The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-11-10

EXPEDITED
By the Measure Just Intro
duced in Senate by
Dillingham;
IMMIGRANTS GET
QUICKER COURSE
Red Tape Is Removed from
Worthy Candidates for
Citizenship

Senator William p Dillingham; Of
Vermont recently introduced in the
Senate a bill, Senate 1922, designed to
remedy certain long -standing defects in
the naturalization law, to increase and
improve the administrative features of
the law so that it viii be adequate to
the needs of the present time, and TO
place upon broader foundation the
Americanization work among prospec-
tive citizens which Congress has here
tofore authorized.
Under the provisions of the present
law many foreigners have been unnee-
'essarily exposed to expenditure Of
money, time and to other hardships.
Without interfering with the effective
features Of the law from the stand.
point Of our own protection, the new
bill proposes to remove insofar as pos
sibe all the red tape" which the law
imposes upon aliens seeking American
citizenship and which has often been
an obstacle In the way Of worthy can
didates who would become part Of
the country's political family.
The present law requires an alien,
when he petitions for naturalization, TO
file with his declaration certificate Of
arrival This imposes a great amount
of work on the part of the immigration
officials at the ports Of entry and often
holds up the naturalization proceedings
of individual cases, or rather, unduly
delays them This certificate of ar
rival has been required of hundreds Of
thousands of aliens, and those who are
intimately familiar with the natural
ization law assert that it has been Of
no value in preventing aliens from
fraudulent naturalization, and has new
er excluded an l. w w, a polygamist,
or anybody of the classes barred by
the naturalization law from American
citizenship.
The bill provides for the issuance Of
certificates Of United States citizenship
to those who become citizens by the
act of the husband and father The
recognition of the American citizenship
of the wife Of foreign birth, when she
marries an American citizen, and of
her minor children, Is long delayed.
For over century their status has
been most precarious The courts in a
few instances have recognized the
American citizenship judicially Of
these minor children, but this measure
aceomplishes the universal recognition
Of all in this class
Legal evidence Of the American citi-
zenship Of the American Indian is pro-
yided in this measure and this reeogni-
tion, though tardy, will no doubt be
brought to the fore with great rapid
ity
a great deal Of difficulty has been
experienced throughout the country on
account of the provision in the nat.
uraization law which limits the filing
Of declaration within 30 days proceed
ing any election This new bin pro-
poses to limit the application Of this
provision TO those states in which
aliens are allowed the right of fran
ehise. Those states are Arkansas, Tex
as. Missouri and Indiana.
Under the provisions of this measure
an alien may, under certain circum-
stances, prove his residence in any part
Of the state in which he lives by de-
positions, thus eliminating the expense
Of transporting witnesses long dis
tances. Another feature Of interest to
clerks Of courts throughout the eoun.
try is the provision for the correction
Of a petition for naturalization and a
declaration Of intention wherein erro.
neous statements have been unwilling
" made. The present law is rigid and
infexible in this respect Amendments
to pleadings are the rule in every piece
of litigation that is prosecuted IN any
court in the United States, with the
exception of petitions for admission to
citizenship.
Several provisions of the bill provide
the means for the education and Amer
icsnization Of prospective citizens
Certain Aliens to Be Deported.
Senator Dillingham; recently reported
from the Senate committee on immi-
grafton bill which adds to the class