Speech #680194353

Mr. Speaker. the new immigration act. signed by the President on May 26. 1924. is working well. Most statements to the contrary are made by interested persons with ulterior motives. Figures covering the operation of the law during its first six months. from July 1 to December 31. 1924. have just become available. They show. first of all. that the net increase to our population through immigration from every source. including Canada and Mexico. was but 97.389 for the first six months of the fiscal year. Gross immigration for the six months was 231.368. Immigrant aliens. as distinguished from nonimmigrant. numbered but 147.737. Emigration during the same period amounted to 133.979. At this rate the total immigration for the current fiscal year will be onehalf of the figures for last year. perhaps less than onehalf. Mexican immigration has been reduced 60 per cent. Canadian immigration has fallen off more than 38 per cent We are deporting more than twice as many undesirable aliens as heretofore. It seems to me. Mr. Speaker. that these results quite definitely proclaim the merit of the law and give us cause for gratification. When we realize that the grand total of immigration for the fiscal year ended June 30. 1924. under the 3. per cent 1910 census quota law. was 879.302. or more than seveneighths of a million. and that the grand total this year will be well under half a million. we can get a quick picture of the effectiveness of the new restriction. When we realize further that of this years grand total more than onethird will be made up of the nonimmigrant classes. such as returning aliens. visitors. and so forth. it will be seen that the influx of immigration has indeed been notably checked. Of strictly immigrant aliens. we have admitted during the past six months only 147.737. Compare this figure with last years admission of 706.896. and we note an absolute reduction of almost 60 per cent. In addition. the quality Is grading up noticeably. due principally to the overseas questionnaire. Mr. Speaker. in time past there has been much discussion of the technicalities of our immigration laws. and much sympathy -has been worked up in favor of aliens who have been debarred by their operation. I am happy to inform the House that few. if any. of the criticisms which quite justly were aimed at the former quota law can honestly be directed toward the immigration act of 1924. Instead of counting aliens as they arrive at our gates. thus putting a premium on racing steamships and causing great distress to those who failed to arrive "within the quota." we now cause immigrants to be counted at our consulates overseas. In fact. we do not count the immigrants in. person at all. but we count the "immigration vises" as profided by the law. and by limiting their issuance we keep a steady check on the immigration movement. Thus an alien contemplating settlement In the United States. need be put to but slight inconvenience. He files his application for immigration vis6 at the nearest American consulate. and when favorable action thereon is taken he has ample time. to attend to all his necessary business before taking ship. He has an absolute assurance that so far as the numerical restriction is concerned he can not be debarred when he reaches an American port. I am informed by officials of the State and Labor Departments that this system is working out splendidly. that there is practically no friction or confusion. and very few. if any.