The Connecticut labor news., 1924-04-12
IMMIGRATION HEADS GROUP OF MEASURES
 FAVORED BY LABOR Conscription Proposal Branded Hostile in Legislative Report to Compers.

report on the legislative situation just submitted to President Gompers by the legislative committee of the Amer l ican Federation of Labor the follow | ing are listed as the outstanding measures for which labor is contend ing and against which the opponents of labor and of the interests of the people have trained their guns 1. Immigration, for the protection of the American people. 2. Settlement of disputes between railroads and employees. g. Child labor amendment to the Constitution. + 4. Workmen's compensation for the District of Columbia.
 5. Adjusted compensation for form CT service men.
 6. Adequate wages for school teachers in the District of Columbia.
 7. Extension of the Vocational Re mobilization Law.
 8. Rec1assihcation.
 9. Adequate wages for postal em- ployes.
 The outstanding measure to which labor is opposed is a proposed act providing for conscription of labor in war or in peace. This is described by the legislative committee as the most ininical piece of legislation ever considered by Congress. The legisla- tive committee Is composed of w. C. Roberts, E. F. McGrady and Edgar Wallace.
 Considering the immigration bill the report says:
 "The provisions of the Johnson inn migration bill, which provides for two per cent. quota and the admission of families of foreign born citizens is being ma1iciously attacked. The greatest opposition comes from for eign countries, their nationals in this country, and unfair and greedy cor porations. "Mussolini declares that if the bill is enacted into law that less money will be sent back to Italy to the relatives of Italian immigrants. The Italian am bassador has been directed to make protests to our government The Ru- manian government has made simi- lar protest, declaring, as did Musso- lini, that the economic recuperation of that country depends upon money sent by immigrants to their families who remained at home
 Former Attorney General Wicker sham opposes the bill because it for bids the admission of aliens ineligible to citizenship. MT. Wickersham. who for many years has represented Jap anese interests III this country, pro- tests against this proviso. In some way the Federal Council of Churches has been led into opposing that fea- ture of the Johnson bill Ii says that 1t would be a case of bad faith to pass law that would abolish the gentle mems agreement It must not be forgotten that the 'gentlemens agree ment' IS not a treaty. In this case the 'gentlemen's agreement left to Japan the issuing of passports for those whd intended to come to the United States. No one has ever seen this gentlemen's agreement and it is believed to be on the same order as 'gentlemen's agreements between cor porations for profteering purposes or for determining wages and the black listing of labor
 'It was verbal agreement Japan IS said to have given a pledge to issue no passports to laborers. However, they come in here as merchants, stu dents or under some other c1assihca- ton, but soon throw off their disguise and become laborers.
 There are 100000 Japanese in Cali fornia alone The Federal Council of Churches is also urging that the Jap anese come under the two per. cent.