Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-22
PROPOSED CHANGES OF lMMI.
GRAFTON LAW

The Grange lecturer, who spoke
this week before the Kiwanis Club,
is quoted as advocating letting up
In our restrictions on immigration
so that the farmer may secure farm
laborers at a wage which he can af-
ford to pay. OF course he could tell
us that the farmer should be favor
ed in this respect above all other
producers, but without entering into
an argument on that point, though
it Is obvious the building contractor,
the SHOEMAKER and All down the
line would be equally DESTROYS OF
lessening their wage costs, we would
inquire what. If any, assurance may
be found to show that immigrants
once arrived here would be willing
to work for less than the prevailing
wage, or would not tend toward the
congested cities, as is the custom,
nowadays.
! 1t would be strange indeed II the
| immigration law be perfect. 1t is
| human law, passed by very human
| lawmakers. 1t IS almost strange
| that it has worked as well as 1T has.
| We will be well advised to so slow
in tinkering it.
Once this matter is re-opened we
| will be in for a medley of plants.
| Some idea of this may be had from
a statement just issued by the I'M
migration Restriction League. Here
is part of 1t:
In connection with certain other
| organizations, the knights OF Column
bus have issued a resolution de-
nouncing the Johnson Immigration
Bill of 1924 as discriminating against
certain races. They have denounced
the two most important provisions
of the law namely the temporary
provision, providing that the immi-
grafton quotas of the different ma
lions shall be based on the number
of foreign born in this country at
the time of the 1890 census, and
| they have also denounced Its perm
anent provision providing that, as
soon as the racial origins of our
population can be more accurately
ascertained, future immigration
shall be apportioned accordingly. In
other words, they have objected to
i IDS DllnClDlS GtllDOuleu III LiiS IJ-N
immigration bill providing that we
shall add new elements to the popu-
latiop in such manner that. SO far
as possible, all elements shall be
represented In proportion to their
present numbers, and that the pro-
portions of different elements now
in the country shall therefore, so far
as possible, remain unchanged.S
The plan of regulating our immi-
grafton in such a way as to give all
elements of the country a fair
chance OF surviving. and of making
their respective contributions to a
single great nation, was exactly
what we as a nation regardless OF
origin had been looking for, with the
exception of those elements who
We're not yet fully assimliated.
The basing Of the quota on the
1890 census was selected as the best
rough -and-ready way Of carrying
out the idea, and the provision for
allowing the President to alter the
division of quotas according to a
more mature and considered investi-
cation of racial origins was a logical
and proper way of perfecting the
measure.
If, after the publication Of the
estimates, for which careful provis-
ion has been made. attacks hao
been made upon it for being based
on error. or for having been dis
torted by corrupt perversion, a diff
ferent view might have been taker
by the people at large Of the at.
titude OF those who now denounc,
: it, Since, however, this apportion.
ment study has not yet been made
public, these denunciations can be
nothing else than objections to the
principle established. of giving al
, elements of the population whose
, ancestors were voluntary immigrants
a fair and proportional representa-
ton in the quotas admitted.
These circumstances therefore
show plainly that those who made
them, whether they know it or not
are seeking not a fair apportion'
ment, but an unfair discrimination
in favor Of elements Of their OWL
, kind. Their attitude IL entirely
natural and thoroughly mistaken.
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