New-York tribune., 1922-12-18
Pick Aliens to
'FillLabOr Need,
Husband Urges
Modify immigration Quota
Law So Applicants Can Be
Selected to Help Industry,
Advice Of Commissioners
Could Increase Number
Discrimination Necessary If
Business Is to Go On Even
", He Adds in Diagnosis
sro- re Trsv-,'s wssAs-oso- s~r.ss

Fro~- re Trses-s's wosAs-oso~ p~rsss
WASHINGTON, Dee. i7.--AodiEea'
ton Of the immigration quota Law "se
IA 10 let IN the men who shall AL the
industrial needs and 40 the sane tfrne
have the qualities which will make
then desirable residents Of American
4 communities" is suggested as means
OF relieving the existing labor shortage
by ". ". Husband, Commissioner
General Of Iramigratien. In the current
number af The Nations Business"
= Nr. Husband declares DO Is opposed
TO opening wide the doors for ell IN
order that those who are actually need
fsd may cone in" because Of the i'm.
tportanee Of tks social and political
,phssSs Of the immigration question
"it Is assumed, the Commisflontf
General writes, "that the present quota
riag has reduced 20 q safe minimum
sthe incoming Of those people who Tor
one reason or another are not seHi-
tGently valuable 70 the United states,
"a reduction Of the percentage would
sarther limit this class. but u THIS 70
1done some means should be taker TO
prevent these additional restrictions
applying 70 the ones whom every one
WELCOME
"Theoretically the present quota
Az avoids determination. II places
The peoples OF all countries involved
on . basis ot equality, but 70 meet
the present demand some scmblhnce OF
discrimination may be necessary.
However I am Inclined 70 the opin-
ION that Il woaiS be entirely possible
"a continue the basic number Of irnDi-
grants az minimum and then provide
for modiheationt which would meet
the actual needs Of the country.
~We might develop administrative
machinery which would serve 10 invite
those actually needed whether for
farnlnR. for Industry or for any ether
actiVity in the United States. We
should determine not only the extent
Of the need. but also who are the most
desirable people 10 fll that need and
then permit them 20 como TO the
county.
"This is not intended 10 suggest
riping out the theory Of the contract
labor Law, which has had and still has
bensdcial results, but " must be re-
ruernbered that even under the present
contract labor law skilled labor may
be admitted under eontrset, provided
labor OF like kind unemployed cannot
be fovnd in the United States, and in
The act Of 1917 II is provided that the
necessity for such importation may be
determined prior % the coming OF the
people. .
If is the extension Of this plan 20
unskiiied labor, or any other class OF
people who are actually needed in the
country, that ] have In mind, acting 8
Always, Of course, on the theory that
adequate, careful and unprejudiced
inaehinery is created for the purpose
Of carrying out the plan.
Zone Of the changes / kavo IN mind
q the creation Of some system under
whieh the available supplies OF labor
Of various kinds IN foreign countries
would be constantly communicated 20
our Government In order that when
there 10 in the United States at hon
est demand for labor Of certain kind
vs may know where 70 turn for the
best possible people available 70 oil
that need.
"This plan. Of course. would not be
confined 10 industrial labor, but ought
20 include ell needs Of the states for
settlers or for farm labor or FOR what
ever activity IN the country Is under
manned or could be proftably or wisely
extended or developed by the addit'ea
Of proper mAn-power.
Hfor a considerable period the
United States has been experimenting
on . large scale with so-ealled Aneri-
eanitation movements. The var In
creased them, but G sober survey OF the
results would seem 70 indicate that. "a
far as the new type Of immigrant IN
the United States Is concerned. the
efforts made very little headvsy. il
has bad the effect OF Amerieanizing 4
great many Americans who prior 20 the
World War had been looking At the i'm
migrant from the economic rather than
the social or political viewpoint.
my observation has been that the
employers Of labor. great or small. have
as a rule assumed an entirely diferen,
attitude 20 the immigrant since the
var and that they, IN common With The
communities in which they live, aTS
now honestly interested not only IN {
labor supply but IN bringing in those
and those alone, who will make nol
only good lsborers but responsible
American eitizens"
Reviewing the how Of immigration
% this country before the war, NJ
Husband states that average Annua
sYn Europe was approximately 1000
Under the quota law the limit for th'
sane countries is about $4,000.
"On the other hand, the normal pre-
var immigration from Northwestern
Europe Was about i62,6O0 annually
while under the quota limit law 4
would be possible for about 100000 4
come Ia any fiscal year. ! have ex
piAinad that a real purpose OF th'
Nterscy test was 70 check sonewhs
the tide Of new immigration with
out disturbing Che normal hew from
the cid sources, and that the Diliins'
ham Law has accomplished 70 AZ eHten
undFeamed Of by restrietionists Of |
decade ago.
sDuring the fiscal year ended Jun
90, 1922, about 8b per cent OF III
auota Of southern and eastern Europ'
and Turkey was exhausted by admis
siou. but northwestern Europe sen
only az per cent Of tho permissihl'
number. Therefore the Law had littl'
on no visible effect on the old immi
0r.tlor. brt the number OF new i'm
-igrsnts prevented from coming cai
only be eonjectursd, although SOo'O0
10 probably & very conservative est
mats
much has been said concerning M
large outward movement Of aliens our
ing The last fiscal year. snd u - tru'
that 1912 emigrAnt aliens dio lsaY'
he country, compared with 3o9-obo I'M
nierspt aliens admitted, the excess o
immlxration being only ii0,s44. bu
The outgoing movement was abnorms
only by comparison, for It frequenti.
exceeded 100000 annually before IN
var. and vas considerably greater y
Sosh 1920 and 1921 than In ls2S. i
must be remembered that last year We
one o. industrial depression, ard thi
- -. . pofarf rnuae al heavy TN