Speech #640070171

Mr. Chairman. I do this for the purpose of continuing a few observations with reference to the comments of the Pittsburgh Post. a Democratic newspaper. which is opposing the Burnett immigration bill. The chairman of. the committee has had considerable satisfaction in quoting the Philadelphia Inquirer upon several occasions. because it has seemingly swung into line for the Burnett bill. and therefore. in order to keep him up to date. I recur to the Pittsburgh Post. a Democratic paper. which stands true to its opposition to the literacy test. When my first five minutes expired. I was reading from an editorial from that paper. which at the point where I left off read something like this: This shows the unfairness and the shortsightedness. from the standpoint of a land of opportunity and one greatly in need of labor. of a literacy test that would deny opportunity to the individual trying to better his condition and which would at the same time Interfere with the progress of the country. If the immigrants performing work In our industries that calls for brawn rather than literacy were suddenly withdrawn from the mills. the plants would be obliged to close for a time. throwing many thousands of other workers out of employment. But the schools established for the education of the immigrants in American ways "show that there is no selfishness that would hold the aliens down to illiteracy. This. I think. the.gentleman. from Alabama ought to be informed upon. because it gets to the crux of the situation. I read: The record shows that as soon as they have capacity for advancement they are advanced. their old places going to the newcomers. the rate of industrial expansion in this country guarantees employment for the ablebodied immigrants about as rapidly as they arrive. This holds throughout the land . but owing to the great industries here that are constantly attracting alien labor. Pittsburgh is a conspicuous example in Americanization work. In addition to classes in citizenship conducted in connection with the publicschool system there are classes in English for the beginners. and the resort to them. as pointed out. shows the keenest appreciation of the opportunities.