The 3 per cent law is not perfect.. It was not exactly the kind of a restrictive measure which we presented to the House in the last Congress. but we hope and expect before this law. as so extende1. runs ihrough its second year that we shall pass. in the present Congress. a more permanent and constructive plan embodying some kind of selection ons the other side. a problem which is hedged about with many difficulties affecting our foreign relations. For 10 years prior to the act of 1921 our immigration approximated a million a year. In 1908 it got up to 1.300.000. inore than 100.000 a month. In the fiscal year ending June 30. 1921. which included 27 days under the 3 per cent law. it was less than 900.000. but this was due largely to the destruction of ships. to the very low value of money in Europe. and to the inability of foreignborn people resident in America to get money to their relatives who wished to come. There are now plenty of ships to bring them. and plenty of money is being sent to theam to make up for the low rate of exchange of foreign money. And those of us who have studied the subject at all are certain that without the 3 per cent law our immigration in the current fiscal year would considerably exceed 2.000.000. In the eight months of its operation the 3 per cent law has cut immigration down to less than 200.000. and right now through the operation of the same law immigration has dwindled to less than 1.000 a week. All of our restrictive immigration law. except as applied to orientals. has been made in the last 15 years. and in this present fiscal year we have cut immigration down to onefifth of its former annual amount. and. I believe to less than onetenth of its reasonably to be anticipated amount. Now. in changing to an entirely new and drastic system there has been a little margin which could not be taken care of by the new law.
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immigration