The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1924-02-22
WHAT CONGRESS,
WANTS TO DO WITH
ALIEN WORKERS

/ (NOte-lhlS is the fifth OF the
series of articles which the Daily
Worker is publishing on the laws
which are now pending before Con-
grass, directed against foreign-born
workers who wish to come to this
country and those in this country.)
THE LODGE BILL
Bills directed against the foreign
born workers are not limited to the
House of Representatives. The Sen
ate also has its series of proposed
new laws intended to shacl1le and
make important any effort Of foreign
born workers coming to this country
to take part in the labor movement
and win for themselves a higher
standard of living.
Senator Lodge introduced in the
Senate Bill Nc 35 which is now pend
ing before the Senate immigration
Committee. This bill limits the i'm
migrants who come to this country
after July 1st of this year to per
cent of the number OF each respec-
tive nationality in this country, &C
cOrding to the census. eff 1890
Senator Lodge is very specific
about the information which is to
be asked of each person who desires
to emigrate to the United States.
Under the rules laid down in his bill,
the immigrant must answer questions
which will give information-in adj
dition to the name, age, sex, race,
whether he can read and write-about
his prison record if any, his military
record, and complete copies of all
records concerning him required by
the Government to which he owes al
legiance."
This inquisition, however, is not
sufficient for Senator Lodges pur-
pose. After citing all the facts which
he desires to have brought out in the
investigation of the proposed immi-
grant he adds, and "such informa-
ton as the Secretary shall, by reg
ClatiOn, preserve as necessary to the
proper enforcement of the immigra-
ton laws and the naturalization
laws"
This provision gives the Secretary
of Labor the power to add any addi-
; tional inquiry which he may deem
proper" Under the authority thus
given, the Secretary of Labor can
easily include questions as to the
proposed immigrant in regard to
labor unions, and as to his political
beliefs. In other words, Senator
Lodge provides the machinery for
a careful sitting of the applicants who
apply for permission to come to the
United States, eliminating all who
might prove dangerous to the employ
ing class of this country.
FINGER-PRINTING PROPOSED
The Lodge bill is also unique in
its provision for taking the finger
prints of every immigrant coming to
this country as part of the record of
the immigrant to be kept on file in
Washington by the Department of
Labor.
Under the provisions of the bill
! containing the fnger-printing section.
! each immigrant when he arrives in
the United States will turn over to
the Department of Labor a COPY of
his immigration certificate which will
serve as an arrival certificate. On
| this arrival certificate on which will
E also appear a photograph of the i'm
migrant, will be placed the finger
print of the immigrant. This certifi-
t cate, thru which the immigrant can
: be kept track of and identified at all
times, will be kept on file in Wash
ingtOn, D. c.
The Lodge bill requires each imnni-
. grant who makes an application to
come to this country to pay a fee of
81 and provides for other charges
under special circumstances which
immigrants will be obliged to pay.
The fact that there are also before
the Senate proposed laws dove-tailing
with those pending in the House of
Representatives is evidence of the
seriousness of the threat against the
fOreign-born workers who may come
here in the future and those now in
the United States. The bills before
Congress and the Senate have been
introduced by Republicans and De-
mOcrats alike. There will therefore
J be no partisan divisions ON the nnes-