Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-03
HOUSE TOPROBE
IMMIGRANT LAWS
Committee Seeks Extent of
Drive Against Present
Rules and Cure IT Needed.
TO QUIZ INDUSTRIALISTs
National Manufacturing Organize
tons to Be Examined-Labor
Shortage Is Stressed.

The House immigration committee
started work today to determine the
| extent and organization of a national
drive to have liberalizing amend
ments to the immigration laws pass
| ed. The committee today questioned
| closely representatives of the tailor
ing industry.
Tomorrow six big national organi-
| cations are to be Intercepted. includ-
| ing the National Association of Man
ufacturers. Chairman Johnson says
that the House committee is deter
mined to find out just what interests
down the immigration laws and to
determine just what the real labor
need in industry is.
Claim that agriculture. construc-
tion, industry and transportation will
suffer irreparable injury unless the
| present labor shortage is relieved by
| amending the restrictive immigration
laws Is made by John E. Edgerton,
president of the National Association
of Manufacturers, who will appear
before the committee tomorrow.
Report Actual Deficit.
This association will urge a pro-
gram of legislation drafted as a re-
suit of two years intensive study by
q special committee OF manufacturers.
/ The main provisions recommended
| for relief of the present labor short
j. That Congress should fix the
quota of admissible aliens in terms OF
net immigration. For instance, the
Italian quota under the existing law
last year was $4,000. Substantially
10000 Italian immigrants entered the
country-53,000 emigrated. Thus.
while the Italian quota was appar-
entity satisfied. there was a large
actual deficit.
2. That the Secretary of Labor
should be authorized. upon the pres
| entation TO him of satisfactory evil
dence OF a continuing shortage of la
Dor OF a particular class or type. to
| admit otherwise admissible aliens in
| excess OF the quota until in his judg-
ment such condition is improved. The
provision would permit no change in
the standards of admission and would
1 leave the key of the immigrant gate
4 in the hands OF the Secretary of La
| Dor. The proposal completely answers
| those who say there is no labor
1 shortage by requiring those who as
4 sert IL to demonstrate the fact in
| concrete terms to the Secretary OF
\ Labor
| Want Medical Examination.
| 3. Provision should be made imne-
diateiy to provide for the physical ex-
| animation Of otherwise admissible
| aliens through appropriate United
states medical officers at the point
where passports are viseed. or at con-
| venient points of embarkatton. This
| provision could, of course, be waived
| by our government where satisfac-
| tory assurances are given by the
country Of immigrant origin that
physical examinations required by the
| United States have been made and
| the result certified. The latter pro-
posal satisfies any question OF inter-
national relations. Unless provision
is made for the examination of aliens
! before they embark the best class of
aliens will not risk denial of admis-
| sion upon arrival in the United States
1 AS a definite, permanent, construc-
/ tive policy the National Association
! of Manufacturers will submit the fol-
lowing fundamentals for an inmigra-
! tion law:
/. THAT the United States should
retain the tests for mental, moral and
/, 1917, except the literacy test, which
we believe experience has demon
strated TO be an ineffective means Of
! determining the quality of an alien
nomic or moral value OF the applicant
:; for admission, but. on the contrary.
| may reject the possessor of these viz
1 tues while affording no obstacle to
I the llteTate revolutionary.
Urge Right of Supervision.
2. That distinction be made be-
| tween the above requirements for adj
mission and those for naturalization,
! the latter requiring as a condition OF
citizenship a working knowledge of
I English and a practical understand
1 ing of the form and purpose of Amer
| lean government and evidence of at
tachuient TO its principles. all the
! conditions for naturalization being SO
/ far as practicable administered by Of
] ficers of the United States before the
embarkation of the alien.
| 8. That the United States assert
| the right to register, distribute, edu-
| cate and otherwise supervise the alien
during the period of his alienage.
| 4. That all immigration legislation
be administered through board COM
posed of the Secretaries of Agricul-
| ture, Commerce and Labor, thus Sc
| curing the coordination of the de-
/ partments possessing the information
! charged with primary responsible
| ties FOR meeting, on a national scale,
! the economic and social problems in
| volved.
| S. That. through the effective CO.
| operation of state authority and
as to immigrant needs and opportuni-
| ties be compiled, analysed and pre-
sented 10 the federal board, and
/ further cooperation be established to
present the economic needs of the
| nation in terms of ascertained fact to
protect the immigrant against ex-
| ploitation and secure for him accurate
| information as to existing oppor-
| tunities throughout the nation.
These proposals represent the recon-
mendations of the following COM
mittee: John c. Haswell, Dayton
Malleable Iron Company, Dayton,
Ohio; N. J. Banker. Pettebone- Gaia
! ract Paper Company, Niagara Falls,
N, Y; H. z. Field. Wheeling Mold and
| Foundry Company. Wheeling. w. Va. /:
J. Grant Kingsbury, Grant Manufac-
| turing and Machine Company, Bridge
port, Conn; p. c. Thomas, Rome
! and s. d. Well. the Arco Company,
Cleveland, Ohio.