Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-28
SOME IMMIGRATION FACTS

either all immigration should bs
stopped, without exceptions, until
legislation regulating immigration In
a scientific way can be passed; or else
immigration should be allowed to run
along as it is until such nnal lcgisl~-
ton can be passed.
Boats Limit Immigration
Mr.. Wallis points out the importanN
fact thai the amount OF Immigration
which we can receive Is limited by
the number OF persons which the ships
, can carry. He estimates that the
ships now in use can carry a million
steerage passengers year and per
haps three hundred thousand In the
first and second cabins. 1t is further
brought out in the hearings that rs
to 30 per cent of the trans Atlantic
passenger traffic is non-fmmigrant-
that is, it consists OF people who In
tend 10 return to their native coun-
tries or OF Americans returning from
Euope. In this way 1t Is seen that
our immigration is sclf-limited 10 less
than a million year, barring what
comes in over the Mexican and Cana
dian borders OF course. inasmuch
as the carrying OF immigrant passen-
gers is now highly rcmunerauve
business. 1t is probable that more
ships will be built and put into tho
business, but the increase in tho i'm
migrant stream. which will result
from this. will be slow.
Pick The Hest
The situation. therefore. As MI.
! Wallis sees IL. is that out of ton mil
| lion aliens who want to como to
! the United States in a given year, only
! one million can come by reason OF tho
limitations OF tho carriers. He argues
that our manifest duty is to choose
this million with tho utmost care-to
see that the 10 per cent OF the prof
fered population which we take is the
best 10 per cent and not tho worst or
middling. He points out that con
sidersbl part of the immigration now
coming in consists OF large, strong,
healthy people with enough money to
takc care OF them for some time.
Others are sickly. undersizcd paupers.
He argues that legislation should be
drafted which will insure that this
/ large heal ahy. thrifty typo get in and
that the sickly paupers be kept out.
Since we cannot take them all any
way, why not take tho best? Mr..
Wallis does not suggest the nature
OF the regulations by which this Sc
J lcctive process might DO accomplish
cd; he puts that up TO Congress. He
does suggest that the present laws are
inadequate. especially the literacy
test. He points out that a man may
4 be ablc to read forty words and yet be
very poor specimen OF the human
| race.
Choose In Europe
Mr.. Wallis further believes that this
seleotive process should begin on the
other side-that It is foolish and cruel
to let the immigrant como % this
country and then send him back. He
believes that an arrangement for such
selection on tho other sido could be
made thru diplomatic channels. Some
\ OF the Senators brought out tho fact
| that an attempt had once before been
made to effect such an arrangement
automatically. and that all tho ma
tions but Italy and China had OBJ
jcctod. No reason In law or common
sense was offered however. why VIC
should not be able to receive immi-
altogether.
/ Mr.. wallis further believes that to
make any regulation of immigration
, effective the inspectors must be high
grade men. He points out that such
men cannot be obtained At tho salaries
now paid which range from 3l.4o0 to
S:,to0 a year. He points out that
these inspectors practically decide
human destinies and that men OF edu-
cation and intelligence arc required
| Lastly. Mr.. Wallis believes that in
ItelliSent immigration legislation should
provide some machinery by which the
immigrant is aided to find a Job. A
competent Government employment
| agency in connection with tho immi-
grafton offices at each port of entry.
which simply received application for
laborcrs. and listed opportunities gem
orally. could do great deal both
for tho Immigrant and for the country
TO which he comes.