Evening star., 1924-02-22
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

, The fewer "foreignized aliens" We
have In America, say the immigration
experts. the better.
II X *
Another measure in the Senate in
troduced by Senators Watson and
Moses is the bill drawn by Secre-
tary of Labor Davis. This proposes a
| 2 per cent quota, based upon the Gen.
sus of 191o-which would cut down
the quotas one-third OF that Of the
present law.
The outstanding festure of the
| Davis w atsor- Moses bill is a pro-
vision which would delegate to the
Secretary of Labor, under certain
| conditions, the power to suspend re-
strfction as to certain kinds of labor;
(Section 81 Where the petition is
filed in behalf of a skilled or un-
skilled laborer. that labor or IKE
kind unemployed cannot be found
strike OF lockout does not exist OF OF
impend in the particular Industry
seeking to import such skilled or nh'
killed labor"
Another provision (section 80 en-
powers the President. upon recon-
mendation of the Secretaries Of Labor
and Commerce. to proclaim totai
suspension Of immigration or SuS-
pension from certain countries, eltnel
to continental or insular parts OF the
United States, on the ground OF un-
employment of labor already In sucr
regions.
This whole tendency Of delegatine
| bower to cabinet officers or TO tne
Chief Executive to loose or &c
strengthen restriction according &c
their discretion. in place OF eonsa aII sagS
sional control, will be Il matter can :
ing forth discussion when the biiis
reach the floor Of both branches ol
Congress.
* Il X
There are other features III common
| Of all the bills. which are intended to
humanize the laws harsnness in ex'
! GLIDING immigrants who had come after
severe struggles even TO the portals oi
their promised Land" only to. be
barred by technicalities and turned back
after having spent their savings ON the
| long journey. All new measures are
providing for some system Of imnligra'
/ ton certificates, to be issued at the
source of the migration, by our consuls
Thess. certificates will not guarantee an-
mission, but their absence will prevent
; the coming Of thousands OF aoSoiuteiy
| inadmisf isfibles-imbeciles. insane, mt
crate, criminals. diseased, Immoral
etc.
!: = II =
All measures also provide against The
cruet!es OF the present law in separat-
| ing families Children under eighteen
years. if unmarried. will. enter with
their parents. regardless Of the quotas
| Wives will come in with their husbands.
The number of tragedies Of such sep
arations under the infIexibie law as il
now stands has been exaggerated in
the press. through reporters publish
| IN. sob stories based upon suspen-
sions as if they were permanent re-
fusadc 1t is whispered about the De
partment Of Labor that many such
cases have been admitted by Secretary
Davis shutting his eyes To literal iIi-
tprpretations OF the law
E'or illustration. married couple
started from their home i'll siberia,
through Poland While in Poland the
wife gave birth to daughter. who by
the time they arrived in America was
three weeks old. The baby having been
born in Poland was Il Pole. and Poland 8
quota was exhausted. hence the baby
could not be admitted. Her parents,
being Serbs whose quota was still open
were admissible. Secretary Davis con-
strucd the intent. not the letter, of tn e
law. and ordered the daughter to come
in with her parents.
Hereafter, the law. as we'll as d
humane Interpretation. will admit the
whole family. including all unmarried
children under eighteen yea"s--or pos
sibly under twenty-one. when the father
Is admissible.
Copyright. 1924. BY Paul V. Collins