Speech #660272774

Seasonal agricultural labor can not be imported from such a great distance as Europe. . The method which I am discussing is not an experiment. but is now in actual operation and has been since 1917. The Burnett Immigration Act went into effect on February 5 of that year. and under its terms neither illiterate nor contract laborers could be imported. and each alien must pay a head tax. On May 23. 1917. the Secretary of Labor waived these three requirements as affecting Mexican agricultural laborers. under authority granted him by the ninth provision to section 3 of the immigration act. which reads as follows: Provided further. That the Commissioner General of Immigration. with the approval of the Secretary of Labor. shall issue rules and prescribe conditions. including exaction of such bonds as may be necessary. to control and regulate the admission and return of otherwise inadmissible aliens applying for temporary admission. That he had a perfect legal right to issue such an order will not be denied by anyone who reads the extract from the law which I have just quoted. It therefore follows that the enactment of the pending bill as reported to the House will deprive the Secretary of Labor of the authority to temporarily admit " otherwise inadmissible" aliens. because section 7 provides that none but "otherwise admissible " aliens may be temporarily admitted.