New Britain herald., 1915-01-22
WILSON HAS HEARING
 ON IMMIGRATION BILL
500 Men apd Women Crowd East
 Room Of White House. THREE HOURS FOR ARGUMENT
Opponents and Supporters of Literacy x Test Air Views to Presidcnt-Chief
 Executive Expected to Veto meas -.f
 ure Now Before Him.

- ufc NOW Ic1OrC l1lul.
 4 Washington, Jan. 22.-Five hun dred men and women--social workers, labor leaders and publicists-crowded the historic east room of the White .House today at a public hearing be- fore President Wilson on the imn1i grafton bill.
 Three hours for argument were ap- portioned equally between the oppon ents and the supporters of the meas ' ure. Seated at a long table and flanked by his military aide in full uniform and some stenographers, . President Wilsol took his place, 4promptly at 10 a. m, to listen to the arguments for and against the liter .acy test, around which the fight on rTthe bill is waged.
 Quality of Immigration. gs Speakers in favor of the measure contended the literacy test would inn prove the quality of immigration; those opposed to it declared it was no test of quality whatever and that many aliens who would become desirable cit zens would be kept out simply by an ina bility to read and write.
 J. H. Pctten of the Farmers Na- tional congress and the Farmers Ma tional union opened the hearing for ' the advocates of the bill, saying he spoke for all organizations qualified to represent the farmers of the coun 1try. He said the farmers wanted fur ther restrictions against immigration before ways of distributing them were worked out.
 Wilson Rebukes Patten. When MT. Patten charged that many of the opponents of the bill de- sired to "Russianize' America, the president stopped him and asked 7 that the ''question of motive' be left out of the argument
 Urges Presidents Approval.
 The presidents approval of the bill as protection to American working men was urged by William M. Clark, who said he represented various or ganizations of railroad employees, ag- gregating 350,000 men.
 Professor H. P. Fairchild, of Yale University spoke for the literacy test because, he said "it was highly American to require education.' He contended the test would encourage education in Europe.
 
 versity of Wisconsin, decared ''EIX- cluson cannot be at Ellis Island, but must be in the minds of the possible immigrants The literacy test a good one he said because it's re- quirements were easily understood abroad.
 Dennis Fayors Test.
 F. A. Dennis, formerly of Princeton University, who said he represented :. 245,o 900 members of religious and pa a triotic organizations in New Jersey ard New York also favored the test. M Opening the argument for the op- ponents of the bill, Representative : Callivan@ of Boston. asked all on his side of the question to rise, but Presi- dent Wilson objected, saying he would not be influenced by numbers. Representative Moore of Pennsyl- vania, said practically all foreign or 3ganizations in his state opposed the bill. Professor M D. Learned of the University of Pennsylvania, opposed the lteracy test on the ground that q it did not test character.
 Tied Up With Interests.
 "This legislation" he said, 'Hke a4other legislation, is tied up With ST ecial interests"
  tended the literacy test smacked too much of Russian autocracy.' Saul Cohn of New Jersey representing the Independent Order of King Solomon, also opposed it.
 Representative Gallivan of Boston, summed up for the opponents of the bill.
 Source of Liberty.
 "If there is one thing that stands out more inaposingly in our national life, far more than others he said, it is that literacy has not been the source of American liberty or the cause of American greatness. It is !, everlastingly true that the crimes mental to business commerce, finance, never the work of the illiterate.
 Vicious talent sharpened and de- veloped by letters is the most serious problem society has to deal with Yet, this absurd literacy test will admit the dangerous European crimi- pals of the continental cities and bar out the honest and hard working and badly needed peasant Although the president repeatedly has indicated that he would veto the bill if it came before him with the literacy test included, he has declined steadfastly to say definitely what ac- ton he would take. It was for this purpose that he called todays hear ing.
 Vetoed By Taft
 The literacy test as finally passed Inv gal