Arizona republican., 1917-05-26
COUNCIL OF DEFENSE APPEAL FOR SUSPENSION OF FEDERAL
 IMMIGRATION LAW SUCCEEDS

Tn the Salt River valley mas been Ie- moved. At any rate, the situation has been so relieved that farmers can look forward without apprehension, accord ing to the following Associated Press dispatch from Washington: 1 With the view to provide against a probable shortage in farm labor, Sec l retary of Labor Wilson today issued orders for the admission to the United States of aliens from Mexico otherwise barred by the literacy test or the con- tract labor clause of the immigration law.
 1 Anthony Caminetti, commissioner general of immigration, announced the order today, explaining that it was to relieve conditions in the southwestern i states where farmers have been ac- customed to import seasonal labor from Mexico. It will affect New Mexico Ari- zona, Texas and California. Tn a letter to officials of the depart ment charged with the enforcement of i the immigration laws, Secretary Wilson gave notice that it had been decided to exempt agricultural laborers from Mex :, ico temporarily from the literacy and contract labor proviso of the 1917 inn migration laws. He added: 1 Aliens admitted under the provi- sions hereof are allowed to enter tenn porarily upon the understanding that 1 they will engage in no other than agri- cultural labor; and any who fail to ac- cept or after acceptance abandon eIn- ployment of that kind and engage in i the performance of labor in connection with other industries shall be promptly arrested and deported to the country whence they came.
 Tn cases arising under this circular the aliens involved shall be admitted | vii hQ rllxr 1cfat nf a.lh tay This is the result of a movement started by the Arizona Council of De- fense in consequence of the prospec l tive shortage of labor resulting from the application of the immigration law which became effective on May }, re- quiring the literacy test of aliens and subjecting them to a per capita tax. The test would have barred practically all Mexican agricultural laborers. The head tax of sS alone would have been generally prohibitive.
 Action in this matter was taken by the executive committee of the State Council of Defense on May 3, two days before the law became operative. A strong resolution setting forth condi- tions in the valley was wired to Chair ran Dwight B. Heard of the council who was then in Washington Mir. Heard at once conferred with Hon. W. B. Wilson, secretary of labor and also with Assistant Secretary Post. At the request of the latter MT. Heard ad- dressed the following letterst to the sec retary of labor urging a temporary suspension of the prohibitory provis- ions of the immigration act:
 May i, 1917.
 Hon. W. B. Wilson,
 Secretary of Labor
 Washington, D. c.
 My dear Mir. Secretary:
 Tn connection with our conference of yesterday regarding the serious con- ditions which will be created in Arizona
 by the enforcement of the ''literacy test' of the alien immigration bill, which I understand goes into effect to- day, l beg to hand you herewith copies of number of telegrams which have reached me from Arizona, indicating , very clearly the great need in the in
 terests of increased food production in
 Arizona of securing such temporary
 suspension of the literacy test to the s per capita tax as will allow US to se- cure our seasonal labor from Mexico . in harvesting our crops.
 Q These telegrams include a CODY of 2 a wire received from the president of e the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce To- p cated In the center of the great Salt I River valley project under the Roose- Welt dam with a total acreage in crops : of over 240,000 acres. Wires from rep
 resentatives of the various cotton grow : CTS and cooperative cotton growers
 associations, the total acreage. in the
 Salt River valley of cotton alone being
 2o,000 acres an increase over last year
 crop of 19,000 acres.
 Tn this one product alone we will
 need in the Salt River valley in con nectlon with the cultivation and pick Ing of the cotton about ten thousand additional seasonal laborers to those employed last year.
 ne situation as to the shortage o1
 agricultural labor in Arizona is so seri- y ous that at meeting yesterday of the e executive committee of our State Coun. l. ell of Defense the following resolution. l. was passed:
 = Whereas it appears that there is E o very serious shortage of agriculture l. labor in Arizona which conditio,
 threatens the full harvest of crops ant z where the Arizona Council of Defens, e IS using every agency possible to as II Sist Tn relieving the situation in thi Continued on Page Two)