Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-11-07
PROBLEM
AGAIN O UP
Daily Letter by Frederic ). Haskin

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4-Will
congress pass a new immigration
law at the approaching session?
viii it be made more Difficult for
foreigners to enter the land of the
free and the home of prohibition, or
will existing restrictions he so modi-
fed as 10 bring in a larger and
steadier supply Of the labor that is
needed in certain industries?
These are questions of widespread
interest and Importance concerning
which much will be heard when the
national l~aw-making body is back
on the Job. That there will pe num-
erous new immigration measures
proposed is q foregone conclusion
and at this time it is evident that
their fata will not be determined
without a memorable fight.
Certain interests want lmmigra-
ton made easier. First of all there
are the foreigners themselves who
are anxious to get away from dis
tressing conditions in their native
countries and establish themselves
in the new world of opportunity and
peace. Second, there are the steam
ship companies that find a great
source Of revenue in carrying immi-
grants TO these shores. They would
find it greatly to their advantage
if the limitations imposed by the
present law were removed or so
changed that practically every for
eigner who could pass the mental
and physical tests would be assured
of a welcome when he approached
the Statue of Liberty.
Various industries in the United
States are also interested in more
liberal immigration regulations.
Notable among them is the steel in
dustry which is being seriously
handicapped by a shortage of COM
mon labJr
The turnover among the unskilled
workers employed in the steel mills
has always been exceptionally large.
1t is the sort of a job that a man
does not stick at very long after he
can find another as equally as good
or even approximately as good
wages. The hours are long and the
work Is gruelling, involving perhaps
the greatest physical strain necessi-
tated in any kind of labor.
Europe a Reservoir
For years Europe was a reservoir
which supplied a steady stream of
this common labor for the steel in
dustry of the United States. There
were practically no restrictions upon
immigration and the immigrants
from the Old World were accus-
toned to arduous toll that earned
them bat a bare existence. They
found that they could go into the
steel mills Immediately upon their
arrival, that their ignorance of u
language or of the work was little
or no handicap to them. and that
they could earn wages that were
to them almost u~nbelievably large.
They welcomed the chance.
In time this stream Of foreign
labor was checked by immigration
laws and then came the World Wal
which cut it off entirely. After h
war it was as if the dam forming
the reservoir had burst and there
was a prospect of this countrys be-
ing overrun with cheap European
labor. This led to the more drastic
law limiting the number OF 1mml-
grants who may come from any n
| country Il, the United States in n
year to three per cent of the for
eign born of that nationality resi-
| dent in this country in 1916
Under the strict enforcement of
that law the number of foreigners
| given the glad hand by Uncle Sam
| dropped from 100000 to some
thing under 100000 in the course
of one twelve-month and almost
Immediately the steel industry en-
countered difficulties in securing a
| normal supply of common labor.
When wages of steel workers
| were voluntarily just at n time
wages in other industries were gen.
orally beinG reduced and when the
Railroad Labor Board was slash
ing the pay of railway employees
| there were many expressions CT sur
prise ami not a few of criticism.
| Employers in other lines who sub
| scribed to the idea that labor must
| be debated felt hat the controll-
ing factors in the steel industry
were upsetting the applicant.
How can we get wages back to
normal?" they asked, "if the steel
people grant Increases that are not
even demanded of them?"
The auth of the situation was
that the steel interests were bidding
for labor which they had TO have.
American born workers will not
take those Jobs at wage rates which
they can command elsewhere, the
foreigners already here move
steadily from h steel mills to other
Aindustnes. and the reduced Labor