Speech #660155919

It has been shown through the statistics presented by the Senator from Iowa that the leading industries of our country must rely upon illiterate or foreignspeaking employees for over onehalf of their working forces. and it "s further true that our farming industry is largely manned by the same class of labor. In fact. all industries of these United States now depend upon illiterates and foreignspeaking workmen to a very large extent. and the ordinary or socalled common labor is generally furnished by these classes. Owing to the cessation of immigration "during and since the war. our industries are short of labor today and will continue to suffer from shortage of labor until the bars have been again let down. as there is no other source from which a sufficient supply of labor may be drawn. Our task today is to assimilate and Americanize these elements of our present population. who will as a rule make desirable citizens. and we should also prepare for the influx of newcomers who will invade our shores so soon as the opportunity is afforded them. Shall we say to those desirables who will come to us later or to those who are now resident among us. "You must be educated. must learn to speak. read. and write as Americans. for which you must pay." or shall we say. "The United States welcomes you. desires your allegiance. and to that end. in connection with the State in which you may reside. gives you opportunity for elementary education and a knowledge of the American language in order that you may become true citizens of this country "? In advocacy of the latter proposition it may be said we should place no unnecessary obstacles in the way of labor needed for the development of our countrys natural resources. Many desirable immigrants will come to us as quickly as they are in position to spend the money necessary to get them to America. and an education tax would delay their arrival or prevent their coming. The bulk of taxation. both State and National. is derived from real estate and other tangible property. or from operations of business. and as these interests are the ones which will benefit most through the operations of the proposed measure it would seem wise to rely upon general taxation for the proposed education rather than to assess its cost upon those who will receive the instruction themselves. The provisions of the bill have had much consideration at the hands of those who have been active in its advancement.