Speech #690186836

The work of making this classification was. however. carefully done by people who were by no means lacking in qualifications for tile task. and who did not rely exclusively upon names. but consuited histories and works on nomenclature to some extent. Moreover. pectation of Congress that the 1790 classification here referred to would be used as a basis in carrying out the provisions of the act regarding. the determination of national origin. As regards most of the nationalities of more recent Immigration. tleir quotas would not be affected appreciably. if at all. by any errors that may exist il tils classification of the 1790 population. because they were not represented in any considerable numbers in the population of the United States at that time. As regards the other countries. whose quotas are based in part upon the 1790 population. just what the nargin of error resulting from uncertainty in regard to the classification by nanes may be could be determined only by extended historical research. At present It must be largely a matter of opinion. alnd while the burden of proof appears to rest upon those who may object to the classification as being seriously erroneous. we are not prepared to say that their criticisms may not be in some cases or to some extent Justified. It is to be noted. however. that so far as the provisions of the immigration act of 1924 are concerned. an exact classification is neither expected nor required. for the act says that the determination of national origin shall be made " as nearly as may be." Your board believe that the results finally obtained. after such revisions as it may make within the next two or three montls. will indicate the national origin of the population of the United States as nearly as may be ascertained with the available data and under existing conditions. A greater degree of accuracy could doubtless be obtained by a careful and exhaustive study of historical and genealogical records. but that is a task which might take several years for its completion and would require tile assistance or cooperation of historians and experts in historical or genealogical research. For your convenience tie tabular statement herewith submitted includes tile present quotas (based upon tile foreign born enumerated in tle 180 census) for comparison with the lreliminary quotas based on national origin. As of possible interest. there is added also a column showing the quotas as they were presented to Congress at the time the immigration iltt of 1924 was under discussion. as published in the 1173911740. IThis colmn Is introduced as indicating what Congress probably anticipated would be the results of tile application of the nationalorigin basis. It may perhaps have been anticipated that under the provisions of the immigration act the total Immigration from quota countries would be 150.000. But the act. as your board understands it. does not deflnitely and directly limit the total Immigration. It simply provides a rule by which the quota for each nationality is to be determined. that rule being that the annual quota " shall bea number which bears the same ratio to 150.000 as the number of inhabitants in continental United States in 1920 having that national origin (ascertained as hereinafter provided in this section) bears to the number of Inhabitants in continental United States in 1920." In tile opinion of your board. the quota of any country as determined by that rule must stand unaltered. unless it proves to be less than 100. In which.case it is to be Increased to that figure under the proviso that "the minimum quota of any nationality shall be 100." As a result of increasing the quotas in such cases. the total is somewhat in excess of 150.000.