Speech #640068267

It is desirable in making the restriction that(a) A sufficient number be debarred to produce a marked effect upon the present supply of unskilled labor. (b) As far as possible. the aliens excluded should be those who come to this country with no intention to become American citizens or even to maintain a permanent residence here. but merely to save enough. by the adoption. if necessary. of low standards of living. to return permanently to their home country. Such persons are usually men unaccompanied by wives or children. (c) As far as possible the aliens excluded should also be those who. by reason of their personal qualities or habits. would least readily be assimilated or would make the least desirable citizens. The following methods of restricting immigration have been suggested: T . (a) The exclusion of those unable to read or write in some language. CONGRESSIONAiv -rECO RD -IIOUSE1. (h) The limlitation of the nuner of each race arriving each year to a certain percentage of the average of that race arriving during a given period of years. (c) The exclusion of unskilled laborers unaccompanied by wives or families. (d) The limitation of the number of immigrants arriving annually at any port. (e) The material increase in the amount of money required to be in the possession of the immiigrant at the port of arrival. (f) The material increase of the head tax. . (g). The levy of the head tax so as to make a marked discrimination In favor of men with families. All these methods would be effective in one way or another in securing restrictions in greater or less degree. A majority (8 out of 9) of ihe commission favor the readingandwriting test as the most feasible single method of restricting unde -sirable immigration. Tit its last annual report. the United States Bureau of Imnmigration. at pages 39 to 41. says. under the heading " The Burnett bill " : In the last report the view was expressed that favorable action upon the various new provisions and administrative features of the Burnett bill would result in placing upon the statute books a system for the regulation of immigration which. with the furnishing of proper financial means. would insure Just treatment to all arrivals. maximum efficiency of administration. and many benefits to the country at large. The veto of the measure for reasons wholly aside from any of the admirable nlmhinistrative features which it contained of course resulted in the loss of the entire proposed law. Tils is very much to be regretted. for the hmigration Service hss suffered materially from the failure to secure the remedial and other provisions constituting the administrative features of the proposed:law. In the main these features have been recomnmended as necessary for the.proper administriation and execution of the immigration and exclusion laws since 1910. and have been inserted in two bills. the Dillingham bill and the Burnett bill. both of which failed. not through any inherent weakness or objection to such remedial Or administrative features. but because opposition developed to other fea tures thereof. I.iiler these circumstances. bearing in mind the responsibilities of the deiartiment In the administration and execution of the Immigration and ix lusion laws of the country and the farreaching effects of the failure for imany years to obtain the desired aniendmentsto whichin the main there hats been no objectionIt is again urged upon the department to recoimenl early consideration of the recommendations submitted to the iast Congress. My reasons for this suggestion may be better understood if attention is given to the following brief description of the recommendations reeardig the remedial legislation and administrative features adopted it thei Burnett bill and statement of the more important respects in which they Nvould improve the existing law : 1. They have been drawn with great care and thoughtfulness and in :inch mannier as to conform toall Supreme Court decision� that have passed upon the principles involved. and also with a view to overcome those court decisions which. dealing with matters not of principle but of fornm. have cut down the intended force and effect of the existing statute. 2. They contain the result of experience and investigationof the experience of administrative officers. extending over nearly a quarter of a century. in the enforcement of various statutes regulating iintgration. 1nd of the investigations conducted variously lint in particular. by te himigration Commission preated under the act of 1907. the report of which. comprising 42 volumes. was submitted to Congress In Ileceniber. 1910. 3. By them the law is made certain in its definitions and clear in its terihis throughoutinprovements badly needed in the existing statute. 4. In particular. they improve the existing law by(a) Applying it to aliens coiming from the insular possessions to the tinahlitnd. meeting a serious pioblelU which for several years has confronted the Immiigration Service. (b) Closing the enormous gap In the regulation of immigration. consisting of the ease with which undesirable Aliens can enter the country by pretending to be sailors. (c) Making the collection of head tax more easy. more certain. and more equitable. (d) Adding to the list of aliens excluded several new classes shown iy experience to ie especially undesirablefor moral. nlental. phy..ical. or economic reasons. (el Making the exclusion of all the iiihibitcd classes more thorough aind certail. (f) Materially strengthening the provisions relating to the sexually nitooral orwhiteslave classes with respect both to exclusion andl expulon. (g) Extending the scope of the coitractlabor and related provisions so as effectually to exclude or expel induced and solicited immigrants aind adequately to punish the importers. and at the sane time mlaking it really feasible for employers to import skilled help if such help.is not procurahble in the United States. (h) Including in the measure carefully devised and uniformly applied p]lns for the effective control of the activities of steaniship" coilpaniies. the principal feature of which is -tie use of theadministrativetile ittethod with the power of refusaLof.clearance that has proven so effective in enforcing section 9 of the existing statute. instead of the eurtprosecution method that has proven unsatisfactory in enforcing the presenit law. (i) Providing for the abatement ofthe evils..so serious in the.past. growing out of the simufggling of aliens into the United States. thie crime being properly defined and adequatelyliunishted. " . : . (j) Extending the use and effectiveness of those huiane provisions -of existing law whifd are. intended .toprevent the bringing of ineligible altns to our ports. (k) Providing for a much more thorough examihation by inspectors and doctors of aliens seeking. admission. -and clothing.the officials with sufficient authority to insure proper performance of their duties. . (1) Making the inspection of steerage quarters vessels more thorough. of "e" quarters o vse mor thr (i) Compelling steamship officials to return in quarters equally comfortable as those in which brought aliens excluded at United States ports. abating a serious imposition. ( n) Providing for the releaseunder bond of. or the payment ofwititess fees to. aliens detained as witnesses.. whounder existing lasv:have tobe detained in confinement pendingthe bringing of prosecutions or suits. . (o) Clarifying those provisions of the law of 1907 Intended to give the department authority to remove smuggled Chinese from the country under the summary administrative processof the immigration law instead of using the cumbersome and often ineffective process of the exclusion laws. (p) Making possible the expulsion from the country of alien anarchists and criminals. even when they have become such after entry. (rI) Fixing a definite and easily followed rule with respect to the conferring of citizenship upon wives and minor children of naturalized aliens. (r) Conlieiling railroad companies engaged in carrying aliens across our land boundaries to provide suitable sanitary detention quarters for the immigrants. . It shotld be home in mtind that the foregoing recommendations for remedial legisiation were submitted long before the European war situation arose. They were much needed under normal conditions . and it is readily apparent that. whatever the general results of the war may be. the importance of adopting the suggestions can not be reduced. but. on the contrary. must he Increased thereby to such an extent that their adoption becomes an imperative necessity. These official findings and expert opinions unanswerably refute the statement that existing law is sufficient to keep out even the admittedly undesirable aliens. just as do official State reports and the long memorial from the New York State General Assembly of only last year. asking that the Federal Government either exercise its exclusive power to regulate foreign colnmerce by excluding undesirables. or reimburse the State treasury and the Empire State taxpayers about $5.000.000 a year for the insane and pauper in her public institutions.