Speech #590162955

It is not my purpose to go into the reasons for that failure. but simply to state the fact. In these conditions we have been conpelled to look abroad for this additional labor. While the volume of foreign immigration to this country during recent years has been enormous. scarcely any of it hls gone to the South. If unsolicited and allowed to follow its own trend but little of it is likely to go there for a long time to come. especially if measures are not taken to correct false and erroneous notions of the social and labor conditions there which have been disseminated abroad by adverse interest. Something in the direction of inducing and directing inunigrants toward the South can be accomplished through State agencies for that purpose located at Ellis Island and at other places of alien debarkation in this country. The immigration bill as it passed the Senate contained the substance of a bill which I introduced two years ago providing for the maintenance by the States at Ellis Island of bureaus for this purpose. The Uou.se struck this provision out of the bill. but I am glad to see that the conferees have restored it. These agencies will help to sonie extent to solve the labor problem of the South. and to relieve the congestion incident to the settlement of a large per cent of our present imnigration in the great cities and centers of population. but as the destination of the great mass of tlie.e immigrants. especially tile better class of themn. is determined before they leave the other side. no great measure of relief from tile labor conditions we have in the South is probable or even possible from this source. . I1 tie South must supply its labor needs through foreign imnmigration. and. as I have said before. it seems reasonably certain that it must. the only way in which it can supply it from this source. and at the snne time get a fairly acceptable class of immigrants. is by reaching the immigrant before he leaves his foreign home. This. of course. can be done only thiroughi solicitation of representatives or agents either of individuals. corporations. or the State. Under our contractlabor laws an individual or a corporation is not permitted to solicit or aid foreign immigration unless the iiiligraint be a skilled laborer and " like labor unemployed can not be found in this country." Under these laws there is an exeniption in favor of the States from this prohibition against individuals and corporations by which a State may. thiough its agents located abroad. not only solicit but induce and assist linnigration. Sonte of the cottonmill men of North Carolina have recently had rather an unpleasant experience with the Department of Justice growing out of an attempt oni their part to take advantage of the exception with reference to skilled labor which I have mentioned. These cotton- ill men. unable to find sufficient skilled labor in this country to operate their plants. and being advised that they might ilport this labor from abroad under the section in our Federal labor laws to vhich I have just referred. and which provides " that skilled labor may be imported if labor of like kind. ueniployed. can not be found in this country." imported a niumber of mill operatives from England. [hey did not intend to violate the law. and they did not think they were violating the law.