Evening journal., 1917-04-25
THAT LIrERACY TEST AND MANUAL LABOR.


NHTHEN Colonel Henry A. dupont in the United
w States Senate he voted twice against the appca-
ton of the leracy test to immigrants who might seek
70 come into the United states. Nor he alone in
that opposition. There other members OF Con-
gross who shared with him the view that such legsa
ton would be injurious TO our country, in that It
would keep out many ablebodied men and women
who, if admitted would constitute, through themselves
and their children, exceedingly valuable element in
our social fabric Despite the opposition OF those far
seeing members OF Congress, and the opposition OF
President Wilson the bill was passed With due allow
ance for the European war and It's wastage, the
evil effects OF the law already being felt this
side OF the Atlantic especially in the field Of unsNlled
labor.
In the New York Commercial and Financial chroni-
Gle OF April IA find the bad effects of that and other
legislation alluded to pofntedly in the eghtyseventh
annual report of the Delaware and Hudson Company.
That report is signed by l.. f. LOree, the president.
Among other things, he says;
The reduction in the hours Of labor accentuated the
shortage which without the reduced hours, would
have been seriously felt This with the failure OF the
usual supply of immigrants, upon which the miners
regularly depend for the ordinary replenshment OF
the ranks OF their laborers, and the extraordinary
number Of Withdrawals due TO the unusual rates OF,
wages offered in munton works and other industries,
so decreased the number Of employed and avail
able as materially to affect the output
"The number OF men engaged in the primary labor
OF production that is the miners and miners laborers
employed in cutting down coal and loading 1t in mine
cars fell off from 9752 in January, 1916 to 6,967 in
November. decrease OF 1856 per cent. But in Janu-
airy the standard day involved nine hours of effort in
November only eight hours The difference between
9752 men working nine hours and 6967 men working
eight hours is a reduction from S7,76S hours per day
No 557S6 hours per day decrease Of 5000 hours or
1850 per cent In this situation the unwisdom OF the
Miners Certificate law by which IL is made unlawful
to employ a miner any person who has not had two
years experience in the coal mines OF Pennsylvania,
must be apparent to all This law makes IL imposs
bic 10 employ as miners who have acquired skill
and experience other mines than those of Pennsylvania
or in other States foreign countries There no such
restriction upon the employment Of miners in the
bltumiuous coal mines of Pennsylvania or elsewhere
Consequently men OF experience seldom remain
in the anthracite mines. and the records show that
sevenyfve per Of those who begin in these mines
leave within the first year many OF them going to
bituminous coal mines. in the same State, in which
no period OF apprenticeship is obligatory.
"rhe Iteracy test imposed by the immigration
law finally passed the veto OF President Wilson,
after having failed when vetoed by President Taft will
add to these difficulties.
mot less significant. in economic sense, is the
almost complete cessation OF the flow OF immigration.
on which the United States has depended for very
long period to supply a large fraction OF the immense
total OF manual labor essential to its industrial activ
ties The OF alien immigrants over emigrants in
the fiscal year 1914 9l5142 figure fairly repre-
senng the annual flow of the period just prior the
war The corresponding figure for the fiscal year 1916
was 169O61 and for 1915 it 122626 Thus the
decrease from 1914 to 1916 amounted $3.50 per cent?
from 1914 TO 1916 to S153 per cent"
While one will attempt TO deny that the has
had much to do with cutting off supply of immi-
grants feel that intelligent person will attempt
TO dispute that the immigration law. with its lit
eracy test has deprived and will continue deprive
the United States OF much manual labor OF which it is
sadly in need and which need is becoming press
ing all the time.