Evening star., 1923-10-18
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

foreign-born persons of sucn national
ity resident In the United States, as
determined by the census of 1910"--
with certain notifications, admitting
domestic servants, tourists and tenn
porary residents for business or pleas
ure. and barring aliens from certain
Asiattc territory. Aliens who have
resided not less than five years in any
other country on this hemisphere are
admitted, regardless of European
quotas. Each dependency of an en-
pre- Is counted as a separate country.
X r. X y
: Originally the quota law would have
expired by limitation June 80. 1922,
but prior to that expiration 1t was
extended to June 80, 1924.
What will follow? Secretary Davis
of the Labor Department Is advocat-
ing selective immigration law, with
provisions to examine all immigrants
at their ports of debarkation. Mem
bers of Congress point out the i'm
| practicability of such examinations.
dicated a willingness to permit our
representatives to Invade their SOW
ereignty." Besides. 1t is impracticable
for our agent TO investigate the rec
Ords, history, family health, etc, of
intending immigrants by visiting
their neighborhoods.
To establish clearing houses at ports
of .embarkation would be to establish
great depots of disease, where thou
sands would congregate, out of whom
few hundred would emigrate.
France protests now that there is a
path across her territory of diseases
left there by would-be emigrants
from eastern Europe-diseases not
found In other parts Of the country.
1t is stated at the Department of
Labor that the number of immigrants
laA n n ~ Fft4F
present conditions does not exceed 2
per cent, for there is Il protective sfft-
ing done by steamship companies.
which are penalized if they bring over
any who are manifestly inadmissble.
If the basis of admission continues
to be the quotas of nationalities, il is
the hope of Secretary Davis and
members of the House committee that
1890. rather than 1910, because in the
earlier year the immigration was
coming from northern Europe,
whence come the races most desir-
able.
The present quota admits more of
the southern European races than
northern-Italy, 42.057: Denmark, s.
619; Czechoslovakia. 14,357; Norway,
12,202; Poland. 30,s77; Switzerland,
1852; France, 5.729.
= There are two classes in the United
States which are supposed to be on
opposite sides of the immigration
problem. The employers are crying
for common laborers. at lower wages
than now prevail. The labor unions
oppose letting down the barriers to
either common or skilled labor, on
the ground that the Immigrants Will
demoralize wages. Formerly the out
let for immigrants was agriculture,
but today our farmers are complain :
ing of surplus yields, and they want
no increase of farmers, though will
/ ing to employ cheaper hands
. 1t is claimed that the low vitality
and diseased condition OF many In
migrants prevent them from giving
service that is as efficient rer dollar
as that OF the stalwart Nordics COR
stituting our earlier Immigration.
Their average survival in labor is set
! at nine years. The present law ad-
mits professional persons and. with
out restriction. upon permit from the
Secretary of Labor, skilled labor can
be admitted when similar skill is net
available here.
Copyright. 1923. by Paul v. Collins)