The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-12-25

Dillingham; per centum limit plan
as a possible remedy for the situa-
ton ana as a result the present
quota law was enacted and went
into effect on June last. This law
provides that the number of aliens
of any nationality who may be adj
mitted to the United States in any
fiscal year shall not exceed 8 per
cent of the number of persons OF
like nationality who were in the
United States in 1910 as shown by
the census of that year. National
ity in this case is determined by
country of birth. To illustrate, if
there were in the United States in
1910, 100000 persons who were
born in a given country, the num-
Der of immigrants who might be
admitted from that. country in any
fiscal year would be limited to g.
600 or three per cent of such pop
ulation.
1.-The law is applicable only to
immigration from Europe, the Near
East (including Turkey, Persia,
Mesopotamia and Arabia, (Africa)
Australia, and New Zealand. In
other words, it does not apply to
the great countries of Asia, nor 10
Canada, Mexico and other coun-
tries of the new world.
"The possible effect of the law
on immigration from Europe dur
ing the present year is suggested
by comparison with the normal
movement prior to the world wal.
In normal years Immediately prior
to the outbreak Of the war, about
1880 immigrants came from the
north and west of Europe and
about 100000 from the southern
and eastern countries, principally
from Italy, AustliaHungary, Rus
sia, Greece and Turkey. Under
theprecentum limit plan approx
mately 100000 are admissible an
nually from the older sources, so
that in effect there is no restriction
upon the normal movement from
those countries, while only about
$4,000 may be admitted from the
south and east of Europe and Tur-
key, or approximately one-ffth of
the normal number who were adj
mitted in pre-war years.
at is, of course, impossible TO
say how many immigrants have
been kept out of the country dur
ing the past fiscal year as the re-
suit of the percentum limit act but
the number has been variously es-
timated from 100000 to 100000.
The latter estimate is probably an
exaggeration although it is per-
haps safe to say that 100000 have
been kept back by the operation Of
the law.
"The countries of northern and
western Europe, however, have not
taken advantage Of the allotted 10
them as during the past fiscal year
only as per cent Of those who
might have come have actually
been admitted. On the other hand
95 per cent of the years quota OF
southern and western Europe and
Asiatic Turkey were admitted ana
the quotas of practically every
country except Russia and Austria
were exhausted early in the year.
Only 219,166 immigrants aliens had
been admitted from Europe and
Asiatic Turkey compared with l.
081,012 for the year 1913-1914.
The operation of the law has had
an interesting effect on the proper
ton of immigrants coming from
the sections of Europe under dis
cussion. While in the fiscal year
1913-1914, only Is per cent of the
immigrants came from northern
and western Europe and So per
cent from southern and eastern
European countries and Asiatic
Turkey, in the present fiscal year
36 per cent have come from north
eln and western Europeon Asiatic
Turkey. Although the change in
this respect is not all that might
have been anticipated because of
the relatively small number who
have come from such sources has
increased from Is to 36 per cent is
a pretty clear indication that the
law is accomplishing what it was
to accomplish in this res
pect. Therefore, if the so-called
Nordic stock is preferable to that
of the newer sources of immigra-
ton, as seems to be so generally
believed, there has been a very de-
cided improvement in the character
of the movement over pre-war
years.
at is needless to say that the
administration of the percentum
limit law has been attended with
many difficulties. but all in all it
is doubtful whether any plan of
restriction which might be applied
would have given less trouble.
Hardships have been inflicted on
immigrants and the immigration
Service alike, and many perplexing
questions have arisen. On the
whole, the difficulties have been
very largely due to aliens coming
in excess of the monthly quotas
rather than of the allotment for
the year. The law provides that
not more than 80 per cent of the
yearly quota may be admitted in
one month and for the first six
the law was in operation,
our ports, and particularly Ellis
Island, were crowded, sometimes
beyond capacity, with those who
had come in excess of the monthly
quotas. In the month of June,
1921, when the law first went into
effect nearly II 600 aliens in excess