Speech #670195633

Because of the abundance of laborers and expansion of new and competitive industries. more goods and products are often manufactured than the public can consume. Money and working capital become tight. Directly following each peak wave of immigration comes a period of depression. Work is not so plentiful. The unskilled is the last to be hired. he is the first to be let go. Mr. Jones. the Director General of the United States Employment Service. advises me that a majority of the American workers are placed in the unskilled class. More than 75 per cent of those immigrants who do come here are also in the unskilled class. so that immigration without restriction does the most harm and injury to the unskilled American workman. The competition is always between the unskilled laborer of America and tile immigrant. It Is not a fair competition. Thelatter are used to lower standards of living and lower wages in Europe. The skilled workers fare better. A good industry does not like to lose its organization of skilled men and they are retained as long as possible. Whenever the country has many unemployed. immigration recedes. many emigrate to their own country. The number of unskilled diminishes. Then gradually industry gets another start. The employer gets ready. ie hangs out a card "Men wanted." Ten nen apply for every job. He takes his pick and sends the others away. If immigration had not been restricted or diminished during the period of depression. there would be many more to send away. Conditions are now easier for the employer. Then is the time for restrictive immigration. An American Congress should care for Americans first. If there is not enough work for all. we should see that our countrynmen have the first opportunity. The gentleman from New York is opposed to the 3 per cent restrictive measure. He is against the literacy test. On the day the resolution extending the 3 per cent law was before the House he said that only "the vicious. the diseased. and the imbecile should be excluded." He was one of the 36 against the resolution. while 281 Members of the House were in favor of further restricting immigration. The negative votes were almost entirely from New York. Chicago. Cleveland. ind other centers of foreign population. The gentleman from New York [Mr. CocxuAN] on the day the resolution was under consideration asked the question in his debate on the resolution: That if it is desirable to restrict immigrants. why should it not be more desirable to prohibit them? In reply. I ask if it is desirable for you to stop eating when you have enougl. would you say it is more desirable not to eat at all?