Speech #660333697

There is. however. sufficient truth in it so that the country demands a- this time that we should fix a maxinmum. and that is all you can say with regard to that question. I could argue the question of checks and balances to show that in all probability no more will arrive during the next six months than arrived during the past six months. and that the number of departures willbe equally great. I might cite as a check that the primary factor in immigration is the economic condition of the country. and that whenever the economic condition of the country is bad immigration automatically decreases. That is a law. that is a barometer. independent of any statute. After the panic of 1907 immigration fell off in 1.908 more than half a million. After the business reaction of 189394 ilmigration fell off onehalf. After the business reaction of 1873. 1874. and 1875 immigration was reduced to onethird. After the business depression of 185057 immigration was reduced to onethird. It is significant that during the month of January of the present year immigration has fallen off very materially from what it was in December. and it was a little less in December than it