The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-21
STRICT Alien
LAW DESIRE
OF CONGRESS
Some Members Would Lower
Quotas From Three to Two
Per Cent-Deluge of For
eign Labor Feared.
NOT TO RELAX BAR
BY MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.-The pres
ent immigration law, which was pass
ed early last spring for the duration
OF one year, is now close to its termin-
alton, and a committee of congress is
taking testimony with a view to de-
termining what changes, if any, to
make in the law.
AS to the general disposition of con-
gress on this subject, there could not
be anything more clear. The house
and the senate are rarely so nearly
unanimous about anything as they are
now about the immigration law.
The law will not be made any less
strict than il now is. If any change is
made, il will be more likely to be in
the direction of reducing the number
of immigrants permitted to come in.
The present law limits incoming i'm
migrants to three per cent each year
of the number of each nationality al
ready in the United States according
to. the census of 1910. The working
out of this law apparently is going to
let $4,000 immigrants into the coun-
try during the current year.
IF the present law had not been
passed there can be no doubt that
the country would have received a
large and unwholesome deluge of i'm
migrants this year.
Arguments a Year Ago
ha 1ou oh al
in congress a year ago the commercial
and racial interests who favor unre-
stricted immigration argued that there
was no need of passing the law be-
cause there was not likely to be
large immigration, anyhow.
AS 1t has turned out, several coun-
tries had exhausted the quota per-
mitted to them before the first half
of the year had passed. This hap
pened even during a period of prac-
tically no demand for new labor in
the United States.
Unless the present law is renewed,
and unless the principle Of rigid re-
striction of immigration is adopted as
a permanent policy, there can be no
question that America will be deluged
Just as soon as the first period of
prosperity arrives.
Firm for Restrictions
The practical universal sentiment in
Washington is to continue to restrict
immigration. There is no possibility
OF the present law being made more
lax. The number of members of the
house and senate who believe in more
lax immigration is practically neg
ligible.
There might conceivably be enough
members to delay the passage of the
new act, but in any roll call on the
merits of the policy they would be
swamped.
Practically the only persons who
want more lax immigration are certain
racial groups, especially Hebrews,
who want TO make it possible to bring
in large numbers of their race from
Poland. Russia, and other points in
eastern Europe, together with few
commercial interests, such as the
steamship companies, who profit large
ly from the carrying of immigrants,
and certain large employers, who want
a continuing supply of raw labor at
low prices.
Strict Proposals.
All the specific proposals that have
been made so far for changes in the
law when il expires this spring are in
the direction of more restrictions of
immigration
A proposed restriction from Con-
Eressman Johnson of Washington
would 90 so far as to bar out all i'm
migrants except close relatives of per-
sons already here.
Another from Senator King of Utah
would reduce the percentage from
three to two per cent.
Probably the most intelligent pro-
posal so far made is to take for
basis not the census of 1910, but that
OF 1900.
A fixed percentage based on the
census of 1900 would let in the maxi
mum number of immigrants from
western European countries. And
would keep the number of immigrants
from eastern and southeastern Eur
cpean countries dow nto the mini
mum.
Copyright 1921 by the New York
Evening Post, lnc)