Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-19
| ApOR PROBLEM IS BIG
ONE FOR OUR CONGRESS-
Representatives Afraid to Open
immigration Gates, Though the
Nation Needs More Workers.

Washington. April l9.-Conironted on
the one hand by growing demand ior
additional laborers and ON the other
hand bv the fear that immigration might
induce further growth OF the radical
sentiment IN this country, members OF
the House Committee ON Immigration
are considering the proposed legislation
% add To the restrictions upon immlgra-
tion.
The problem IS admitted TO be very
serious, one of the most serious pre-
sented to this Congress. Employers and
associations of employers are knocking
at the doors of the committee and IN
sisting that unless additional common
laborers are obtained through immigra-
ton, the production of the country will
cbb until il will reach the point Of dis
appearance in So far as world competi-
ton Is concerned.
The most recent demand is that made
upon the part of New York building
contractors. The demand for additional
housing facilities is greater IN New York
than in any other city IN the country,
and this admittedly rs comparison
which makes every householder IN al
most any city of size throughout the
country realize how serious Is the prob
lem in the metropolis.
Ronald Taylor. president of the Build
ing Trades Employers Association, and
Clarence l.. Smith, president of the Con
tractors Protective Association, insist
that the only remedy for the situation
Is the building Of more houses and that
more houses cannot be built until COM
mon labor is had. And where, aside from
Immigration, is common labor to be had,
even though the wage offer IS one which
almost is startling?
There are from three 10 four jobs for
every man in the building trades, said
Mr. Tavlor in discussing the conditions
IN New York. I'VE cannot get the la
borcrs. even though we are paying So
a dav, an increase of more than 315 per
cent n compared with prewar wage
levels The rate then was S1.15 for a
ninc-hour day, and today it is S6 for an
cight-hour day.
The New York contractors made a
survey of conditions in other cities and
found that they were not alone in their
prrlicament, for from every city came
crv for additional common labor IN the
building trades. From some of the other
cities, notably Chicago. the cry was even
more emphatic than from New York.
The common laborer has just disap-
pcarrd. War cried out to those from
southern and Central European coun-
tries. and with "A few thousand dollars IN
biS pockC. the common laborer moved on
overseas. Ans since the war the tide
has continued outward until the coun-
try rapidly is being depopulated OF this
very essential laborer.
Iaborers in the beet sugar fields, in
The cotton fields of the South and in
hc lumber camps are informing MEM
1crs of Congress that an inpouring tide
,f Mexican laborcrs arc threatening
their Jobs" and the necessary wage
,calc they arc now obtaining. If this
idc Is not stopped. il IS asserted. a crisis
coming and aggravated labor troubles
}iIl result.
And just at this time. there arises as
hc final factor in the problem the fear
% Congress that too much liberty has
,Ccu gwen 10 the growth of radicalsn
u ,hl~ country. More members of Con-
-rc~~ SEQ red and also sec more red
ban doe, Attorney-General 4. Mitchell
Palmer. Increase in the foreign popu-
lat on. especially an increase from that
region IN close proximity to Russia,
would add 10 the menace these members
,ec confronting this nation and its Gov
.rnment. And it 30 happens that some
of these members who see the most
violent tinge of red" on the horizon
. are on the House Committee on Immi-
grafton.
The labor problem, il appears, viii
remain one Of those unsolved problems
which have featured this Congress. II
will have TO solve itself through some
other form than through increased imIni-
grafton at least, according 10 the present
outlook