Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-19
JUDGE GARY BEGINS
STRUGGLE: To FORCE:
OPENING OF GATES
HY DAVID LAWRENCE
Il. ess e,i Wire Service to The JoGrnal)
IEo.>vri-3tt Joo3

the present immigration law, which
prevents European workmen from
coming to American shores and re-
lieving the labor shortage, is the
opening gun in what may becom1 Il
much more live issue in the next
twelve months in American politics
than The "open shop" or the tariff
The advance in wages granted by
the Steel corporation, it is generally
agreed, was due in no small measure
to the competitive search for Amer
lean labor. Mr.. Gary's view that
the present curb on immigration 'is
one of the worst things economical
~" the United States ever has done
is shared by many business men, aud
already the United States Chamber
of Commerce is at work on plan
to permit a flexible system of Sc
lection so that ablebodied workmen
may he admitted without allowing q
flood of immigration and the at
tendant evils which helped build up
sentiment for the present law.
Labor Is Active
Organized labor has been back Of
the policy of restricted immigration
for many years, arguing that pro-
lection of American labor in COM
petition to the foreigner was Just
as essential for labor as for capital.
An abundance Of European labor
exists and if permitted to enter nat
urally would enable American indus
tries to get all the labor needed with
cut having to pay competitive prices
as against each other. Many Of
Americas industrial concerns have
scouts searching the country with
offers of higher wages to men in
other trades. This condition natur-
ally is desirable from the viewpoint
of organized labor, as wages tend to
go upward. But the drive of the
United States Chamber of Commerce
is not to increase to any substan-
tial extent the number of persons
admitted to America, but to exercise
more care in the selection Of the
types eligible to enter so that Amer
lean industry will be assured of a
steady supply of foreign workmen
and 50 the cost of production will
not go so high as to damage the
fabric of industry itself, for there
can be limit to high labor costs
beyond which companies will not
find 1t profitable to operate on as
large scale as at present.
9. The committe of the United States
Chamber of Commerce takes the pres
ent law, which permits three per
cent of the existing proportion of
each nationality ,,lready in the T..
per cent. The number of immigrants
at present admissible by three per
cent quota system is 357 .SO3. By max
ing it total of 5 per cent, the num-
Der would be only 238, $50 more. It
is not assumed that even this num-
Der would actually come, as some Of
the so-called quota countries from
northern and western Europe last
year fell below their quotas.
Would Provide rests
Under the proposed plan there
would be tests of the physical, men
tai ard moral suitability of immi-
grants and that the standards should
be made with Que recognition of the
kinds of immigrants most needed in
America. If, for instance, there is
q shortage of skilled workmen, every
effort should be made to spread in
formation in those countries where a
desirable class Of labor may be OBJ
tainable.
The chamber of commerce insists
that the policy of the government
should be based upon consideration
of the best interest of the country
as whole, not upon the benefits
that may accrue to any group, man
ufacturers, farmers, laborers or 9TH
ers,' as we'll las upon consideration
of the immigrant himself"
Secretary Davis, of the depart
ment of labor, is at work on a
similar plan and hopes to make a
definite recommendation for new
legislation when congress recon-
venes President Harding will have
to take stand on the matter to
get attention from congress, as the
Of haIxy ,xriII
be to avoid controversy with la
Dor. The friends of the selective
plan, however, say they will be
able to demonstrate to organized
labor that the selective process will
help rather than hurt their cause
and that opposition to it would be
mistaken. The Harding adninistra-
ton could not afford politically to
align itself against organized labor
on the eve of presidential cleo
ton, though strenuous efforts are
being made by Republican business
men to draw the president to their
side of the age-old conflict.
immigration contains the ingredi-
ents of great political struggle and
Judge Gary's speech is the forerun-
ner of what will be heard when the
United States chamber of commerce
discusses the Immigration problem
at its saxHsesl meeting in New York
three weeks from today.
FARM LABOR SHORTAGE
WARNING, CAPPER SAYS
TOPEKA, Kan, April 18.-The
present farm labor shortage is a
warning of a serious situation now
developing, Senator Arthur Capper
congressional farm bloc leader, de-
clared today.
Senator Capper asserted that low
agriculture prices may result in so
many people leaving the farms that
It will cause a food shortage. Re-
ferring to a prediction of Illinois
employment experts that farmers
might force congress to admit more