Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-24
AMERICAN LABOR !.
PREFERENCE URGED.
Employment of Citizens
Rather Than Aliens on U. S.
Work Asked of President.

Preference to American citizens and
ex-service man on jobs in connec-
ton with the Federal building program,
as an administration policy, was strongly
recommended to President Hoover to-
day by Representative Robert L. Bacon,
Republican, of New York. who delivered
at the White House memorandum on
this subject which he had prepared at
President Hoover's request.
This action by Representative Bacon
grew out Of conference he had with
President Hoover on July 20. at which
he vigorously urged the adoption of such
policy and cited 1.-The demoralizinR
and unjust results that have followed
from the employment OF cheap alien
workers to the exclusion of idle. but
capable, American citizens"
Earlier Representative Bacon had
also appealed to Secretary of the
Treasury Mellon for assistance in hay
ing the administration work out a
scheme Tor preference for American
labor.
Basis for Plea.
Representative Bacon in his confer
ence with President Hoover and in the
memorandum he submitted to the
White House. among other things based
his plea for the adoption of a prefer
ence policy for American citizens and
the veterans of our wars on the follow
ing considerations:
That the practice of EMPLOYING
cheap alien labor, willing to work for
greatly reduced wages and unattached
70 any OF the principles which the
american workman has stood for in the
way OF high standards of working and
llVlng conditions, has resulted in direct
discrimination against the American
citizen workman, his family and the
community in which he lives and con-
stituteS a serious threat to stable labor
conditions in this country;
That the pitch of resentment against
present practice which permits the en-
ployment of aliens on national con-
struction works when there is an ample
supply OF idle and capable American
labor runs highest when it is realized
that in the construction of a veterans
hospital many veterans have been de-
MED jobs because the construction rolls
were filled with the names of aliens;
That the United States. by its lack
OF policy OF preference for American
citizen labor on national construction
works, Is injecting serious factor Of
disturbance in those States that have
preference policies for the American
citizen;
Objections Have Been Made.
THAT wide resentment and objection
has been voiced against the present
conditions, not only by labor and vet
eran organizations. but by municipali-
ties"
The policy of preference for the
citiz en- and eX-service man In the
State where the work is performed
would operate fully to quiet the discon-
tent which increases to a dangerous
point during periods of economic de-
preston. when such citizens and ex-
service men see aliens pre-empting Jobs
they feel belong to them simply on the
score that the aliens labor is cheap"
Mr.. Bacon said, adding that "such q
policy would be as much in the interest
of the efficient contractor as the worker,
as 1t will remove for many contractors
the element of unfair competition now
suffered by them through the employ
ment by others of cheap alien labor"
The President has ample authority to
direct the PRONUNCIATION of such a pref
erence policy in the form of a stipula.
ton in the Government construction
contract form, Bacon holds.