Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-07

Washington, D, c., Nov. 4.-Will
congress pass q new immigration law
at the approaching session? Will 1t
be made more difficult for foreigners
to enter the land OF the free and the
home of prohibition, or will existing
restrictions besso modified as to bring
In a larger and steadier supply of the
labor that is needed in certain indus
tries. N
These are questions of widespread
interest and Importance concerning
which much will be heard when the
national law-making body is back on
the job. That there will be numer
GUS Immigration measures pro
at this time 1t Is evident that their
fate will not be determined without
q memorable fight. j.
Certain interests want immigration
made easier. First of all there are
the foreigners themselves who are
anxious to get away from distressing
conditions in their native countries
and establish themselves in the new
world of opportunity and peace. Sec
ond, there are the steamship COM
panies that find a great source Of
revenue in carrying immigrants to
these shores: They would find it
greatly to their advantage If the linn
itations imposed by the present law
were removed Or, so changed that
practically every foreigner who could
pass the mental and physical tests
would be assured of a welcome when
Various industries n'the United
States are also interested in more lib
eral immigration regulations. Nota-
BILE among them Is the steel industry
which is being seriously handicapped
by q shortage Of common labor.
The turnover among the unskilled
workers employed in the steel mills
has always been exceptionally large.
It 10 the sort Of a Sob that a man does
not stick 1T very long after he can
find another at equally as good or
even approximately as good wages.
The hours are lon0* and the work is
gruellng., involving perhaps the
greatest physical strain necessitated
in any kind OF labor.
Europe a Reservoir.
For years Europe was a reservoir
which supplied a steady stream of
this on labor for the steel in
dustry OF the. United States. There
were practically nj RESTRICTIONS upon
immigration and the immigrants from
the old world were accustomed to ar
duous toll that earned them but a
bare existence. They found that they
could go into the steel mills \tmrpedi-
atety upon their arrival. that their
ignorance Of our language or Of the
york was little or no handicap Ito
them, and that they could earn wages
that were to them almost unbeliev-
ably large. They welcomed the
chance.
In time this stream of foreign la
Dor was checkedr-,by immigration
laws and then came the world war
which cut it OF entirely After the
war 1t was as II the dam forming the
reservoir had burst and there was q
prospect Of this country's being over
run with cheap European labor, This
lied to the more drastic-1aw limiting
1.-THE number of Immigrant who may
come from any one country to the
United States in one year, to 8 per
tionality resident in this country in
1910.
Under the strict enforcement OF
that law the number of foreigners
given the glad hand by Uncle Sam
dropped from 100000 to something
under 100000 Nm the course. Of one
twelve-month, and almost immedi-
lately the steel industry encountered
difficulties in securing q normal sup
ply OF common labor.
When wages OF steel workers were
voluntarily raised Just It the time
wages In other Industries were ganer-
ally; being reduced and when. the tail-
road labor board Was slashtng the
pay OF railway employees 1thers were
many txprsssipns Of luFpTss and not
. fsW 81 criticism. Employers IN 9th
" lines who sphscribsd to the idea
that lahorS must be dsflated, felt that
the controlling factors ~ the steel
Industry vsrs upsstt4ns the apple
cart. Il
Glow can NJ III wares back "a
norl3ai,H they asked, III the steel
people ETant lncreases that are not
even demanded Of tlsma'f'
The truth Of the situation was that
the steel interests wsrs bldding for
labor which they had ~ tlIGye. Amer
|icah born workers VIAL not take those
Jobs At wage rates Nhich they can
commend elsewhere. the foreigners
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