The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-03
Frederick Haskin's Letter
Immigration Problem, Loom. Up
1 tspssaaa csrs..s.sus. 81 n Auu.,

! slashing the pay Of railway A..
ployes there were many eYnrss-
si0ns OF surprise and net a ia !.
criticism. Employers in other linz
who subscribed to the idea that Ia
Dor must be debated felt that ~.
controlling factors in the steal IN
dustry were upsetting the appls.
cart. -
How can we get wages bacr :.
normal" they asked. If the stss,
people grant increases that are Nh
even demanded Of them?"
| The truth Of the situation ~.
that the steel interests were h;a.
ding for labor which thew haa ~
! have. American-born workers v;n
not take those jobs at wage rate.
which they can command Als~.
where, the foreigners already hs,.
move steadily from the steel mil,s
to other industries, and the redncsS
labor supply from Europe will nd, (
meet the demand.
Situation Actually AcutA
Only few days ago it VIA "a.
ported from Pittsburgh thai An.
other increase of 10 per cent Vopla
be given common labor. So aents
was the situation resulting from
the shortage of this class Of vort.
ers 1t was stated that mills vera
operating at only rs per cent q.
pacity when they would be working
at 80 per cent if sufficient labor
could be obtained. :
In view Of all this, it is apparent
that congress will be pressed with
demands to ease up on Immigration
restrictions.
On the other hand, it has been
made equally clear that all such
proposals will be openly opposed
Labor leaders are girding them
selves for the fight and rallyinr
their forces for an onslaught on
congress such as gives promise Of
a lively winter.
President Gompers Of the Amer.
lean Federation of Labor, in what
he called "A Bugle Call to Duty"
has served notice OF the militant
intentions Of the interests he rep
resents. He undertook to speak for
for American labor when be said
that il congress gives way to the
demands Of powerful employing In
terests" in the matter of ner i'm.
migration legislation "the tide Of
aliens will be beyond estimate and
American labor Will be driven back
before an avalanche of newcomers
whose standards are too low Tor
American workers"
1t is admitted that the 5 per cent
law was essentially a measure to
check this tide Of aliens" arbitra-
rily pending the development Of
permanent immigration policy IN
der which only the most desirable
of the foreigners applying for ad.
mission to this country will be d.
lowed to enter. Secretary OF Labor
Davis in discussing this phase Of
the subject has placed himself on
, record as favoring some modifca-
ton of existing laws so as to per-
nit of this governments passing
on the eligibility of prospectivei In
migrants before they leave their
homes overseas.
Instead of the passport given By
! foreign governments" says Secre-
tary Davis, I'VE should set stand
ard, and those qualified should be
determined on the other side, CIV
| ing our certificate Of qualification
to those entitled to admission"
The labor secretary has prepared
| a bill embodying This views which
congress will be asked to consider
when it reconvenes. Under this
bill. every foreigner applying for
permission to come to the United
States would be required 10 submit
to tests that will show that KITS
blood is free of all faint, that he
has the physical strength to guar
antee that he can earn living
when he gets here, that his men-
tality is up to standard, and that
his character is such that he will
make a desirable American citizen.
And il he doesn't measure up
after he gets here" concludes MI.
Davis, ''all will agree with me that
he should be sent back to the coun-
try from which he came