Evening star., 1925-06-12
Labor Needs As Guide.

The National Association of Manu-
facturers advocates that immigration
should be adjusted to the Nations de-
nands for labor. 1t is proposed, in
stead of limiting the number of aliens
admissible in any year to population
quotas, that the law should be mace
elastic enough to admit laborers In
accordance with the demonstrated
needs of industry from season to sea.
son.
AS things now stand, 5000 Swedes,
or 5000 Englishmen or 5000 Germans
line up from month to month in front
of the American consulate, respective
ly, in Stockholm, London or Berlin.
Their applications for emigration per-
mits are passed upon and vised on the
basis of first come, first served. No
sort Of discrimination is made, or can
be made, under the present law. to de-
termine what particular classes OF
people may or may not come to our
shores. Conceivably they might all be
domestic servants, tailors, mechanics
or wholly unskilled labor. Everything
depends on who is lucky enough to be
at the front of the line and reach the
visa officer before the quota Is filled
up. 1t Is contended that this Is an
unsound arrangement.
Want Flexible Law.
A special immigration committee of
the National Association of Manufac-
turers was appointed to consider a Sc
lective system. The committee con-
sister of representatives of the United
States Rubber Co., Henry Disston &
Sons, Philadelphia; Dayton Malleable
Iron Co., Dayton. Ohio: International
Harvester Co., Bethlehem Steel Co.
and the Globe Automatic Sprinkler
Co.
After studying the first years
effects of the new immigration law
the committee finds that while 1t is
a decided advance in administration,
the restriction of numbers is arbi-
trary rather than selective. The hope
is expressed that the next Congress
will reconsider the immigration law
and make 1t flexible enough to 'ex-
pand and contract" in accord with
definitely determined economic re-
Quirements.
Method of Operation.
II Congress were to listen to such
proposals they would work out IN
some such fashion as this: The De-
partment of Labor would ascertain
that the steel industry during the next
six months or a year would urgently
need a certain number of. unSkilled
workers. Or the Department of
Labor might learn that the North
western agricultural regions were so
denuded of farm hands that 10000 or
5000 European agricultural work
ers could Immediately be absorbed.
American immigration agents abroad
thereupon would notify European
governments accordingly. The latter
on their part would set about to
drum up the required kind of emf
p$c Inf hoi
cations for emigration would be con-
sidered first; that they would be ad-
missible to the United States with
out delay and find immediate en-
ployment there.
Selective immigration bears a re-
mote resemblance to the old contract
labor law. which was in existence in
the days of the Infant industries" of
America, like the tin-plate trade. But
authorities like Secretary Davis, who
are strongly in favor of the present
restrictive immigration law. consider
that 1t will be defective until supple
mented by purely Selective immigra-
ton.
Davis Gives Views.
Some of Mr. Davis observations on
the subject are as follows:
II am in favor of a law under which
we would make our selection of immf-
grants abroad, and permit only those
to enter this country who could find
and fit into available places In our in
dustrial, social and political life. I
would provide for the admission, re-
gardless of quota, of farmers and
skilled or unskilled labor, where labor
of like kind cannot be found unem-
ployed in the United States, provided
that no strike or lockout exists or i'm
pends in the industry seeking to i'm
port such labor. Undoubtedly there
are times when we need more man
power. Our immigration history has
proved that it is folly to seek to sat.
isfy this need by throwing down all of
the bars and admitting aliens indis-
class of worker we should admit that
special class, in order that all other
workers in the industry dependent
upon the labor which is lacking may
not be thrown out of employment.
The need for such a law is plain. We
cannot afford to burden the American
economic structure with man power
which we cannot use and which might
easily be used in time Of industrial
depression to undermine the American
wage scale and the American standard
Of living"
The National Association of Manu-
facturers heartily supports Secretary
Davis plan for alien registration as
q safeguard against alien radicallsm