
ing, and (2) efficiency-andu under this
head there are three possibilities
First, where the immigrants have
the same standard of living and same
degree Of efficiency as our own labor
In this case there will be no effect
and the nation is enriched in labor
power and indirectly in wealth If the
labor Is utilized.
Second, where the immigrants have
lower standard of living and the
same efficiency. Provided this condi
ton were to continue we would un
doubtedly face displacement OF
American labor. but the almost inev
liable result In the case of European
immigration has been In raising the
. 6tduuuAu Va living. bu
this result does not follow in the case
Of oriental immigration.
Third, where the immigrants have &
lower standard Of living and lower eff
flciency. This is the actual case To-
the most part and this will not affec
the jobs Of laborers of higher effic
iency, on the accepted principle tina
high money wages are the cheapes
wages"
In the three above possibilities, 1
is supposed that there Is a proper pre-
portion of the different kinds of labor
as skilled and unskilled, etc. II tn
preponderance Of unskilled is to-
great, we have dumped upon us
class with which we can do nothing
They compete with our own unskille
labor with two results: "a To fore
some Of the unskilled into the skille
class. and (2) to force down tn
standard Of living Of the unskilled.
The standard of living is the mos
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