New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-05-14
WORKERS FROM
EUROPE ARE FEW
MOVEMENT OF LATE HAS BEEN
AWAY FROM AMERICA RATH- :
Err THAN TOWARD IT.
PRESENT SITUATION UNIQUE
Employers Looking vainIy for Relief
for the Labor Shortage-Revision Of
the immigration Laws Will Be
Postponed.
BY M p. HoRNApAy.

Postponed.
BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY.
Observation-Disclosures of the gov
eminent and employers of labor, as
well as many other persons not so
directly interested. are watching the
tide of immigration with the hope that
II VIII sooner or later throw some
heht on the question as 10 whether
the labor shortage now existing
throughout the country is to he re-
ieved. The incoming tide. which, ac-
cordlng TO some of the prophets, was
10 bring hundreds of thousands of Eu-
ropeans following the world war, has
not made its appearance. During the
last few months the movement has
been toward Europe rather thar from
IT. 1t is the view of most of the stu
dents OF the situation that conditions
are still so chaotic as to make II i'm
possible to say whether the United
States should enact any new immigra-
ton Legislation.
Recently the disposition II congress
was to build the bars a little higher,
nut apparently nothing Is to be done
" a legislative way with the subject
at this session. Most of the congress
sional leaders are of the opinion that
the wise thing to do is to await devel-
opments. The situation at the pres
ent time Is summed up in this way
ny The commissioner general of immi-
grafton. Two streams of humanity
are rushing across the Atlantic. One
Is coming westward, the other is 60
Ing eastward. One. that coming west
ward, Is composed largely of women
and children long separated from hus-
bands and fathers The other is made
up Tor the most part Of husbands who
are getting back to their families on
the other side.
Foreign Men Going Back.
The situation is unique, according to
the immigration officials. in the his
tory of the bureau of immigration. En-
ployers of labor have agents watch
ing every passenger steamship that
comes In from EurOpe with the hone
that they will see strong-armed male
immigrants come ashore, hut they nre
almost invariably disappointed. At
every Atlantic coast port are men of
foreign birth waiting for transporta-
ton home. Some of these men are TAX
Ing their families with them and are
also taking n good deal of ready cash.
and frankly say they DO not expect to
return In case they find opportunities
TO invest their savings advantageous
ly In their former homes. In some
quarters the attempt has been made to
show that the departure of so many
men of foreign birth during the last
few months may be attributed 10 pro-
hibltion legislation. but the immigra-
ton officials do not take this view
Of ii. Their Investigations reveal, and
immigration, that thousands upon
thousands of men Of foreign birth re-
turn 10 their former homes regularly
once In every two or three years.: that
these men have not been able 10 get
back since the spring of 1914 and hat
il's di' INV iihliS slltlEt VI WV
first opportunity to 20.
The human tide on the Atlantic was
almost at Il standstill from 1916 nm
iii the summer of last year. The
grand total Of immigrants from No
vember. 1916. 10 November, 1919. was
only 21O.473. Within that same pc
Rod 214.421 foreigners left the shores
of the United ctates for their foreign
homes. The bureau Of immigration has
not tabulated the official figures for
the months thai have gone by since
November, 1919. hut IL knows that
about $4,000 persons, mostly women
and children. have come in each
month.
Farm Loan Act Amended.
Congress has just amended the
g%eenral farm loan act so as to
provide for an initial charge upon
borrow ers in order 70 furnish funds
for the carrying on ~ the farm
loan associations. The amendment
STIMULATES that In no case can this
initial charge exceed one per cent and
the presumption is. so the members Of
the banking and currency commifte $
OF the two houses say. that the farm,
loan board will regulate the charge in
such a way that probably very rarely
will II be as high as one per cent.
The purpose Of this amendment. which
on its face seems to he rather simple
Is TO stimulate the business OF the
farm loan associations and the farm
loan banks. As n result Of making
this charge. 81 it Is asserted. the farm
loan associations which get the husi-
ness fc- the farm loan banks will seek
to extend their business. n thing they
have not done to any great extent
heretofore.
There are about 1000 farm loan as
sociations at the present time. They
average only about nineteen members
each, which is generally looked upon
az a rather small average. d is as.
serted that very few of these associa-
lions have as yet had much chance to
grow. There Is one notable execution
however. and that is in the state Of
Oregon, where there is one farm lnan
association with 3S4 members. II has
aire" association. since 1t has some.
Malady of Doubt.
There are plenty of people who think