Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-30
us. L|TERACY
BECOMES
ACTIVE MAY |
NEW IMMIGRATION LAW SUPER
CEOES PRACTICALLY EVERY IMMl-
GRAFTON LAW ON U. S. STATUTES
MAS VETOED BY WILSON.
OPERATION OF ACT WILL BE WATCH
ED WITH INTEREST ON LOWER B0R-
DER FOR EFFECT IT WILL HAVE
On Labor FOR THE FARMS.

The new United States immigration law,
to which j. attached the lteracy test re-
quiring that every immigrant he able to
read some language goes into effect at all
United States ports tomorrow, May |.
This Is the first immigration law with
a literacy test attached to be passed by
the United States, and it became law IN
the last session of congress only after the
senate and house voted to override the We
to of President Wilson. The same meas
ure had been vetoed by President Cleve-
land and by President Taft.
The new law supersedes practically ev-
cry immigration law that has been placed
on the statute books within the last thr-
teen years. 1t Is Il codlficatlon and re
enactment of tumble Of immigration laws
on the statute books. and were the lteracy
test not in the measure il j. said. the law
would still be one of the greatest import
ance for the reforms IN the immigration
service, which il preScribes.
United States immigration Officers at
Brownsville. under the direction of Chef
Inspector +. +. Reynolds have been pre-
pairing for some time To take care of the
immigration under the law. and are already
prepared 10 give the tests a. required.
The effect of the law on the farm labor
situation in South Texas will he watched
with the greatest interest. as practically
all the labor for this work comes from
Mexico. Farmers in this section have
viewed not without alarm the increasing
number of Mexicans returning to Mexico,
and the prospect that they will be unable
to return. Thousands of Mexicans from
the republic journey TO the cotton fields
of Texas and southwest each year To help
dispose of the crop, and then return to
their homes across the border.
WHAT TIE TEST POPOSES.
The literacy test proposes in brief the
exclusion Of aliens who cannot read IN
some language or dialect, and was aimed
at n class of immigrants far different
from the same group which might have
been affected by the same exclusion test
wears ago when the best muscle and some
of the best brain of Europe, notably from
Ireland were seeking new abode In
America.
The test applies only to aliens over six
teen years Of age. and IT i provided that
any admissible alien, or any alien hereto
fore or hereafter legally admitted or any
citizen of the United States. may bring in
or send for his father or grandfather over
fifty five years of age. his wife, his mather
his grandmother or his unmarried or wild
owed daughter. if otherwise admissible,
whether such relatives can read or not.
EXEMPTIONS ARE GENEROUS.
Exemptions in the law are generous.
Aliens avoiding religious persecution IN the
country of their last permanent residence
are exempted from the literacy test,
whether such persecution be evidenced by
overt acts or by law or governmental reg
ulations that discriminate against the alien
or the race to which he belongs because Of
his religious faith Aliens who have lived
continuously in the United States for five
years gain the right to 90 abroad and re-
turn within six months from the date of
departure.
LABOR BROUGHT ABOUT MEASURE
The American Federation of Labor has
assiduously urged the adoption of the lit
erarcy test and it is doubtful If this much
disputed feature could have been retained
in the bill bad organized labor opposed to
it. new provision which may not please
the unions a. much but is regarded a. q
necessary offset to the exclusions com