Evening star., 1926-05-02
Capital Sidelights


that there is Il new court with judges
en- banc sitting regularly In Washing
ton, dispensing justice and affording
10 the humblest newcomer to our
shores or straggler across our bound
ary his "day In court" This Is an
Immigration Court" There the pro.
ceedings are similar to the Supreme
Court, with written opinions handed
down, with high.class men passing on
each case and giving their verdict
promptly.
The establishment of this court re,
suited from after-war conditions. and
Robe Carl White, Second Assistant
Secretary Of Labor, is the one man
directly responsible for this new tri.
bunal.
There Is q rule as old as law itself,
and always TO be respected, that
every man is entitled to his day in
court" Our Federal and State consti-
tutions reserved to the Individual.
whether American or alien. full protec-
ton of life, liberty and property. Like
wise, the laws and our courts secure
to the alien a fair hearing before he
can be denied admission or sent out
OF the country.
There is an intensely interesting his.
terical and human background to the
work Of the Immigration Court"
which few Of our citizens pause TO ap-
preciate, even though 1t has an Inn
portant effect on our labor market,
on public health, on American stand
ards Of living and on our institutions
generally.
pies Of Europe began to come to the
United States. They we're coming by
| little sailing vessels--the Mayf1ower
Half Moon and others-and there was
then no law preventing their admis-
sion to the continent Of America. 1t
| is not necessary to consider the title
they had to the lands which they took.
1t was common practice with
European countries to eXpel criminal
and political offenders. Many of these
reached the United States. Munich
palities and foreign governments were
furnishing transportation to their
paupers and ne'er-do-wells to enable
them to- come to the United States.
For so years our Government has
been legislating with q view to the ex-
clusion of undesirable aliens and their
| deportation IL they reach this country.
| Beginning in a small way, 1t has en-
| acted laws with a view to excluding all
| aliens deemed to be undesirable on
| one ground or another.
| With the close of the World War
| there was evinced a tendency to a wild
scramble Of certain races and peoples
to escape from the war-torn portions
of Europe and to set up homes in the
| United States.
| After the close of i1ostilities 1t was
found that we had our own domestic
economic problems.
| Prevented from entering at ports
by the limited. quota, thousands Of
| aliens were snfuggled in across the
| borders or landed on the Seacoast
| Almost every alien denied admission
| by boards of special inquiry appealed
| to the Secretary of Labor. The NUM-
| Der of these cases increased by leaps
| and bounds. Last year there We're
more than $4,000 appeal eases. The
| Secretary, under the law, is required
to pass upon all the testimony i'll
! each case. 1t was a physical irnpossi-
| bility for him to do this and thus
! administer justice TO each appealing
| alien.
| Secretary Davis called 10 his office
| Robe Carl White, an able, efficient
! and hard headed Hoosier, and request
| ed him to establish o. clearing house
| of some kinda centralized body-tO
! handle the thousands of cases which
| by law he must dispose of. White
| went to work. lie established the
| 'Immigration Court commonly
known as the Board of Review. Men
| experienced in the immigration law.
and who could say mo for the bene-
| fit of America-who would not be
swayed by persuasive arguments OF
highly paid lawyers or by political
power Of members of Congress-were
inducted into office.
Daily hearings are held, three mem
bers sitting at a time. There is a
regularly established courtroom on
the seventh floor of the Department
of Labor Building. an elevated plat
form and bench for the judges, a rail.
ing separating those presenting the
various cases from the spectators
The alien may appear in person or be
represented by welfare organizations
or by legal counsel. Often Senator
or IL Representative appears In per
son or by his secretary before the
board. An opinion Is written by a
member of the "court" in every case
No longer must the alien wait at Ell
lis Island or in Jail days, weeks or
even months for a hearing and final
determination of his case The dock
ct of the Secretary of Labor has been
kept clear.
+ r. + *
David Lynn. architect OF the Cap.
itol, SAYS that the CaMtol power plant
can furnish light and heat for city
of 100000 inhabitants.
This plant consumes in the genera
ton of heat and current approximate
ly 42,50O tons OF coal. and If q delivery
of this amount of coal were attempted
at one time 1t would require 70S coal
cars with q capacity of 60 tons each,
and these cars would constitute a
train miles in length
From the power plant heat, light
and power is furnished to the United
States Capitol. Library Of Congress,
Senate and House Office Buildings,
Coast and Geodetic Survey, Public
Health Service Building corner b
street and New Jersey avenue south.
east), Botanic Garden, City Post OF
fee. Government Printing Office, and
light and power only to Government
hotels.
George III. Carter. the public print
er, is proud of the hospital service
for employees Of the Government
Printing Office, which has been at
tracing much attention from tourists
The physical welfare of employees
Is we'll looked after by properly
equipped emergency hospital, under
the direction of q medical and SAM
tary officer, assisted by another ply
sician and a staff of trained nurses
During the fiscal year 1926 the hos
pital gave 1885 treatments to in
jured and sick employees, of which
3,O99 were surgical cases requiring
4,996 dressings, and 4.751 were med
ical cases. In addition to treating
employees Of the Government Printing
Office, the hospital also renders night
service to employees of the City Post
Office. Last year 297 treatments were
given to post office employees.
Owing to the careful safeguarding OF
all machinery, there was not single