Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-11-08
Rv DIRK P. DeYOuNG

BY DIRK p. DeYOUNG
The present immigration law, which
expires June Goth, 1924, is only an
emergency measure hurriedly jammed
through congress- shortly after the
close of the world war. 1t was intro
duced at time when the national
feeling against hyphenates ran high,
and was railroaded through in per-
iod when unemployment was alarming
ly general throughout the United
States.
When the measure comes up in the
next congress, however, as it must,
clearer judgment is likely to prevail,
first, because the passions of war have
died out to large extent, and, second
ly, because the supply of labor is now
not abundant and saner influence
from larger interests will now make
itself felt.
This emergency immigration law
is piece of blanket legislation which
limits the annual immigration into the
United States to three per cent of GER
tain nationals on basi of like ma
tionals already residing in this coun-
try in 1910 Moreover, it fixes these
quotas so that any given nation can
only send twenty per cent of its annu-
al allowance in any one month of a
fiscal year.
Finally, the worst part of it is that
there is no way of ascertaining the
state of the various quotas until the
European emigrants are dumped at FL
lis Island.
In it's practical workings the law
serves principally as numbering ma
chine, operating in New York, where
as it should be in Europe, at the
source to eliminate the unjust and
unnecessary expense and hardship on
the immigrants.
The other fundamental objection to
the present measure is that we are
not selecting our immigrants now at
all on q basis of quality. Quantity is
the bars to foreigners under our emer-
gency immigration law.
The result of all of this has been
confusion here, confusion abroad, irri-
tation, diplomatic friction, loss of mon
ey to immigrants, and gathering
ill-feeling which can have but one end
trouble trouble in large doses in
ternally and internationally.
Moreover, the residue of immi
grants admitted, authorities state, is
much inferior to the class which came
before the quota law went into effect
Many former American residents, of
excellent quality, temporarily sojourn
ing in Europe before the law went into
effect and their children born here
are also shut out under this three per
cent limitation clause
The United States wants the right
class Of immigrants. We must have
them for the farms and the factories.
Under this quota law, in which the
standing of the different national en-
tries cannot be determined until the
immigrants ships arrive in New York,
none except gamblers would risk
their savings on such a slim chance
and first come at Ellis Island, first
served.
When congress takes up the matter
of a new immigration bill in the next
session, it should provide for qualita-
tive selection, instead of cumulative
quotas, while the process of selection
should be carried on in Europe, by i'm
migration experts Of the Department
of Labor, attached to the American
cOnsulates over there.
There is absolutely no need of for
eigners coming all the way across the
Atlantic to determine their chances
of entrance at Ellis Island.
We should follow a precedent al
ready established in the enforcement
of the Chinese Exclusion Act, under
which Chinese of certain class. per.
mitted to enter the United States in
spite of that law, may determine their
qualifications for such entrance before
they cross the Pacific.
Shall we not, therefore, treat our
own cousins in Europe as well as we
do the people of the Far East?