Speech #590039211

Only a small part of 80.000.000 can be employers or shopkeepers or foremen. I do not believe it is any longer true that the incoming races are pushing up all of those already in. but I think. on the contrary. that you are subjecting our workmen striving to maintain their standard of wages to a competition which is unfair. Our immigration officials lay a great deal of stress on the question of the distribution of immigration. They point to the fact that over half of these aliens settle in New York and Pennsylvania. and yet that throughout the West and the South there is a demand for labor. Immigration. however. does not go there. and they say that there ought to be a remedy. In my opinion. there can not be any remedy ekcept natural laws. Immigrants do not stop in New York and Philadelphia because they are put there. They stop because there is a demand for them there. and because they can get higher wages and more steady employment than if they vent somewhere else. It is foolish to say that these immigrants congest our large centers and become charges upon the community. It is not true. There were 31.5.000 immigrants settled in New York State last year. one years importation alone. and yet only 12.000 aliens. all told. are in the penal and charitable institutions of the State. In Pennsylvania less than 6.000 aliens. all told. are in charitable or penal institutions. and yet 210.000 last year alone settled in Pennsylvania. I think that we must accept the fact as demonstrated beyond doubt that those people stay in Pennsylvania and stay in New York on Feccount of economic reasons. At the immigration conference In New York again and agaIn I heard speakers tell of the denmand for labor in the West and in the South. In private conversation with the speakers I generally found that steady jobs were not offered. or else that the rate of wages was lower. Under present conditions in the South.