Evening star., 1923-01-21
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

A TREMENDOUS drive on the
~ part OF employers of labor to
~ break down the stringent re-
strictions of the existing 8
per cent immigration act, so as to
permit Of the entry OF foreign labor,
Is under way. That 1t will be re-
sisted by American organized labor
follows as naturally as B follows A.
The House committee on fmmigra-
ton only a few days ago held ex-
tensive hearings on the subject. Rep
resentatives OF the manufacturing in
dustries and of the farmers appeared
before the committee, declaring that
there was a shortage Of labor that
was handicappins the manufacturing
and agricultural industries of the
country. The steel industry, the
mining industry. the American Farm
Bureau Federation, the National AS
sociation Of Manufacturers, the Ma
tonal Association of Merchant Tai
.ors, organizations of Jews and others
appeared before the committee.
Committee Favors More Restriction.
But the proponents of greater Inn
migration were up against a COM
mittee whose members for the most
part believe in restrictive measures,
rather than in a lowering of the bars.
They believe in admitting some i'm
migrants It is true, provided they
can be selected And the answer of
tho committee, it is reported, will be
the introduction Of a bill which will
" n off nf In IA
Immigration below the limits now
set by the 8 per cent quota act, which
expires in June, 1924.
The House committee has held sew
erai executive meetings in the last
week, and II is understood that 1t
will draft a bill which provides for
more freely admitting the blood re-
lations of aliens. who have already
entered tho United States-provided ed of
course, that the aliens already here
are becoming good citizens, and pro-
viding also that their relatives seek
ing admission measure up to the
standards for immigrants set by the
United States. The bill. however,
IDLY will reduce the percentage
quotas allowed the various countries
from to . per cent, with a fixed
number-fifty-to be admitted from
countries which have very small num-
hers of their nationals already in the
United States. -
Shortage of Labor Claimed.
With increasing industrial activity
in the United States, the question of
hos IL
phase Of growing Importance. 1t is
held by legislators who are inclined
10 be more liberal than members Of
the House committee. 1t is admitted
that, with the exception of the Jews
and the Armenians, the demand for
increased immigration into the United
States has economic causes behind 1t.
The unemployment in the United
States, which year ago, was caus-
ing much suffering here, apparently
has vanished like the SHOWS of last
year. The testimony given before the
same committee by men represent
ing a variety Of Industries, includ-
ing agriculture. was to the effect that
labor-particularly unskilled labor
is becoming harder and harder to OBJ
tain In Ameria. The industries are
suffering from a lack of labor. This
was said to be true particularly of
the steel industry.
There are, OF course, other Ques-
lions beside tho economic involved in
Immigration. questions of race, of
the adaptability Of immigrants and
tho facility with which they may be
Americanized. At present, however,
the economic side OF the issue is DOM
inant so far as those favoring a low
ering OF the bars is concerned.
Net Immig ration.
Not many years ago the United
states was the land Of the free"
tho goal of thousands of men and
women in other lands, where there
was no such thing as freedom. To-
day II is still the land of the free.
but there arc other lands also where
the people are free. Monarchies and
empires have crumbled. And as a
matter of fact, in countries where