The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-01-29
BAR IMMIGRATION TO PROTECT
AMERICAN LABOR FOUR YEARS

The bill which was favorably re-
ported by the committee in congress
yesterday to prohibit all immigration
to the United States for a period of
four years after peace is declared, is
aimed to protect the American laborer
against an influx of pauper laborers
from Europe. A dispatch from Wash
ington says:
Labor Here Wants Plan.
| Prohibition of immigration during
the peace reconstruction period has
been strongly urged by representa-
tives of organized labor and others
at hearings before the committee
The bill would permit an alien res
ident to bring his wife and children
| Except boys over IS years old) into
the United States; orphan nephews
under IS and nieces of any age also
may be brought in to the country.
| Tourists would not be barred from
entry for temporary stay.
| The decision on the four-year-pe-
riod was made on the question wheth-
er the committee should adopt that
provision or one providing for only
two years prohibition.
Europe Balks.
| PARIS.-The European workers be-
| lieve that labor has the right to go
and come freely wherever employment
| is to be found regardless of frontiers,
declared George Nicoll Barnes. labor
representative on the British peace
delegation, in discussing the proposal
to prohibit immigration into the Uni
ted States. European labor, he said,
was strongly opposed to such a law.
The European labor market, Mr.
Barnes pointed out, was full, while.
the field for the United States hardly
had been scratched over. Mr.. Barnes
said he thought provision should
be made, however, for employment
of emigrants before they embark for
foreign land.
Mr.. Barnes was in conference today
with delegates of British trades un-
ions, according to the draft of a
measure for proposed international
labor bureau which when completed
will be submitted to the representa-
tives of British employers. After this
has been done the measure will be
taken before the peace conference.
Other drafts. it is expected, will be
submitted by other nations. All are
to be consolidated into final pro-
ject for submission to the conference.
The labor situation in Europe is
already causing much alarm. Strikes
in the British Empire have tied up
several industries and thrown vast
numbers out of employment. Just as
millions of men are being discharged
from the army and are seeking en-
Il rrhn haUQ hQpn OnttjnQ
better wages than ever before, are
striking for higher wages or shorter
hours and it is estimated that more
than 10000 in Great Britain are idle
today The following cablegram tells
of conditions there:
LONDON.-It is estimated that near
ly 100000 men and women are idle
in the united kingdom and Ireland
because of strikes in various trades,
creating one of the most serious situ-
ations industrially that the country
has had to face in many years. Half
of the strikers are in Belfast, where
the strike movement is spreading.
The city of Belfast by night virtu-
ally is in total darkness. the hos
pitfalls being the only place where
lights can be shown without danger
of attack by strikers. Everywhere
else the display of light has caused
either the stoning or the storming of
the premises. In cases where such
drastic action was not taken the peo-
pie were forced by threats to screen
their lights Even in the private
houses it is not considered safe to
use more than one candle, and the
supply of candles is rapidly dimin-
ishing.
Fortunately, last night was snow
and wet by turns, otherwise it is con-
there might have been more
trouble This morning men in vari-
ous of the smaller industrial plants
who had remained at work came out
for safety's sake, the picketing hav-
ing become more extensive. One of
the morning newspapers was forced
10 suspend publication. The ship
yard workers are opposed to the
strike and are endeavoring to ar
range a meeting for Wednesday,
There is no change in the situation
on the Clyde, where 10000 shipyard
workers are out, nor in London,
where $4,000 ship repairers have
struck and have refused an offer to
refer the question of wages to a COM
mittee
To these must be added $4,000 Fife
shire miners, 5000 South Wales mi
lers, 5000 Edinburgh shipwrights,
1000 Manchester lockers, 1000 South
Wales shipyard men and a number of
Glasgow municipal workers.
Except fn&L london, where the ques-
ton at stake is one of wages, all
these strikes are due to demand for
shorter hours with the same priv
leges and wages as prevailed when
onger hours were worked
Grave Diggers Strike.
LONDON.-There are 100000 people
involved in the strike at Belfast and 26
rades are affected. writes the Belfast